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:: Fire Island - Babylon, NY - joevaluscg
Station/Boat Location~
Station Fire Island

Date there~
Oct. 2004 to May 2008

Weather~
Gorgeous springs, Nice Summers, Crisp Autumns and COLD winters!

Military facilities~
Not much---there's a tiny tiny Navy exchange/commissary 30-45 min east (Mitchell Field, in Garden City, NY--Nassau County)

Medical~
VA Medical Center 30 minutes north in Northport, otherwise Tricare Prime Remote...as long as you can get an attentive PCM you can get referrals to about any doctor

Housing~
SO limited--only 6 buildings several hundred feet from the USCG station(each bldg half houses one family, so a total of 12 homes) only available for families with children for both Station Fire Island and Station Jones Beach, and even then they sometimes get picky and want you to have more than one child in order to qualify for base housing since they are all 3 bedroom homes. Pretty housing, though if you can get it--hardwood floors, beautiful views of bay on one side and ocean on the other...two floors, large kitchen. We live on the economy---VERY difficult to find decent apartments in Long Island for a reasonable price...we ended up moving 45 minutes away from the base--don't expect to find apartment communities, they are rare, but one or two exist, otherwise expect to rent an apartment attached to the back or above someone's house (which may or may not be legal apartments, be sure to CHECK). Very expensive to live here, high cost of living, basic 2 BR homes start at the 500's or 600's.

Shopping~
LOTS! Several malls throughout the island, lots of stores of all sorts, any you can think of--we recommend the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, NY

Child Care/Schools~
I've heard that NY boasts some of the best public schools in the country but I wouldn't know from firsthand knowledge(no kids).

Adult Schools~
Suffolk County Community College (several campuses throughout the island, one even 20 min from the base), Dowling College, St. Joseph's, Stony Book University, Hofstra University and of course all the schools in the city

Fun Activities~
Beaches are pretty but the water is always cold even in the summer and the beaches get too crowded (let alone the TRAFFIC getting there) for my taste...the shopping on Long Island is great and the CITY is the highlight of the entire area but we only went a few times because of the expense of the trip and the fact that visiting the city takes an entire day for a worthwhile visit...NYC is only 50 or so miles east, and best way to get there is by train. Out east on the North and South Forks is beautiful wine country and the Hamptons and Montauk's big lighthouse...Fire Island has a lighthouse as well and there are lots of parks throughout the island to go running or for picnics, etc.

Additional Info~
Station Fire Island can get a bit "cliquey" from our experiences, both on base and in the housing area among the wives, but that happens when you have such a small base, I suppose. Other than the cold winters with lots of snow and ice, and the HIGH cost of living, there's a lot Long Island has to offer as far as activities and schools, and the transition from NYC in the west to the countryside out east, as well as the beaches that surround you on all sides of the island is unique and beautiful.

Homeport NY

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