West Islip, NY is hamlet in the Town of Islip along Long Island’s Spectacular South Shore. It’s about 45 miles east of New York City, which is close enough to commute by car or train via the Long Island Railroad but far enough from the City’s hustle and bustle to enjoy the suburban lifestyle. About 35,000 people call the 4,000 acre hamlet home. West Islip’s geographic location is the first item on a long list of reasons why it is such a desirable place to live. To the south there is the Great South Bay which offers incredible year-round water views, including the Robert Moses Causeway adding some man-made elegance to the skyline. A short ride from West Islip on the Robert Moses Causeway will grant you access to Captree Boat Basin to satisfy the fisherman in you or if you prefer to be in the water yourself, a little further on the Causeway and you’ll be at Robert Moses State Park’s ocean beaches. But West Islip residents don’t have to cross bridges to get to the beach; they have access to West Islip’s own beach and marina.

Rich in history, records of West Islip’s earliest residents go back one thousand years to Native Americans known as the Secatogues. North of West Islip beach, historians unearthed an ancient burial ground, permitting them to reconstruct the village that once occupied the edge of the Great South Bay, Sumpwams, Trues and Willets Creeks. Proud of this heritage, many of West Islip’s streets got their names from the area’s Native American past. Jump ahead to colonial times. The La Grange Inn on Montauk Highway and Higbie Lane, currently operating as a restaurant and catering hall, was established in 1750 and General George Washington was said to have slept there before becoming president.

In the 1800s, West Islip was home to lavish estates. Among the notable families who owned these estates were the Magouns and Udalls. A main thoroughfare that runs through West Islip, Udall Road, is named for this family and the area where the Magoun family had their estate is known as Magoun Landing which today is one of the most luxurious and desirable areas on the entire South Shore.

From 1940 until the 1970s, West Islip developed into the suburban, family friendly area it is today. The West Islip school district is highly desirable. Not only does its students consistently score high on standardized academic exams but it has wonderful athletic programs and other extracurricular activities. There are a wide variety of homes in a wide variety of price ranges – from ranch and cape starter homes to luxurious waterfront estates.

There are also numerous community groups in West Islip that offer support, cultural enrichment and entertainment to its residents. They include the Chamber of Commerce, West Islip Beautification Society, American Legion, Chamber Orchestra Society and every September, the West Islip Bicentennial Committee sponsors a county fair.

West Islip truly offers something for everyone.

West Islip Chamber of Commerce: Stay up-to-date on all that West Islip has to offer in the marketplace and in the community at large on the West Islip Chamber of Commerce Website. Proud sponsors of the annual county fair since 1975, the West Islip Bicentennial Committee is dedicated to celebrating the West Islip way of life. West Islip Public Schools: Where education shines.