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How do you define Long Island?

Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties (the geographical definition)

5 votes

Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties (the [i:2oj3l6gf]Newsday[/i:2oj3l6gf] definition)

0 votes

Nassau and Suffolk Counties (the political, autonomous-from-NYC definition)

21 votes

Edgy DC Nov 26 2010 01:36 PM

A poll inspired by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

themetfairy Nov 26 2010 02:26 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Nassau and Suffolk only. If you're a part of NYC, then you're not a part of Long Island. The two are mutually exclusive.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 26 2010 02:29 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Nassau and Suffolk.

soupcan Nov 26 2010 02:35 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Nassau and Suffolk. Yup.

SteveJRogers Nov 26 2010 02:58 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Even though it pulls in a lot of the Mets and Jets fanbases, Long Island is not a part of New York City, so saying parts of Queens and Brooklyn are part of Long Island is the equivalent of parts of Southern Westchester County (Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Pelham) trying to pass themselves off as being part of The Bronx.

Gwreck Nov 26 2010 03:06 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Steve, that analogy is 100% incorrect and sports teams' fanbases have no bearing on this discussion. There is no part of Westchester County that could be accurately be described as being part of Bronx County. Those areas are mutually exclusive. As mentioned above, there is a definition that includes Kings and Queens Counties as part of Long Island. That being said, unless dealing in specific geographic terms, "Long Island" means Nassau and Suffolk only.

Rockin' Doc Nov 26 2010 03:17 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

From a geographical standpoint, I have always viewed that once I crosses over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge I was on Long Island. By any other perspective or definition, I consider Nassau and Suffolk counties as being Long Island.

Kong76 Nov 26 2010 04:04 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

How do I define Long Island Let me count the ways (people from there wouldn't like it) It's not part of NYC .. the whole notion that a borough of NYC is part of Long Island is silly.

seawolf17 Nov 26 2010 04:47 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Pfft. Queens and Brooklyn wish they were Long Island.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 26 2010 04:49 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

soupcan wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Nassau and Suffolk. Yup. what they said.

Frayed Knot Nov 26 2010 07:06 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Like most, I generally refer to L.I. as Nassau + Suffolk only. But I do get a kick out of, and at the same time am disturbed greatly by, the pct of Queens & Brooklyn residents who have no earthly idea that they do in fact exist on the land mass that is Long Island. My experience is that at least 80% will hotly contest the notion even while being totally stumped when asked to name either the bridge or body of water they would need to cross in order to take themselves from B/Q 'onto' L.I. itself.

Chad Ochoseis Nov 27 2010 11:56 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

My understanding from people who live there is that it's more a state of mind and not easily defined. I've always defined it as Nassau and Suffolk. But my parents would describe parts of eastern Queens (anything east of Shea...Bayside, Queens Village, even Flushing) as "out on Long Island", and I think other New Yorkers of that generation and older did likewise. I'd guess it's a holdover from the pre-1898 days when Brooklyn was a separate city and the neighborhoods of Queens were separate towns. I've never heard anyone call Brooklyn "Long Island", though I remember having a fairly long and involved conversation with my mother when I was seven that started "Mom, how are we connected to Long Island?" Her answer? "Long Island is connected to us." Mom wasn't great at explaining geography. But I slowly - very slowly - managed to grasp that Sheepshead Bay really was part of the island of Long, even if it wasn't really Long Island.

Ceetar Nov 27 2010 12:04 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

It's all in perspective. If you're in Manhattan and are talking about Brooklyn, that's certainly not Long Island. If I'm here in Jersey and talking about what I'm doing Friday, the whole land mass is Long Island. Inferring that I'm going over two bridges. The same if I'm talking to someone from Detroit. When you're outside of the Metro area, generally Manhattan is New York, everything else is the suburbs. Referring to that little land mass off the coast in the big maps of the country. I live 10 miles into Jersey,but when I was in Hawaii I told everyone I was from New York. Answering "New Jersey" to "Where in New York?" didn't feel wrong at all.

Fman99 Nov 27 2010 12:05 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Fdad, who was born in Brooklyn and raised in Flushing, says that Brooklyn and Queens ARE part of Long Island. Of course he's lived upstate since 1971.

Edgy DC Nov 27 2010 12:13 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Well, the Nassau/Suffolk lobby is winning out overwhelmingly, in contrast to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, which counts Simon & Garfunkle, the Ramones, and 3/4 of the classick KISS lineup among their members.

SteveJRogers Nov 27 2010 12:23 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Edgy DC wrote: Well, the Nassau/Suffolk lobby is winning out overwhelmingly, in contrast to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, which counts Simon & Garfunkle, the Ramones, and 3/4 of the classick KISS lineup among their members. Also the Queens Symphony!

batmagadanleadoff Nov 27 2010 12:55 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

I'd bet anything that Adam Rubin could settle this, once and for all.

Frayed Knot Nov 27 2010 01:35 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'd bet anything that Adam Rubin could settle this, once and for all. Yeah, but he's from Bellmore.

G-Fafif Nov 28 2010 08:46 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

The Battle of Long Island took place in Brooklyn. But this Battle of Long Island belongs to the two counties east of Queens. That said, I can see some merit in Billy Joel's characterization of Shea Stadium as where Long Island meets New York City. Every now and then you'll see a village refer to itself as -- to pick one at random -- Malverne, L.I. as opposed to Malverne, N.Y. Is there anywhere else in this country where this is done? Do towns in Delmarva or the U.P. give honorary state status to a region.

MFS62 Nov 28 2010 09:27 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

As a native New Yorker (born in the Bronx, brought up in Manhattan), I use the third definition. But when I'm talking New York geography someone from out of state, I use the first definition. Later

RealityChuck Nov 28 2010 09:48 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Brooklyn and Queens were the City. Completely different culture.

Frayed Knot Nov 28 2010 10:42 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

RealityChuck wrote: Brooklyn and Queens were the City. Completely different culture. Yes, but I also hear people from Brooklyn & Queens refer to traveling to Manhattan as "going into the city". Every now and then you'll see a village refer to itself as -- to pick one at random -- Malverne, L.I. as opposed to Malverne, N.Y. Is there anywhere else in this country where this is done? I suppose various spots in Hawai'i refer to the specific island within the state.

metsmarathon Nov 28 2010 10:44 AM Re: How do you define Long Island?

michigan, i do believe, does the same, with the upper peninsula

Willets Point Nov 30 2010 02:54 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

The Island is the part that's separated from other landmasses by bodies of water.

G-Fafif Nov 30 2010 04:45 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Long Island is AC/DC territory in that we got shook...all...night...LONG! by an earthquake. Well it was this morning, it was like two seconds and I didn't feel it, but Mrs. Fafif definitely caught a rumble that she figured was from a passing truck. Still, an earthquake, here on (not in) the two-county body we call Long Island. Not the norm. And WBAB probably has played "Shook Me All Night Long" at some point today -- because that's what WBAB does.

Edgy DC Nov 30 2010 04:49 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Willets Point wrote: The Island is the part that's separated from other landmasses by bodies of water. Sure, how else would we define Rhode Isalnd? Wait, what?

Willets Point Nov 30 2010 07:11 PM Re: How do you define Long Island?

Edgy DC wrote: Willets Point wrote: The Island is the part that's separated from other landmasses by bodies of water. Sure, how else would we define Rhode Isalnd? Wait, what? The part that's not on an island is called Providence Plantations.