LONG ISLAND
MY NEIGHBORHOOD
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park
— O Y S T E R
B AY —
Sound Bytes O
YSTER BAY, a quaint and historic waterfront hamlet on Long Island’s Gold Coast, has been home to Suzanne Russell Siple since she was two years old, when her father built a house in Mill Neck Estates. When she started her own family, Siple and her husband, Dennis, bought a house nearby—and her hometown became her children’s hometown. During more than 40 years she spent as a first-class international flight attendant, Siple traveled the world, but no place felt more welcoming than Oyster Bay. “As someone who was used to traveling, I always thought the grass was greener elsewhere, but then I’d come back to Oyster Bay and would be reminded just how beautiful it is here. Oyster Bay will always be home for me.” —Jacqueline Kuron
Sagamore Yacht Club
PARKS & REC
Residents of Oyster Bay have access to Theodore
Roosevelt Memorial Park (25 West End Ave.,
Suzanne Russell Siple
516.624.6202), a waterfront park with a beach, sports fields, a boat ramp, a pavilion, picnic areas, child play areas, and more. “My children grew up running around that park,” says Siple. “There’s also The WaterFront Center (1 West End Ave., 516.922.7245), which rents sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboards, and offers sailing lessons and harbor tours.”
BY THE BAY
Boating is a major aspect of life in Oyster Bay. Siple has been a member of Sagamore Yacht Club (Head of Bay Ave., 516.922.0555) for more than 20 years and says the membership has skyrocketed recently. “It has wonderful food, two hopping bars (one upstairs and one downstairs) serving the best martinis in town, and a beautiful deck overlooking the harbor.” Also along Oyster Bay Harbor waterfront is Cooper Bluff (5 Bay Ave.), a bar with a fun vibe and live music.
2 Spring
NEW & NOSTALGIC
One of Siple’s favorite features of cities like Rome, Paris, and Barcelona was alfresco dining. Recently, she says, many restaurants in Oyster Bay have decided to borrow the idea, opening their doors and expanding seating outside with the use of heat lamps and seats with fur blankets for comfortable dining even in colder temperatures. Among them are 2 Spring (2 Spring St., 516.624.6411), which specializes in sophisticated European-style multi-course dining. Another of her favorites is Wild Honey (1 E. Main St., 516.922.4690 ), which transformed an alleyway into a chic dining spot reminiscent of an Old World European café with string lights. For a taste of old Oyster Bay, try Bonanza’s Stand (25 Shore Ave., 516.922.7796), an Oyster Bay staple for more than 100 years. “It’s a tiny little red shack serving the best hot dogs and Italian ices on Long Island. There’s always a line. It’s truly an Oyster Bay icon,” says Siple.
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