Ocean Beach is a village in the southern part of the Town of Islip, on

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. Occasionally, the name is used to refer collectively to not only the central island, but also Lo ...

, within Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 79. Known for its strict local ordinances, the village is nicknamed "The Land of No". The Incorporated Village of Ocean Beach is a popular tourist destination, due to its beachfront location accompanied by a commercial district featuring nightlife, hotels, waterfront restaurants, and a variety of stores.

History

Ocean Beach was incorporated as a village in 1921. It formed with the merger between the tract of land owned by John A. Wilbur and Stay-A-While Estates. It is the location of Fire Island's only elementary school, which first opened in 1918. The community was once a favorite of celebrities including Fanny Brice,

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

, and

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 79 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 100%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0% Native American, 0% Asian, 0% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 census there were 138 people, 61 households, and 35 families in the village. The population density was 967.1 people per square mile (380.6/km²). There were 595 housing units at an average density of 4,169.6 per square mile (1,640.9/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the village was 96.38% White and 1.45% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.17%. Of the 61 households 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 29.5% of households were one person and 4.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution was 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 126.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.4 males. The median household income was $48,125 and the median family income was $49,375. Males had a median income of $41,719 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,782. There were 15.2% of families and 11.5% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.6% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Government

As of July 2021, the Mayor of Ocean Beach is James S. Mallott, the Deputy Mayor is Matthew M. Blake, and the Village Trustees are Matthew M. Blake, Dawn L. Hargraves, Christopher F. Norris, and Brian C. Power. The village is known for its strict local ordinances and is nicknamed "The Land of No".

Education

School district

Fire Island Union Free School District Fire Island Union Free School District No. 14 is a school district headquartered in the Town of Islip and on Fire Island, in New York. The school is adjacent to but not in Ocean Beach. The district includes, portions of Fire Island west of Oce ...

operates Woodhull School (K-6) in Ocean Beach. Students who graduate from Woodhull can choose to go to either the

Bay Shore Union Free School District Bay Shore Union Free School District or Bay Shore Schools is a school district headquartered in Bay Shore, New York. In 2015 Joseph C. Bond became the interim superintendent; he previously was superintendent of the Brentwood Union Free School Di ...

or the Islip Union Free School District for secondary levels. The respective high schools are Bay Shore High School and Islip High School.

Library district

Ocean Beach is located within the boundaries of Fire Island's library district.

Infrastructure

Transportation

There are four methods to travel to/from Ocean Beach and throughout Fire Island: travel by car (restricted by permit obtainable via

Fire Island National Seashore Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a United States National Seashore that protects a section of Fire Island, an approximately long and wide barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. The island is part of New York S ...

), ride the Fire Island Ferries, take a water taxi, or arrive by private boat. It is also possible to reach Ocean Beach by foot or bicycle from other Fire Island communities by one of the inland walks or via the beach.

Sewer district

Ocean Beach is served by the Ocean Beach Sewer District.

Notable person

* Brett King – actor

References

External links

Ocean Beach official website

Ocean Beach Environmental Commission
{{authority control Fire Island, New York Islip (town), New York Villages in Suffolk County, New York Populated coastal places in New York (state) Beaches of Suffolk County, New York