South Shore (Long Island)

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The South Shore of Long Island is the area along Long Island's Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Though some consider the South Shore to include parts of Queens, particularly the beach communities in the Rockaways such as Belle Harbor, the term is generally used to refer to the Long Island coastline in Nassau County and Suffolk County. It is often used as a generic name for the entire southern half of Long Island rather than just the area immediately adjacent to the coastline.

In contrast to the North Shore's reputation of elegance, gentility and "old money," the South Shore is perceived as middle class, ethnic and more densely populated, with pockets of "old money" in a few affluent areas, mainly south of Merrick Road / Montauk Highway. Blue-collar communities such as Valley Stream, Island Park, Copiague, Lindenhurst, Central Islip, and Mastic Beach are considered to be typical in this perception of the South Shore. One affluent section is Hewlett Bay Park, the richest place in New York State, a tiny village of 484 residents located in the Five Towns, which ranks number 18 on the list of highest-income places in the United States, based upon per capita income.

Though the western stretch of the North Shore is considered by most locals to be the more fashionable of Long Island's coasts, once the island splits into two forks at its east end, the South Fork and its tony Hamptons is much more affluent and contains some of the most expensive property in the world.

[edit] South Shore neighborhoods

[edit] Affluent South Shore communities

The South Shore of Long Island was onced reputed for its refinement and stateliness as it was called home to many aristocratic and old families including: Gardiner, Thorne, Hollins, Knapp, Vanderbilt, & Bayard Cutting. However from World War II forward, the South Shore faced a decline and lost most of its splendor. The exquisite and opulent mansions and estates were lost to the wrecking ball and only "pockets" of wealth remained. Large parcels of land were purchased by "bottom feeders," or homebuilders who destroyed the grandeur of the terrain.

[edit] Beaches

In approximate west to east order:

With its waterfront location, beaches can be found along the entire South Shore, offering a mix of beaches open to the public and others that offer limited public access, requiring beach passes or limited parking availability. The sands of the South Shore beaches are exceptionally pristine, with finer, white sand and somewhat clearer waters than those of the North Shore beaches. Beaches on the North Shore tend to be extremely rocky and met with murky water.