30 Places to Visit and Color
Jake Rose
Illustrations by Various Artists
1. SUFFOLK THEATER Located on downtown Riverhead’s historic Main Street, the 350 seat Suffolk Theater is Long Island’s last remaining art deco movie theater. Built for the Century Theater chain by R. Thomas Short, the Suffolk Theater opened in 1933. Groups like the Long Island Farm Bureau used the theater for special events. Sadly, changing trends forced the Suffolk Theater’s closing in 1987. In 2005, Dianne and Bob Castaldi purchased The Suffolk Theater to renovate it for a new generation. Lighting its LED marquee lights in 2011 and reopening in 2013, the Suffolk Theater has once again become Long Island’s prettiest playhouse, as it has been transformed into a flexible use performance space that currently boasts cabaret and traditional theater styles, two Art Deco bars, a VIP suite, and a full chef’s kitchen. There’s always something to celebrate at the Suffolk Theater!
Photo by Mike Peel
2. BIG DUCK Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Big Duck overlooks Reeves Bay in Flanders, New York. Envisioned by Long Island duck farmer Martin Maurer, the Big Duck was designed in 1931 by Broadway set designers, the Collins Brothers, and crafted by locals George Reeve, John Smith, and Merlin Yeager. Originally nesting in Riverhead, the fine-feathered friend has waddled three times and now rests in it’s most popular and familiar settling, Big Duck Ranch. Roadside architecture designed to promote what is sold inside is now commonly known as “Duck Architecture”, in honor of the whimsical granddaddy of them all.
6. RAILROAD MUSEUM of long island (riverhead) Located on the historic property of the Corwin and Vail Lumber Company and occupying land that made up the Long Island Rail Road’s “Riverhead Yard”, the Railroad Museum of Long Island’s Restoration Site is where they maintain and exhibit their collection of historic rail cars and locomotives. The museum also invites visitors to ride the Long Island Rail Road miniature park train from the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair, climb inside a 1960’s LIRR caboose, activate the fifty-seven accessories on the Historic Lionel Layout and watch scale model trains operate on two indoor train layouts and one outside the garden railway.
7. Briermere Farm Briermere Farms makes from scratch all of its pies, bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, jam, and jelly on location, without any pre-prepared ingredients or fillings. Most of the fresh fruit used in the bakery is grown on the farm itself.
9. Jamesport COUNTRY STORE The Jamesport Country Store is a picturesque brick building with a little red door and flower-filled windowsills with blue shutters. Outside of the store lies an old-fashioned pick-up truck filled with hay and vintage wicker furniture that complete the quaint scene. Owner Howard Waldman says the store has been a town staple for 47 years. The store has retro home decor, beachy knick-knacks, antiques, local jams and classic sweets.
11. Love lane kitchen Situated in the middle of Mattituck’s Love Lane, Love Lane Kitchen is a quaint local cafe that serves upscale comfort meals with house-roasted coffee, beer and/or wine. The café released its first wine in August 2016. In early 2016, it was awarded “The Snail of Approval” by Slow Food East End for implementing slow food values into their business.
14. Southold free library Located atop Feather Hill in the heart of the hamlet, the library had its beginning in 1797, when there were no novels–“history, biography and solid reading were the order of the day.” The 1891 brick building has been home to the library since 1928, after Edna Cahoon Booth purchased it from the Southold Savings Bank. An addition was completed in 1991. The library staff fosters the love of reading and of exploring new ideas through a wide range of mediums which include books, program offerings for all ages, and top-notch databases to name a few. Servicing the hamlets of Southold and Peconic, the library continues to grow and adapt as the world constantly changes.
Photo by Erik Anestad
15. Horton Point Lighthouse Constructed by the U.S. Lighthouse Service on Barnabas Horton’s “Cliff Lot” in 1857, the 58 feet tall Horton Point Lighthouse is one of Southold’s historic lighthouses, and is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Construction began May 19th, 1857 and ended October 15th, 1857. The 110-foot light, which was lit by lard, sperm whale, kerosene and vapor oils, could be seen from 14 nautical miles. A second story was added to provide sleeping quarters for the assistant keeper. In 1905, the iron balcony gained a third brace. Several men managed the lighthouse until its 1933 automation, when the 50-foot high skeletal tower lit its revolving electric light. The 1938 hurricane blew off part of the dwelling’s roof. The tower had mixed uses during World War II and the Korean War. Southold Historical Society director George Wagoner established the lighthouse’s Nautical Museum in July 1977. The Coast Guard re-commissioned the tower and relit the beacon on June 9th, 1990. Today, the Horton Point Lighthouse serves as one of North Fork’s major stops.
18. Southold General Offering a curated selection of food and goods inspired by the North Fork of Long Island, Southold General is a café that will always be here for you. With coffee, wine, beer, breakfast sandwiches, big salads, fresh baked grandma pies, and sweet and savory house made gelato, they’ve got you covered. Led by Chef John Fraser and the team behind the North Fork Table and Inn, their love and admiration for Southold, its people, and its products run deep. Located in the former Rothman’s Department Store building next to the Einstein Square open courtyard, their doors are open, and their patio is set. With a warm and inviting space that is filled with natural woods and stones, vintage furniture, and whimsical pegboard shelves. They can’t wait to share Southold General with you.
19. Pickleball in Tasker Park Located in Southold, Tasker Park contains three baseball fields, three lighted tennis courts, a playground, and six pickleball courts. But what is pickleball? Considered to be similar to tennis, the sport of pickleball is played on a badminton court with a lowered net, using a whiffle ball and ping pong paddles. The shorter court makes it more appealing to baby boomers looking to stay fit. Though it has only begun to rise to national prominence in the past decade, it was actually invented in the mid-1960s when Washington Representative Joel Pritchard created the game when his family couldn’t locate a shuttlecock on vacation and instead used a whiffle ball.
21. The greenport carousel The Greenport Carousel was built in 1920 in the town of North Tonawanda, New York, which is near the city of Buffalo, New York. In the 1950’s, the aircraft producer Grumman purchased the carousel to give the workers at the Calverton plant something to do for entertainment. In 1995, the newly merged Northrop-Grumman Company closed its plant and decided to donate the carousel to a local community via friendly competition. It was through the efforts of Mayor David E. Kapell, along with help from the students at Greenport School, that the carousel moved to Greenport. The carousel was temporary housed at Stidd Industries and a corner tool shed before being permanently situated at Mitchell Park on June 29th, 2001. It was named after the late Jesse Owen, who dutifully operated the carousel while it was in the temporary locations.
22. Claudio’s The story of Claudio’s begins with its founder, Portuguese sailor Manuel Claudio, who first arrived in Greenport aboard the Portuguese whaler Neve in 1854. Upon his retirement in 1870, Claudio established a saloon on lower Main Street, which quickly became an integral part of the Greenport harborscape. The building has a two-story enclosed porch and paneled door entries with spindled brackets. Inside is an ornate mirrored bar that Manuel salvaged from a New York Bowery hotel in 1885. During prohibition, Claudio’s, then managed by Frank Claudio, became a French restaurant downstairs, while the upstairs became a hotspot for imbibing in illegal spirits. For fifty-plus years, Bill Claudio Sr. carefully managed and preserved Claudio’s. After being run by the same family for 148 years, Claudio’s was sold in 2018 to Perry Weitz, David Weitz, Ian Behar and Ryan Sasson. The new owner soon established a pizzeria right next to the restaurant– aptly named Claudio’s Pizza, which serves one of the best pizza pies in the North Fork.
23. Preston’s Preston’s has been a major symbol for the town of Greenport since 1827, when Main Street was laid out with the wharf at its foot, ship captains met, provisioned and transported people and products from that location. The main building complex facing Main Street consists of two joined stores and a separate shop that was formerly a coal storage building. The latter was moved by the Navy in WWII and used as a machine shop for boat repairs and construction. Over the years, Preston’s has serviced and provisioned a large assortment of yachts, including those of the Vanderbilts and the Astors.
25. Burton’s bookstore Burton’s Bookstore has been the North Fork’s only bookstore since 1979. They have the best sellers and plenty of other wonderful reads. Special orders are always welcome. Burton’s Bookstore offers all kinds of books: children’s, cookbooks, bestsellers, fiction, non-fiction, and more! Check out their spectacular collection of Long Island books, with a nautical section blooming with exciting tales from the sea. If one can’t find what they’re looking for on the shelf, it would be their pleasure to specially order it for them. They gift-wrap for any special occasions. Gift certificates, gift cards, postcards, and bookmarks are also available. If one is unable to pick up their books, they will happily deliver them to them.
On a moonlit night in the forest, magical things can happen... Written by Peggy Dickerson Illustrated by Cynthia Wells
27. Orient Country Store In a space that’s served as a grocery for roughly 250 years, Orient Country Store is a community destination for household items, sandwiches, pies, and catching up with neighbors. Owned by Miriam Foster and her husband Grayson Murphy, the Store is cornerstone for Orient. To keep things running smoothly, each family member plays a unique role. Miriam is head baker, Grayson helms the savory menu, and Miriam’s parents Tom Foster and Dinah Seiver help manage the place and assist customers.
28. Lavender by the Bay Established by Serge and Susan Rozenbaum in East Marion, NY in 2002, Lavender by the Bay is a 17-acre family owned and operated farm with over 80,000 plants that brings together agriculture and art to create beautiful lavender fields on the North Fork. On the farms, you’ll find a farm store with a variety of lavender products and the artfully designed sachets from Susan and her team of lavender bees. Their products can also be found at Green Markets throughout NYC year round. Thanks to their loyal customer base as well as the family’s ongoing passion for all things purple, Lavender by the Bay continues to grow. They take pride in the high-quality lavender grown on their farm and are happy to bring it to you to enjoy all of the many natural benefits of lavender.
30. The bug lighthouse Founded in 1990, the East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation’s first project was restoring Long Beach Bar’s “Bug” Lighthouse. For over a century, Bug Light’s bright beacon helped mariners navigate safely to Peconic Bay. Maintained by both the Foundation and the U.S. Coast Guard, Bug Light is a shining symbol of the East End’s maritime heritage. The old structure’s screw piles, lead to its nickname “Bug Light”, since at high tide, it looked like a water bug. A concrete foundation was added in 1926 to counter ice pounding. Arsonists destroyed the original structure on July 4th, 1963. In 1989 and 1990, hundreds of locals worked to rebuild Bug Light by giving it financial support, material, and equipment. The replica lighthouse was built in the Greenport Shipbuilding Yard in only 60 days, and its relighting ceremony occurred on September 5th, 1990. During 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, Bug Light had parts of its concrete foundation washed away, its door ripped off, and its pier battered. Many repairs have been made, but there is still more work to be done.
Color North Fork, 3rd Edition depicts the beauty and unique character of American small towns. This artful coloring book details thirty of the most recognizable locales situated in the wonderful towns of the North Fork of Long Island.
The book is filled to the brim with iconic settings such as the Suffolk Theater, Briermere Farm, the Greenport Carousel and the Bug Lighthouse, among many others. Through its black-and-white line drawings, “Color North Fork, 3rd Edition” masterfully displays the authentic personality of these wonderful towns.
ISBN 9781948286077
www.colorourtown.com