Barnum Island, NY

Barnum Island is a quiet waterfront hamlet tucked between the South Shore of Long Island and the barrier beaches of Long Beach. Home to roughly 2,600 residents, it offers a laid-back coastal setting filled with canals, tidal marshes, and private boat slips. The island went by Hog Island during colonial times until landowner Sarah Ann Barnum bought it in the late nineteenth century, and it has since evolved into a friendly residential pocket where residents can keep a boat right behind the house.

ATTRJoe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Because Barnum Island blends seamlessly into the larger Island Park community, everyday life revolves around local water access and the shops along Long Beach Road. Commuters can easily hop on the Long Island Rail Road at the Island Park station for a direct trip into New York City, or head a few minutes south to spend a sunny weekend on the Long Beach boardwalk. Students attend the local Island Park schools before moving on to Long Beach High School, giving the neighborhood a true small-town feel with the ocean right down the road.