I have lived in Sayville my entire life. The thought of leaving the hamlet behind never crossed my mind until I attended college in upstate New York. Since graduating, I can’t imagine living anywhere else but Sayville. The people are incredibly nice, the locales are beautiful to admire, and the town is enveloped in a coat of genuine bliss. Sayville gives visitors everything they could ever want: a smile to take home with them.
Here are five reasons we love Sayville:
The Beautiful Town Structure
Sayville’s buildings, stores, and homes are old-fashioned, brick structures. Simply walking on the side streets is enough to fill you with a sense of 16th-century splendor. The clock near the hamlet’s entrance and the row of trees and other plants decorating the streets add a nice, homey touch. There is also the Common Ground at Rotary Park, an area with brick walkways, gardens, and a pavilion that adds new life to an old town, giving residents the best the past and present. The town still impresses me to this day.
The Variety of Stores
Its attractive stores complement the hamlet’s already immaculate appearance. Visitors and residents will find pretty much every store for everyone’s needs and preferences. If you don’t believe me, check this list out. A few types of stores that I regularly patronize in Sayville include pet stores, bike stores, toy stores, bookstores, sports stores, organic stores, and my personal favorite candy store, The Chocolatier.
The Delicious Restaurants
Sayville has a great variety of restaurants. One restaurant that is well-known by residents is the Five Points Café for its food, atmosphere, and live music. Head over to La Tavola for rich Italian food, or grab a full-on American meal from Cricket’s. For those who like Greek cuisine, the Aegean Café is the place for you. For good grilled food, take a look at Blackbird’s Grille. Or, if perhaps you’re an old-fashioned pizza lover, take a bite out of Sal’s Pizzeria. For those looking to satiate their desire for some fresh Long Island fish, head over to The Cull House. This beach themed restaurant is on the coast of Sayville, and its nautical décor and welcoming vibe will make seafood your new favorite fare.
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The Large Park and Beach
The Sayville Beach and Park is the perfect place for families. The park boasts a wide variety of attractions for people: swing sets for kids and toddlers, two play areas for kids, cement walkways for dog walkers, a long walkway for the chatty types, benches for parents to relax and watch their kids, and an open area for a picnics, complete with tables and grills. For the more competitive types, tennis courts, a basketball court, and an area to play catch are right next to the park. The beach is perfect for people who want to go for a swim, laze on the beach, or build sandcastles. When late summer rolls around, walks along the beach are fantastic, and there are plenty of shells to throw back to the sea or keep for your collection. For the wayward seafarer, there is plenty to do on the docks next to the beach, which are complete with benches and boat hooks, allowing for activities such as ocean watching or crab fishing (one of my favorite pastimes). If you’re a family looking to relax, this is the place for you.
The Vibrant Community
What is well-known or remembered about Sayville isn’t the buildings or structures, which are still nice, but rather the people in the community. The hamlet has developed a stereotype for producing people who are utter softies. Honestly, who can blame them? Sayville is a nice hamlet to live in, but what sets it apart from most communities is the colorful group of people that reside within it. People are vibrantly happy, they ask how your day is going, they stop their cars so you can cross the street, and they are friendly to people they don’t even know. I’m not saying they are straight out of a Disney flick in which people break into song at random, but it is the kind of community that has to be seen to believe how nice it is. I grew up surrounded by this community, I lived with this community, and I have become like this community. Be careful the next time you visit Sayville, because the people’s happiness is contagious.
Main image: The clock near the entrance of Sayville, a hamlet in the Town of Islip
Jonathan Perry
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