DECEMBER 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 79
HISTORY, NATURE THRIVE IN ‘NEW ENGLAND’ HAVEN
Island, America’s First Amusement
Park,” “Celebrating P. T. Barnum…the
Man,” and “Motorcycles & the Open
Road,” with memorabilia, artwork,
sculptures, displays and guest speakers.
The center also offers its LEGO
Building Block Contest & Exhibit, and
hosts the longest-running luncheon
musical theatre series on LI; it is
currently presenting its Holiday
Tribute to Diana Ross living history
production through January 10.
From there continue your Stony
Brook cultural expedition to the
Reboli Center for Art and History
(64 Main St., 631-751-7707, rebolicenter.
org), housed in the historic 1911
Bank of Suffolk County building.
The center is dedicated to preserving
and promoting the legacy of Stony
Brook-based artist Joseph Reboli, best
known for his oil paintings of local
landscapes and subjects from the
Three Village area and LI’s East End,
and contains a massive collection of
Reboli’s work. The Reboli Center also
presents works by other contemporary
artists and craftsmen, as well as
LI historical exhibits, and promotes
the study of classical painting and
drawing through workshops and
special events.
Music history and appreciation
are alive and well in Stony Brook,
too, especially for jazz hounds, who
will find nirvana at The Jazz Loft
(275 Christian Ave., 631-751-1895,
thejazzloft.org), which now occupies
Ward Melville’s former Suffolk Museum
building. Opened in 2016, The
Jazz Loft features 6,000 square feet
of original jazz memorabilia displays
spanning 100 years, a 1940s period
second-floor performance space, and
a deep list of education programs. A
wide range of local, national and
international artists perform at the
Loft, which also hosts regular Swing
Dance Long Island events.
NATURAL SPLENDOR
The vintage New England village
charm of Stony Brook is further enhanced
by the breathtaking natural
beauty of the area, from its beaches
and harbor-front vistas to the shady
groves and rolling green meadows
of its parks and open spaces. The
first essential stop as you take in
all this stunning scenery is Avalon
Park & Preserve (200 Harbor Rd.,
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
631-689-0619, avalonparkandpreserve.
org), encompassing 140 acres
of protected land that has been
manicured to re-create the natural
environment that greeted the area’s
first indigenous peoples. The 8-acre
park proper is accessible by a series
of trails and hiking paths, and also
contains a labyrinth and observatories
used for astronomy programs.
Stony Brook is also home to one
of Long Island’s most flawless, yet
relatively unknown, stretches of
beachfront: West Meadow Beach,
which can be enjoyed from Joel L.
Lefkowitz Park (Trustees Rd., 631-
751-3193). From here you can walk a
pristine length of beach that was once
dotted with numerous private bungalows
that have all been torn down
in recent times, returning the land
back to nature. It’s also a legendary
spot for striped bass, bluefish and
snapper fishing and an ideal location
for snapping some gorgeous pics of
the unforgettable scenery.
There are enduring traces of the
area’s agricultural traditions, too.
Just outside Stony Brook Village is
Benner’s Farm (56 Gnarled Hollow
Rd., East Setauket, 631-689-8172,
bennersfarm.com), a private 15-acre
family homestead first farmed in the
1700s, which operates much in the
same way as it did under the watch
of prior generations. The farm
delights visitors with numerous
seasonal activities like pumpkin and
strawberry picking, maple sugaring
and haunted hayrides, as well as
educational workshops and courses
throughout the year. Benner’s Farm
also boasts the largest swing on LI,
hung from what is reputedly the
largest and oldest white oak in the
Three Villages.
SHOPPING BACK IN TIME
As you wrap up your time visiting
Stony Brook, remember that no visit
to a destination is complete without
some special souvenirs, and in the
Stony Brook area the St. James
General Store (516 Moriches Rd., St.
James, 631-854-3740, facebook.com/
St.JamesGeneralStore), built in 1857
and listed on the National Register of
Historic Places, is the undisputed spot
to find all those delightful bring-back
goodies. In keeping with its history,
the store preserves the experience of
shopping in an 1800s general store,
upgraded to offer modern patrons
an expertly curated selection of
fine gifts, books, toys, food and confections.
Don’t leave the store—or
Stony Brook—without stopping at its
ever-popular penny candy counter,
where you can stock up on old-timey
treats for the trip home.
WHERE TO STAY
The Three Village Inn
150 Main St., 631-751-0555, threevillageinn.
com
Hilton Garden Inn Stony Brook
1 Circle Rd., 631-941-2980,
hilton.com/en/hilton-garden-inn
Holiday Inn Express Stony Brook
3131 Nesconset Hwy., Centereach,
631 -47 1 -80 0 0,
ihg.com/holidayinnexpress
The Stony Brookside Bed & Bike
Inn
48 Main St., 631-675-0393, thestonybrookside.
com
Bayles Estate Bed and Breakfast
1249 N. Country Rd., 631-689-5865,
baylesestate.com
WHERE TO DINE
Ssambap Korean BBQ
2350 Nesconset Hwy., 631-675-6402,
ssambapkbbq.com
Kumo
2548 Nesconset Hwy., 631-689-8585,
kumojapanese.com
Pentimento Restaurant
93 Main St., 631-689-7755,
pentimentorestaurant.net
Country House
1175 N. Country Rd., 631-751-3332,
countryhouserestaurant.com
The Three Village Inn is a must-visit in the area.