Not to be confused with Gong Island (Taiwan, since it's full of Gong Cha Bubble Tea shops), Prong Island (lots of outlets), Dong Island (male stripper central), Wrong Island (trespassers will be shot), or Bong Island (it smells like weed...ew).
I have mixed feelings about Long Island. For many years I didn't come to Long Island and then one day I did, excited about it too, and my experience was quite disappointing.
Firstly, nobody came to my concert, and then the police chased me off the island literally. And I'll never forget how aggressive and threatening they were. Some of the worst police interactions I've ever encountered, and maybe you wouldn't expect that in New York state, but there's the truth.
Now since then I've had a lot more positive experiences, not with cops though, especially when I come here for food, because I used to make the trek out on to Long Island for Hummus World, which I first tried that first day on Long Island, which is one of the best things I've ever eaten anywhere in the country. So sad though. Unfortunately things change and it closed down and broke my heart.
Of the remaining things I've tried on Long Island, which are hundreds in the last 4 years, I've come to see that the island is a refuge from the craziness of New York City, and if you want to get out of there, things get a little bit more peaceful and a lot more suburban, and hell of a lot more green. There's a lot of amazing pizza as well on the island, but none more so than Little Vincent's which is my number one recommendation on the island, along with the Bubble Tea in Great Neck (Mr Wish) which somehow manages to supersede almost everything in New York City itself, and is the best location of Philadelphia's own chain, just by Great Neck Plaza.
Other than that I haven't found food that I want to tell you all about and insist that you try, but I'm still exploring and even though it'll never be one of my favorite areas in the Northeast.
Long Island is a part of the country which often gets overlooked and forgotten and has hardly any tourist visitors, which makes for a very strange, secluded, yet busy and slow, yet aggressive environment.
And if you want me to put my Long Island in your Boston Back Bay, just let me know, but first please take off your Red Sox, I prefer it that way. read more