Long Island Overview
Suffolk
and Nassau Counties define Long Island, New York. There are two other counties,
Kings and Queens Counties, that are located on the western end of Long Island,
however they are considered as part of New York City. Dutch colonists, with
their establishment of New Amsterdam, first settled the eastern region. English
Puritans first settled the western region of Long Island in the early 1660s. As
the English settlements spread south, they began to acquire land from Native
Americans living in the region. There were 13 tribes of Native Americans living
on Long Island at the time. They lived along the coastlines primarily, but used
the forests inland for hunting and farming. The lands were purchased from
Native Americans in 1655, and were then divided into lots for settlers.[1]
Many
of the English Puritans were yeomen, and artisans searching for religious
freedom. They discovered meadows along the south shore of the island, which was
perfect for raising cattle. Economically, settlers relied on small farming and
fishing. The English settlers on the western area of Long Island commonly
traded and had more economic ties with New England rather than the Dutch
settlements toward New Amsterdam due to the conflicting Dutch-English
relationship. When the Dutch were defeated in 1664, the entire island was
annexed into English colonial rule.[2]
After
English rule was established, Long Island was seen as the location close to New
York City, which had a wealth of natural resources. Fishing became a large
industry across the island due to the abundance of oysters, whales, and fish. By
the 1800s, Long Island was known to New Yorkers for its beautiful beaches,
which spurred the beginning of Long Island’s tourism industry. Long Island was
not largely developed until the mid 1900s with the explosion of
suburbanization. Levittown was one of the first suburbs and was seen
increasingly successful because people could work in New York City, but live
outside of it.[3] Still
today many people commute to New York City daily to work.
Modern
day Long Island has become heavily developed due to its closeness to New York
City. Nassau County has a population of 1,339,532 according to 2010 Census. 73%
of the county is Caucasian, and 14.6% of the population is Latino, which is the
second most common race in the region. 89% of the people have a high school degree
and the median household income in $93,613.[4] Similarly,
Suffolk County has a primarily white demographic at 80.8% of 1,419,369 people.
16.5 % of the population is Hispanic. 89% of this population also has a high
school degree. Their median household income is slightly lower at $84,506.[5]
Aquifers
beneath Long Island's surface provide drinking water for almost all of the
people living on Long Island. The most notable aquifers are the Upper Glacial
Aquifer, the Lloyd Aquifer, and the Magothy Aquifer.[6] Long
Island has a unique soil structure due to the glaciers that created it. In the
Pleistocene Epoch, glaciers over northeastern United States receded which
caused a flood of sediments southward. This saw the creation of Long Island's
southern border, which gently slopes into the Atlantic Ocean.[7]
There
are many streams and rivers throughout Long Island, most of which flow from the
north to the south. Some of these rivers include the Carlls River, Peconic
River, and Carmans River. Long Island Sound borders the north shore, while the
Atlantic borders the southern shore.
As a result of this, there are many salt-water marshes, or tidal
wetlands, that border the island. These are covered in grasses, which rise and
fall with the tide. These marshes are very important for juvenile fish, for
they provide the protection that vulnerable fish need to survive.[8]
[1] Bayles,
R. (2011). The 13 Tribes of Long Island. Retrieved from http://longislandgenealogy.com/indians.html.
[2] Venturini,
P. (2011). The Colonization of Eastern Long Island. Retrieved from http://longislandgenealogy.com/Colonization.html.
fromhttp://www.nyswaterfronts.com/final_draft_html/Tech_Report_HTM/PDFs/Chap5/Hist_Dev_Pa
tterns.pdf.
[4] US
Census Bureau. (Jan 31, 2012). Nassau County, New York. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36059.html.
[5] US
Census Bureau. (Jan 31, 2012). Suffolk County, New York. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36103.html.
[6] New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2012). Long Island
Aquifers. Retrieved
from http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/36183.html
[7] Nassau
County Soil and Water Conservation District. (2012). Natural Long Island.
Retrieved from
http://nassauswcd.org/nassau/natural-long-island/.
[8] New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2012). Tidal wetlands. Retrieved from
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4940.html.
Annotated Environmental Links
1. Soundkeeper — Protecting &
Preserving Long Island Sound
This website was created by the Long
Island Soundkeeper Organization to raise awareness about their organization and
their cause. This is an organization that, according to its’ mission
statement, is dedicated to preserving the natural character of the sound by
patrolling the waters daily and raising awareness about the protection of the
sound. This program was established in 1987,
due to the deteriorating state of the fish, wildlife, and coastal scenery. This
was caused by an algal boom due to severe sewage dumping into the sound. There
have since been two programs to prevent this problem from occurring in the
future, the NYC
Sewage Dumping Action, and the Pump
Out Program. The Soundkeepers also raise awareness for those that live,
work, and play around the Long Island Sound through a cleaner boat
guide that they have published, as well as, a SoundBook, which informs
individuals how they can each make a positive impact for the future of the Long
Island Sound.
2. CRESLI (Coastal Research and Education
Society of Long Island, Inc.)
This group, CRESLI, was founded in 1996
by a group of experts in marine mammal science, environmental science and
education and conservation. Their “About Us” section states that
it was formed in order to conduct research, and provide educational experiences
while promoting the conservation of coastal ecosystems. They provide
information concerning coastal animals, such as seals, sea turtles, whales dolphins, and
porpoises. Within each animal section, the group provides additional
information including photos, where they have been sighted, and general
information for various types of whales. This group provides links to their documents that they
have had published, that are available for educational and scientific purposes.
One of their main goals is to educate people about the coastal ecosystems in
Long Island, so the experts offer educational
experiences and excursions to explore coastal and bay areas, whale watch,
or seal watch. Anyone can become a member of CRESLI, which enables
scientists to continue to study and preserve the coastal areas of Long Island.
This is the website of a bi-state partner-ship
that is dedicated to restoring and protecting Long Island Sound. The
organization is comprised of federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned
organizations, and individuals. They have a Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan that they use as a blueprint to restore
the ecosystem. They are specifically concerned with the water
quality, habitats,
and watershed
management. They have a variety of their research available on the website
including plants,
fish, and wildlife monitoring, and seafloor
mapping. Overall, this is a website that raises awareness to the public
about the deteriorated state of the Long Island Sound, and would like to see
their comprehensive conservation and management plan implemented by the
state/federal governments.
This website was created by the
National Parks Service for all people looking to visit this park. Not only is
this park situated along the coast, but it also includes the estate of
William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and
the Sunken
Forest, a unique ecological community. This is a significant natural
barrier for the southern coast of Long Island, as the map
shows. This park also provides workshops, where
teachers can use this environment as an outdoor classroom, and can also plan
trips to bring a classroom to the Sunken Forest as well. The park also offers
fun summer activities and programs for kids to learn more
about the park and the different environments within the park.
This website is sponsored by the Long
Island Index, which is dedicated to retrofitting downtowns in Long Island. This
organization claims that the current Long Island downtowns
are disappearing because of shopping malls and general urban/suburban sprawl.
They advocate to think
regionally, because regional planning can control sprawl encouraging more
open space and denser urbanized areas. They want to reinvent housing, by
creating new downtowns that will offer a variety of housing prices and housing
styles so young people will cease to leave Long Island because of the large
amount of single-family high-priced homes. Also, by creating new denser
downtowns and changing their traffic
patterns people will be encouraged to walk, ride bicycles, and generally
interact at a higher level. Overall, it will give people a greater sense of place, and a sense of
community.
Annotated Economic Links
This site is devoted to tourism in Long
Island. It was created by the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and
Sports Commission specifically for tourists looking to visit Long Island. It
breaks down Long Island into four regions: North
Shore, South Shore, North Fork, and South Fork. There is a link for each
region at the bottom of the homepage, and when entering a site specific for
each sub-region there is an interactive map to display activities ranging from museums
to golfing.
Also on the homepage is a main menu of “things to do”.
The main menu also provides links to hotels, lodges,
and bed-and-breakfasts. Also located on the main menu is an explore Long
Island Link, which has individual links for planning
your trip and other attractions like “Gatsby’s
Gold Coast/North Shore”.
This website represents the Long Island
Economic Development Council. They have a number of plans they have published
which are available on the website. They have a link to their Long Island
Economic Development Plan also known as Long
Island’s Future Economy. This plan discusses their future plans for Long
Island’s Economy. Along with this publication they have provided an additional
publication on the public
participation aspect of their plan. This organization also has published a visioning
initiative report, which outlines this organizations future vision of Long
Island. It was prepared for the Long Island Regional Planning Council. They
have a brochure published, which discusses the economic impact of Independent
Universities and Colleges. A visual has also been prepared which
deconstructs the labor
market in this region. Overall, this site aims to inform the public on
planning projects this group has organized and aims to draw in businesses to
join this group.
This site is the official website of
the Long Island Wine Council. It is for people looking to visit Long Island for
their wines, but also for wineries that are looking to join the Long Island Wine
Council, which can help enhance their sales. It provides a list of wineries, and within this site is a
link to each winery. There are four
different types of wine styles
produced in these wineries on Long Island. This site also provides information
on what the purpose of this
council is and a description of why the geography of this region is great for wine,
primarily the soil. In this geographical description the council states that
the North Fork of Long Island and the Hamptons are American
Viticultural Areas. In conjunction with that, there is also a map that locates vineyards and
wineries across the Northern and Southern Forks.
The Long Island Index is a project
whose goal is
to be a catalyst for action, meaning they gather and publish data on Long
Island without advocating for any specific policy. This website seems to aim at
businesses in order to inform them about the economic state of the region. They
have a number of reports
that are downloadable, which discuss specific economic issues, and economic
profiles. The site includes an interactive
map which displays percent land use type across Long Island. They provide data so anyone
can share them with social networking sites, or for personal use. Their most
recent publication is “Long
Island: At a Tipping Point” which shows how we can prepare ourselves to
create an innovative economy.
This is the largest business
organization in New York, which is comprised of nonprofits, businesses,
colleges, civic groups, government agencies, and labor unions, to develop
better business solutions for Long Island as a whole. Their mission is to
promote cooperation among all business, labor, educational, scientific,
not-for-profit, civic, and technology communities therefore it is aimed at
these groups. There are separate organization within this association, which
can focus their attention and energy on specific issues including Accelerate
Long Island, and the Health
Alliance. They also have a list of committees,
which strategically analyze Long Island’s economy. Overall, they are trying to
have the highest number of participating business and associations, many of
which can enjoy benefits
when they join.
Annotated Social Links
This
website is sponsored by Oheka Castle aimed at visitors of Long Island,
residents of Long Island, and people looking for venues for weddings, meetings,
or other celebrations. The Gold Coast is located on the North Shore, and there
is a total of six
mansions that this site markets. They also market nine smaller homes and
house museums that display aspects of and teach about historic
Long Island. Each individual mansion or home has their own website where
visitors and people interested can visit to gain more knowledge about the
location. For example, Oheka Castle’s
website is linked to the photo of the castle for easy access to the site. This
organization recommends two books by Paul J. Mateyunas that discuss the bygone
mansions of the Gold Coast. Each mansion offers tours and the
contact information of historians or lecturers for visitors to gain even
more knowledge on the subject.
This
website is owned and operated by the non-for-profit group Progressive
Coalition- Long Island. It is a community-based organization that, among many
things, promotes sustainable communities, and social and racial justice. The
LIPC was founded in 1979, and was
born at the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee. They have published a green
print for a sustainable Long Island, which was prepared by and for the
people of Long Island. This organization also advocates for quality education for
all students on Long Island, and government
efficiency in order to reduce monetary waste, abuse, and corruption. They
have already had a number of successful
projects, and campaigns, including a campaign to pass a $3 million dollar
affordable housing fund in East Hampton. This website is aimed at raising
awareness across Long Island for a more sustainable future.
The
Amityville Murders organization created this website to educate individuals
that are interested in the Amityville murders. They state that the village of Amityville
has become synonymous with horror. Mayor Peter Imbert was questioned by
Newsday, and he stated “we don’t see it as a positive thing for the community.”
Despite what the mayor has said, the village often has to make decisions about
events or venues that want to capitalize on the
murders, but the village sees it as a nuisance. The website provides an overview of the story,
and describes the injustice
Butch DeFeo faced at the trial. The lawsuit grabbed the attention of the Catholic Church,
and Father Pecoraro had to testify because of the supernatural claims that were
related to the killing. Overall, this website informs readers of the murders,
and displays how this has affected the nature of the village of Amityville.
This institution
is a research branch of the North Shore- Long Island Jewish Health System,
which has created this website for patients, and those looking for health
services. It is one of the most dominant health systems in Long Island. They
have 59 different laboratories
that are directed at specific diseases and conditions like, the Laboratory for
Brain Tumor Biology. The organization lists their research
topics where patients can visit to gain more information of any disease/condition
that is listed. There are a variety of clinical
trials, including ones that are directed at cancer, addiction, mental
health, and smoking. They also have student internship programs,
seminars, and even medical schools that they are associated with where
prospective doctors can learn from their research and doctors.
Long
Island Wins is an affiliate of SUNY College at Old Westbury. This website and
blog was created to inform people on immigration and to promote immigration
solutions that include and work for everyone. Their Immigration 101
section gives detailed links to educate people on immigration, immigration law,
deportation, and their rights as immigrants. This section also informs
immigrant about how to become citizens,
and provides stories from people who have already become citizens. The website
lists events
that celebrate or raise awareness of a certain ethnicity, race, or religion and
provides a way for people to become involved in these events. The bloggers of
this site research and interview certain races, religions, or ethnicities, and
then publishes
stories of them on the website for people to either learn more about the
group of people, or so people of that group can identify with others in the
area. They have created Welcoming Long
Island which is a collaborative initiative between businesses, law
enforcement, and community to help enhance Long Islands welcoming and
acceptance of others.
