Newsday.com: Huntington after dark

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Huntington after dark

BY ROBERT MECEA
Newsday Photographer

A Visitor to the Village

The village of Huntington reminds me of Cape Cod in its vacation feel. It's festive, a little touristy, close to the water and beautifully cared for and peaceful. I come from Brooklyn, you see.

There's bumper-to-bumper traffic at night, but everyone is civil. No one honks, no yelling. Everyone waits their turn for the night that awaits, from 7 on to midnight and beyond.

It has a city feel because the streets are alive at night, unlike those of most Long Island communities, but it has a town feel in that everyone seems to know each other. They greet each other in the street, meet up at various establishments.

People come here from all over the Island to go out. In New York, people are just out. Huntington is Long Island's destination.

When I walk by restaurants like Besito and Honu Kitchen & Cocktails, the sound grows. Brooklyn, for some reason, feels quieter.

In Huntington, there's a party feel. There are the fancier places, such as Café Buenos Aires and Red, and then there's Little Vincent's Pizza, where everyone seems to meet up afterward, where plain old pizza is served as pizza was once served in Brooklyn.

The music scene has everything, from folk at Classy Coffee to the hard core jamming at Chesterfield's.

And for so much partying, there are so few police. In the four nights I spent trolling the streets, I saw only one police car. Teens come out in droves, whether on skateboards or foot, always with their cell phones. Families also turn out. It seems there's something for every age. Restaurants, the bookstore, the art gallery, IMAC, the local performing arts center, the Cinema Arts Centre -- they all draw people young and old.

And, one of the best things: There are plenty of places to park.