66 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • NOVEMBER 2021
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LI’S TOP DOWNTOWNS
What follows is a guide to some of Long
Island’s most popular and well-known
downtowns, along with some of their
top highlights, to fi nd that perfect gift
this holiday season.
BABYLON
With a rich history as a resort town
purchased from the Sumpwam Indians
in 1670, the Village of Babylon features
a quaint and bustling downtown that
runs along Main Street and Deer Park
Avenue, full of shops, restaurants, and
the picturesque Argyle Lake. There’s
also a wide-ranging base of boutique
shops and mom-and-pop stores that
consistently attract strolling shoppers.
Spas, hair salons, ice cream shops, a
candy store, a toy shop, coff ee shops
and other independent stores make
Babylon a perfect walking community.
EAST HAMPTON
A shoppers’ paradise, the Village of
East Hampton’s downtown caters to the
glitterati who reside on the East End as
well as the tourists who come to dine,
shop, beach, and celebrity watch. Home
to a ton of high-end boutiques and retail
stores along its picturesque Main Street,
this downtown is a tribute to beachfront
luxury, featuring shops like Tiff any &
Co., Gucci, a Missoni Home Store, Ralph
Lauren, and Cole Haan.
GARDEN CITY
Garden City’s downtown is a walkable
conglomeration of upscale restaurants,
bars, spas, salons, and boutiques dotting
Franklin Avenue. Seventh Street
is also lined with charming boutiques
that can rival the likes of any East End
store.
GREAT NECK
Great Neck Plaza is a robust downtown
district that off ers a haven for shoppers,
while maintaining its unique historic
architectural facade. There are a number
of unique specialty stores, ranging
from Muddworks, a paint-your-ownpottery
shop, to Taeree’s Unique Shop,
off ering beautiful handcraft ed jewelry,
accessories, and handbags.
GREENPORT
Situated on the deep, protected harbor
on the Long Island Sound, this old
whaling port boasts a thriving downtown
rife with waterfront restaurants,
hotels, museums and galleries, and an
abundant variety of boutiques. You just
Shop Long Island's small businesses in these charming downtowns for the holidays. (Getty Images)
can’t visit Greenport without stopping
at Mitchell Park and taking a ride on the
antique carousel.
HUNTINGTON
Downtown Huntington is Long Island’s
Manhattan. This 36-square-block cosmopolitan
downtown area is bustling with
boutique stores and restaurants along
New York Avenue and Main Street. This
cultural hub caters to Huntington’s artsy
crowd with such popular destinations as
renowned music venue The Paramount,
the Hecksher Museum of Art, and the
Cinema Arts Centre, a theater devoted
to debuting independent fi lms.
MINEOLA
This extraordinary village also boasts
two other “downtown” areas: Jericho
Turnpike and Old Country Road, both
lined with even more restaurants,
shops and businesses worth visiting,
day or night.
NORTHPORT
This shopping and dining destination,
which stretches along Main Street, is
right out of a Norman Rockwell illustration,
with old-fashioned storefronts,
antique stores, an ice cream parlor and
restaurants that decorate the walkable
landscape ending in waterfront Cow
Harbor Park. Heartichoke is one of
the many quirky gift shops that can
be found while strolling down Main
Street.
PATCHOGUE
This trendy village teems with a vast
array of restaurants and pubs, shops
and boutiques, and live music venues
along Montauk Highway, making it one
of the most popular downtowns along
the island’s South Shore.
PORT JEFFERSON
The downtown area of this charming
harbor town is replete with rich history,
cultural heritage, and a storybook-like
village. One of two ports with access to
Connecticut, this is a maritime mecca,
with restaurants, bars, entertainment,
and educational and social activities to
spare. There’s a bounty of fi ne shops in
the village that literally off er something
for everyone.
RIVERHEAD
Downtown Riverhead has undergone
a tremendous revitalization in recent
years. This quaint downtown is now
full of historical treasures and beautiful
riverfront scenery, commerce,
dining, and leisure attractions. Close
to the shopping hotspot that is Tanger
Outlets, Riverhead has become a
premier destination, especially along
its Main Street. This is an extremely
kid-friendly downtown, with the Long
Island Aquarium attracting families
from all over. This increasingly walkable
shopping hub is home to dozens
of recently opened shops, including
clothing boutiques and jewelry stores.
ROCKVILLE CENTRE
The village is a retail and entertainment
haven, with more than 400 shops,
scores of dining options for foodies
looking to explore, an abundant night
life and bar scene, a generous assortment
of parks and public spaces, and a
palpable commitment to education and
the arts. And while Rockville Centre
has long been renowned as a great place
to live, it’s also a fi ne spot to visit.
WESTBURY
Westbury’s location, walkability, and
arts and culture off erings are the foundation
of a downtown that attracts visitors
of all ages. Stroll the downtown and
check out the charming features that
are the ark of its revitalization, such
as new vintage streetlights, road signs,
and fl ower baskets. Enjoy the clean look
of the new facades on buildings. Shop.
Eat. Listen to the great music!
-Zack Terana, Patrick Kelton, Brendan
Manley, and Ruth Bashinsky
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