74 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2018 74 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 2017 74 LONGISLANDPRESS.CO M • SEPTEMBER 201-----------TUTU111
DESTINATIONS
Huntington: Long Island’s trendiest downtown
By RUTH BASHINSKY
The area where British troops
camped following the Battle of
Long Island during the American
Revolutionary War is today one of
the most popular cultural meccas
on Long Island.
Downtown Huntington offers a
bounty of top-notch restaurants,
shops, galleries, specialty stores
and entertainment venues. Located
in northwestern Suffolk County,
this waterfront community is
home to pristine harbors, marinas,
beaches and parks. Originally an
agriculture and shipping hub, it
was transformed into a popular
tourist destination once the Long
Island Rail Road arrived in 1867.
“It’s a little microcosm of
Manhattan,” says Huntington
Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci.
“Whether you are going on a date
or bringing your family for a day
trip or to dinner, Huntington has a
vibrant downtown area ... Get to a
live concert, a play, or a museum.”
Here’s some of the many things
to do in Huntington on your next
visit.
For your entertainment
Whether you’re looking for laughs
or live music, The Paramount
(370 New York Ave., 631-673-7300,
paramountny.com) has something
for everyone. Recently ranked
fifth top club venue worldwide,
this two-level hotspot has been a
fixture on the Huntington scene
since opening its doors six years
ago. Each year, the theater hosts
an average of 200 events, including
big-name acts from across genres—
just about everyone from Elvis
Costello to Fetty Wap has played
here—and even regularly hosts
boxing. On Feb. 17, comedian Jim
Breuer begins the first performance
of his new monthly residency.
This month’s line-up also features
shock rocker Marilyn Manson,
funk royalty George Clinton and
Parliament Funkadelic and comic
Kevin James.
If you’d rather be the one on stage,
Finley’s (43 Green St., Huntington,
631-351-3440, finleyshuntington.
com) can help make that happen.
Every Wednesday night is NOOM
— North Shore Original Open Mic
— where songwriters, artists and
musicians sing, perform and play
live music. The tavern has dozens of
craft beers on tap and bottled. And
on Sundays, New Orleans-style
Storyville American Table, which
operates a restaurant during the
day in the space where Finley’s has
its bar and nightclub, offers an allyou
can-eat brunch at $34.95pp.
A cultural journey
Art aficionados can take joy in the
endless variety of tours, lectures,
discussion groups and workshops
offered at The Heckscher Museum of
Art (2 Prime Ave., 631-351-3250,
heckscher.org). On view through
March 11, is the exhibition From
Frankenthaler to Warhol: Art of the
’60s and ’70s, from the color field,
minimalist, pop and photorealist
work featuring works by Andy
Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper
Johns and Helen Frankenthaler,
Audrey Flack and others. And on Feb.
9, join author and music historian
Tom Ryan as he explores the musical
landscape in his lecture How Music
Changed History: ’60s & ’70s.
For those who prefer the media
arts, Cinema Arts Centre
(cinemaartscentre.org, 423 Park
Ave., 631-423-7611), LI’s biggest arthouse
movie theater, presents 300
special events annually, including
live theater and music concerts,
stand-up comedy, communitydriven
events, and trivia nights.
That’s in addition to more than
400 films including international,
documentaries, independent and
new releases. For example, on
Feb. 10, it will feature the 1987
Jon Cryer classic Dudes. For Black
History Month, the theater hosts
Gospel music and Huntington
resident Deacon Leon Jamison on
Feb. 23, among other events and
screenings. Hardcore cinemaphiles
can enjoy late-night dining at The
Sky Room Cafe.
Prime An American Kitchen & Bar epitomises all that’s great about downtown Huntington.
Oheka Castle is easily the most recognizable Gold Coast estate.