Welcome to Fire Island Share .com

Directions to get to Fire Island

As Fire Island is truly an island,
it becomes necessary to avail oneself of ferry transport
in order to reach its shores. For the western communities,
of which Ocean Beach is a part, this service is provided by
Fire Island Ferries, Inc. at 99 Maple Ave. in Bay Shore.
See the options below for directions to the ferry.

Click here for the Ocean Beach Ferry Schedule.

Rail:

The Long Island Railroad's Bay Shore Station, on the Montauk Branch, is located 0.9 miles from the ferry. This translates to roughly a 15 minute walk, or about a three minute cab ride. Cabs, both Tommy's and David's, are usually waiting at the station. If you choose to walk, proceed south along Fourth Avenue. (South will be to your right when facing the easterly direction the train has been traveling. Fourth Avenue is the street perpendicular to the tracks at the east end of the station.) As you cross Main Street, two blocks south of Union Blvd., you will notice that Fourth Avenue has lead you effortlessly into Maple Avenue. As you walk down what is now Maple Avenue, you will soon come upon a rather large sign for the Fire Island Ferries, Inc. just beyond Aldrich Ct. At this sign (not at Aldrich Ct.) make a left toward the ferry terminal. Be sure that the ferry you board will stop at Ocean Beach, as not all do.

Note:
The Long Island Rail Road is not only available at what now passes for Penn Station in Manhattan, but can be also reached from a number of other stations in Brooklyn and Queens via the subway. Depending upon where you live, you may find that either the E or J train to Sutphin Blvd, both of which run directly under Jamaica Station of the LIRR, is particularly convenient. Eastsiders may especially want to give consideration to picking up the E at 53rd & Lex., and simply heading directly to Sutphin/Jamaica. The F at 63rd & Lex, and the R at 59th & Lex. both offer same-platform transfers to the E at Roosevelt Ave./Jackson Hts. The Eastside IRT no.6 connects with the E at the 51st St. station, should you live either too far north or south to directly access any of the three above-mentioned stations. The J to Sutphin/Jamaica option makes sense for those residing in certain parts of Lower Manhattan, and some areas of Northern Brooklyn. For other areas of Northern Brooklyn, the L, and the A both connect with the J at Broadway Junction. Note that heading for Jamaica Station produces a reduced LIRR fare, as it is in Zone Three. You are also at that point about 20 minutes closer to Bay Shore relative to Penn Station. Anyone living in other areas of Brooklyn should give serious consideration toward accessing the LIRR at the Flatbush Station, a main transportation hub which is convenient to quite a number of subway and bus lines.

Click here for the LIRR Bay Shore Timetable.

Van Service:

Both Tommy's and David's taxi services make runs from Manhattan to the ferry terminal. The two services have recently merged, and so one call is all that is now needed. For schedule, fare, and pickup points call 631-665-4384.

Car:

Take the Southern Parkway to Exit 41S--Bay Shore Road. Continue along Bay Shore Road and you will soon pass under the Sunrise Highway to merge with the East-bound service road at what can prove to be an annoyingly long light. When the cursed thing finally turns green, bear to your right onto Howell's Road. After passing through the Fifth Avenue intersection, be on the lookout for Fourth Avenue on your right (comes up after Centre Ave.). This will not be a right turn, but will instead be more of a merge to the right onto Fourth Ave (look for painted white arrows on the roadway). Soon you will emerge at the railroad station, where you continue along Fourth Avenue past Union Blvd., Mechanicsville Rd., and across Main Street where the street then becomes Maple Avenue. Down Maple Ave. you go, and turn left at the large sign for Fire Island Ferries, Inc., immediately after Aldrich Ct. (An alternate scheme is using Exit 42S -- Fifth Avenue, which I actually prefer. See the following paragraph., midway down where it mentions exiting at 42-S, and continue from there.)

In the event that you have opted for Eastbound travel via either the Northern Parkway, or the LIE (495), you will need to head south via the Sagtikos Pky to connect with the Southern Parkway. Be sure to take the left-lane option at the South end of the Sagtikos Parkway--To Heckscher State Park. This plops you onto the left lane of the Southern Parkway. Move quickly to the right lane in order to make your exit. You are however past Exit 41 mentioned above. Exit instead at 42S--Fifth Avenue / Bay Shore. Make a left at the stop sign to the traffic light at Fifth Avenue. Make a right on to Fifth Avenue heading south. Proceed down Fifth Avenue for slightly under two miles to Union Blvd. (This will be the first traffic light after having crossed over the LIRR tracks. Just before Union Blvd., Fifth Avenue will fork, and the southbound direction will become Clinton St.) Turn left on to Union Blvd. Proceed east on Union Blvd. for three traffic lights to Fourth Avenue. Turn right on to Fourth Avenue heading south, and proceed as indicated above. (Heading down Fifth Avenue, you have the option of turning left at Howell's Road rather that continuing to Union Blvd. See the above paragraph's mention of the Fifth Ave. intersection, and continue from there.)

You may wish to unload any belongings at the ferry terminal prior to parking. You may park at the ferry terminal lot for about $14/calendar day, if space is available. Arriving on Friday night and leaving some time on Sunday is counted as three days. To possibly avoid these annoying fees, consider Bay Shore's many free lots. A prime candidate is Parking Field 8 at the SW corner of Fourth Ave.& Mechanicsville Rd., across from the Verizon Building. Signs there may mention an eight hour limit, however this is almost never enforced, and so cars are not known to be ticketed. Prime on-street parking is to be had on Smith Avenue between Union Blvd. and Mechanicsville Rd. Smith Ave., lined on both sides by new townhouses, is two blocks to the West of Fourth Avenue. No chance of a ticket there, as parking is legal at all times, without time limits. You may also park free at the railroad station, which is located near Union Blvd. & Fourth Ave. Be certain to park in areas with a 30 hour time limit (most of the lot). At the station, Tommy's and/or David's cabs ought to be available to take fares to the ferry. Particularly if not parking at the Railroad Station, it makes sense to hit the ferry terminal first, unload your baggage, and then park.

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