Fire Island Gay Communities

Gay housemates may fill any of Fire Island’s 4,000 or so homes, but you’ll find them mostly in Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove. Although describing these communities can lead to a resigned “You just have to be there,” here are a few quick synopses that may help newcomers plan visits or house shares.

Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove got its start in 1868, and gained momentum as a vacation destination in 1880 with the opening of the Perkinson Hotel. The hotel, named for Cherry Grove’s then-owners, supposedly hosted Oscar Wilde for a few days in 1882.

House counts vary, but today Cherry Grove is home to approximately 350 residences. Scattered on and among these buildings you’ll find murals and other funky touches. Indeed, Cherry Grove is the more freewheeling of Fire Island’s LGBT communities. Besides making for picture-postcard scenery, Cherry Grove’s open-mindedness shapes its summer population. Lesbians flock to this hamlet, and families, older gay men, and any LGBT person slightly left of center can feel comfortable here.

Fire Island Pines
Wikipedia offers one of the more comprehensive histories of Fire Island Pines, which took off as a gay destination after a major real estate purchase by John Whyte. The businessman is also cited for launching the traditions of Low Tea and High Tea; and his refusal to serve the drag queen Panzi inspired the Invasion, which is now an annual event.

The Pines has approximately 650 homes, about half of which are rental properties. Many Pines homeowners actually have two local properties to their name -- one for themselves, the other to generate revenue.

That fact should tip you off to the expensiveness of the Pines. Given the predominance of two-income, zero-kid households, and the fact that multiple vacationers divvy up the cost of house shares, sales and rentals do not come cheap.

The Pines’ apparent wealth does inform the local attitude. Some summertime denizens of the Pines can sport all the trappings of luxurious New York life, from trainer- and nutritionist-guided abs to pricey pairs of Vilebrequins. That would also explain the many fundraisers that take place in the Pines.

Even so, let’s not jump to conclusions. Although the Pines is not exactly affordable, refinement is one option. Simply, you can make of the Pines what you want. Cruise and attend circuit parties, check. Sit on the beach, read, and cook for your housemates, check. What is constant about the Pines is the predominance of gay men, and their mutual respect: Gossipmongering is unavoidable, but there is the perception that what happens in the Pines stays in the Pines, no judgments made.

Water Island
With just 60 houses, and located well down the Fire Island landmass, Water Island has an air of exclusivity. Although it is not nearly as LGBT-centric as Cherry Grove or Fire Island Pines, some gay men and lesbians do choose Water Island as a quieter alternative to points west.

Exclusivity can spell isolation, but not necessarily. The Fire Island Water Taxi transports beachgoers from community to community. Water Island also is a short jog to the Pines.