Suffolk County Parenting: Why We LOVE It Here

Why do you love being a parent in Suffolk County? See how our readers answered that question!

We at NYMetroParents and Long Island Parent asked readers to tell us, in words and photos, why they love being a parent in their particular hometown. Below are the answers we received, sorted by location.

RELATED: Discover the best Suffolk kids' activities every week!

Bellport

I love being a parent on eastern LI because we have beautiful farms and beaches in the warmer weather. We also are so close to the children's museums east or a small trip on a train to the science museum in Queens, Museum of Natural History, or even the aquariums at Coney Island or Riverhead. Whaling museums, aviation museum, sporting events and more! We are so close to so much of our culture as Long Islanders.

Commack

Commack has everything!  Good schools, shopping, parks, and lots of activities for kids.

Commack has everything you need, shopping, restaurants and great people.  If anyone is ever in need this town will always come together and help.  Good people and good food!

Huntington

The town of Huntington is like a little slice of Manhattan. It's a perfect place to raise my daughter. She is exposed to art, music, culture, history, and we can't leave out the wonderful restaurants serving delicious food!

Islip Terrace

I love living in New York since there are endless things to do and see.  We live in a melting pot of different people and cultures and have the priceless opportunity to learn about diversity.  I love scheduling my kids’ weekends with great sightseeing--there is always something NEW in NEW York.

Lindenhurst

I love my hometown because it is very family oriented! 

Close to everything! Shopping, museums, parks, and the beach. Fun things to do!

Port Jefferson Station

Born and raised in Queens, NY, I never thought I would see myself living anywhere else. So now that I am living on Long Island, I surprisingly can say I love it here! Shortly after moving to Port Jefferson Station, I discovered quickly just what a wonderful place it is to raise a family. There are so many things to do, whether it is visiting the beautiful beaches, exploring the many parks, farms, or wineries, or enjoying a fun day at Splish Splash water park, or as pictured, my son and I at the Atlantis Aquarium. You just can't beat Long Island for family fun. I am a volunteer firefighter in our local fire department and never felt more part of a community since my cherished days as a Queens resident. I know my family and I will make many more memories here on Long Island for years to come!  

Riverhead

Having been born and raised in Roslyn, rented in Hicksville, Smithtown, Bayport, and Coram, and now owning a home with my beautiful and talented wife and two young daughters in Riverhead, I consider the entire Island to be my home. I love this island because of its beauty. Of course there's the famous sights everyone knows of--the North Shore, aka the Gold Coast; the Hamptons, the Montauk lighthouse, etc etc. But what means the most to me are the little enclaves on both shores that can be found simply by traveling on Route 25A, Sound Ave, or Merrick Road/Montauk Highway and turning down any road towards the water. They truly feel like my own personal hideaways. Instead of having a treehouse in my backyard, I can go to the water--you're never more than 15 minutes by car from a body of water on LI--anytime I want and just enjoy Creation. There is something about the water, be it the Sound, the Atlantic, Lake Ronkonkoma, or the Peconic River, that brings me such peace, yet also, often simultaneously, a sense of adventure and mystery. Visiting these enclaves has become my favorite pastime. One of my wife and my favorite things to do is joyride from our house on the North Fork to Orient Point. There's this one little beach in East Marion called Truman's Beach that has to be one of the most scenic places on the Island, and sites like these are the main reason we desired to move out here. It is right on the Sound, but this particular part of the North Fork contains hardly any fork. Really, the only land is the small parking lot and a two-lane Route 25 which itself is right on Orient Harbor, with Gardiners Bay adjacent to it, and little creeks and ponds everywhere, too. The parking lot and road feel like one big cement dock island, which is to say you barely notice they're there while you're surrounded by these waterways, and it is glorious. Sometimes when I'm in my car there I feel like I'm in a boat in the middle of an estuary. To see a sunset there is to see a sunset the way God intended it to be seen. This is what my hometown means to me and why there's nothing like LI.