Long Island’s Greenport Village, named by Forbes magazine in 2011 as one of the prettiest towns in the US, has a long, interesting history and remains a quaint and appealing, Long Island destination.
Greenport Village was initially settled in the mid-1600’s as part of Long Island’s Southold by colonists from New Haven, Connecticut. After going by a number of different names, a public meeting in 1831 cemented “Greenport” in place.
Greenport Village’s aquatic geography made it perfect for both whaling and shipbuilding between 1795 and the mid-1800’s. Then fishing became a major income, boosted by the arrival of the railroad, and, by the first half of the 20th century, oystering.
Since those early, booming days when “sustainable fishing” had yet to become a phrase, much less a concept, Greenport Village has slowed down a bit, retracted some – and so much for the better. Though its economy is still largely linked to the sea, today, Greenport’s biggest export is happily relaxed people. Folks who’ve discovered this tranquil village on Long Island’s North Fork and come to enjoy long walks on the beach, feasting on local seafood, and staying at locally owned bed &amp breakfast inns like ours – Arbor View House.
Greenport Village is part of a larger community here on Long Island’s North Fork and, as such, is surrounded by wineries, art galleries, cafes, and gourmet restaurants serving locally harvested fish and produce paired with wines made from grapes nursed in local vineyards. While Greenport Village has changed with the times, plenty of that old, quaint world still flourishes here, allowing for a slower, more relaxed pace of life.
A few interesting Greenport Village facts:

• Greenport’s Antique Carousel in Mitchell Park was built in 1920 and is one of the few in the US still offering a brass ring grab.
• The Long Beach Bar “Bug” Light Lighthouse is one of only 4, offshore lighthouses in the US that can be toured.
• The Devil’s Own starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, was filmed in and around Greenport in 1997 – Harrison Ford apparently enjoyed the Harborfront Deli on Front Street, as he spent much of his free time there.
• Yachting Magazine voted Greenport one of the 50 Best Yachting Destinations in North America in 2012.
• Long Island was named one of the Top 10 Wine Destinations in the US – with Greenport getting a specific nod as a popular place to visit.

So come on out to Long Island’s North Fork and Greenport Village: you deserve it – and Happy New Year!