Stony Brook, NY

Address:Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook, New York is a small town on the North Shore of Long Island, known primarily for its well-known State University of New York Stony Brook campus. With a small population of 13,000, the town is populated largely by students at SUNY Stony Brook. SUNY is responsible for most of the local recreation, activities and events. Founded by Ward Melville as an ideal New England village in the early 1900s, the town retains and embraces its quaint charm, reflected in its architecture and atmosphere, even amidst a recent boom in housing growth.

The Stony Brook campus is extremely rich in its offerings in the arts. There are many museums and galleries on campus, many of which display the work of faculty and students. The Arts Department sponsors free public lectures and seminars on art history and criticism. At the Museum of Long Island Natural Sciences visitors can see displays of Long Island's natural history and rocks. The museum features a seismometer, programs and workshops and an exhibit on the Long Island Pine Barrens, and admission is always free. At the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, which was the former studio of abstract expressionist artist Jackson Pollock, visitors can peruse an art reference library, a media collection, and documentary archives open all year by appointment. Art classes are also offered. Frequently changing art displays are also available for viewing at the Stony Brook Union Gallery and the University Art Gallery.

Tourists can take advantage of a few other local attractions, such as a visit to Sand Street Beach, a duck pond, a historic grist mill from the year 1751, the Carriage Museum, and Avalon Park, which has a scenic boardwalk and trails.

The Office of Community Relations at SUNY Stony Brook is active in involving local residents in campus life, including opportunities to attend lectures, concerts, and events. Several recreational facilities on campus that are open to the public include the Downtown Arcade, Indoor Sports Center and the Stony Brook Crafts Center, where participants can take classes in basketry, drawing, painting, clay sculpture, weaving, kayaking, bartending, wine appreciation and even defensive driving. Facilities include studios for ceramics, photography and fiber arts. The SUNY Stony Brook Seawolves teams also offer popular recreation, and fans can cheer for sports teams of all kinds. The university is also a central location for shopping, with bookstores, a supermarket, and weekly farmer's market on campus.

Thanks to SUNY Stony Brook, the town constantly filled with concerts and performances at several venues. The Charles B. Wang Center, dedicated to celebrating Asian and American cultures, often hosts conferences, art exhibits, film festivals, lectures, seminars and performances, and is open to the public. The center also features an inter-denominational chapel, an Asian food court, a theater, two lecture halls, pools and terraces, and outdoor gardens. The Staller Center for the Arts is a more eclectic place to see a mix of live performances and film, including a musical theatre series especially for kids. The Staller Center also sponsors The Summer Film Festival, which includes 11 days of new, independent, foreign, classic, art and popular films for entertainment. Also during the summer is the Stony Brook Summer Music Festival--a two-week intensive music program for talented musicians ages 13 to 23, focusing on chamber music. Throughout the year one can catch performances by the Stony Brook Jazz Ensemble, the Stony Brook Opera, the Stony Brook Symphony Orquestra and the University Wind Ensemble.

Stony Brook is mostly surrounded my commercial hotel chains such as the Holiday Inn, but if you are looking for a special place to stay, you can check out the Three Village Inn, across from the Stony Brook Village Center. Other quaint bed-and-breakfasts and inns can be found in the nearby towns of Port Jefferson, South Setauket and St. James.

Stony Brook is only about an hour's drive from LaGuardia airport, but can also be reached via the Long Island Railroad, on the Port Jefferson line to Stony Brook. Once you are there, however, it might be hard to ask for directions around town, since very few of the residents are actually native Stony Brookers!