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Monday, July 20, 2009

City Portraits - Shelter Island

Shelter Island sunset
Photo by myself on Shelter Island, an island off of Long Island, New York.

Lawns, water views and pretty houses typify this popular summer spot a couple hours outside New York City.

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Just a few photos from our weekend in Shelter Island, where Mark and I were this weekend for a friend's wedding. The weather turned out to be perfect after an initial overcast spell.

There isn't much of a beach on this island. Instead, the water's edge is irregular and often appears at the back or front yards of peoples' homes. You'll find boats pulled up next to houses large and small, and private docks.

Shelter Island inlet

Shelter Island dusk

The wedding took place at an large, old hotel near the water. The view was very pretty, and dinner was served against a sunset backdrop. The decoration was casual yet elegant, perfect for an outdoor summer wedding.

When the sun finally went down, the whole sky was filled with bright stars. New Yorkers don't see stars often, so this was an unsettling treat!

Shelter Island, Street View
Shelter Island is comparable to The Hamptons, a well-known summer spot for New Yorkers. For whatever reason, Shelter Island is much less of a social scene, and it's much less congested. There are not nearly as many stores, though the ones there are tasteful.

Shelter Island interior
Above: The interiors of Coastal Cottage, a home furnishings store on Grand Avenue.

City Portraits is an ongoing, once-in-a-while installment featuring parts of New York.

Related posts: City Portraits - The High Line, Chelsea, City Portraits - Washington Square Park and City Portraits - BBQ Block Party, Madison Square Park.

8 comments:

Unseen India Tours said...

Great photos and a lovely location..Would love to visit this place some day..Unseen Rajasthan

Olivier said...

un endroit de rêve, superbe reportage photo

dianasfaria.com said...

this looks much like I remember it the last time I was there. Gosh it must have been 10 years ago. I remember there were lots of hydrangeas!

Ming the Merciless said...

Sounds like a perfect weekend away from the big city.

I don't believe I've been to Shelter Island although I've thought of going there many times.

Kitty said...

Thanks Unseen Rajasthan!
It is very pretty indeed. Hard to capture how laid back and unpretentious the place is.

Merci Olivier!

Hi Lily
Yes, there were many, many hydrangeas! The hotel had ones that were freshly picked from their property. Such a luxury.

Hello Ming!!
Great to see that you're up and snapping photos already. You waste no time.

If you dare come back to the city and have time, Shelter Island is worth the visit.

Louis la Vache said...

The top image is a stunner!

... said...

Looks like a wonderful escape! Nice images, Kitty...!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh! For many years, every summer, I used to go to camp on Shelter Island. Good memories. ;-)

Paz