If the Hamptons are the summer playground of the rich and famous, then bucolic Shelter Island—nestled between the North and South forks of Long Island—offers an escape from the glitz.
Laying out a road map for those unfamiliar with the secluded East End resort community is the inaugural Shelter Island Comprehensive Guide, a new 190-page directory book compiled and published by local real estate agents Melina Wein and Yvonne Purcell.
“My guide was written to share information on the wide range of activities, entertainment, businesses, artists, nonprofits and more that make our life on this island so special,” Wein said.
The guide covers all aspects of life and tourism on LI’s smallest town, a tranquil 27-square-mile island that is accessible only by a five-minute ferry trip from North Haven on the South Fork and Greenport village on the North Fork. Cars are allowed on the ferries, space permitting since these crafts are relatively small. Passengers without cars can walk on board and enjoy the short ride on deck or sit inside the waiting room if they prefer.
Chapters of the guide cover history, recreation, accommodations, entertainment, restaurants and shopping. The book also includes health and wellness, professional services, home services and a helpful section about the community.
The guide exhaustively details just how much there is to do on there beyond what those taking a short cut from one fork to the other see on their drive down Route 114. There really is much more than meets the eye on this tiny island. For example, the Sylvester Manor, now a historic landmark, was once the largest slave plantation on Long Island–and its main house still looks like it did in the 1740s.
Wein, who has raised her family with her husband on Shelter Island for the past 20 years, wrote: “I hope that this guide helps illustrate how Shelter Island is a beautiful place to visit, a great place to live.”
Shelter Island Comprehensive Guide can be purchased for $9 at Shelter Island shops and online on the Amazon Kindle. The book can also be obtained for free by calling, emailing or visiting M. Wein Realty at 34 North Ferry Rd. on Shelter Island, calling 631-749-0999 or emailing melina@mweinrealty.com.
