{Destination Spotlight on} The Pridwin Hotel
While Shelter Island claims only 2,500 permanent residents, during summer the population swells to 8,000—a testament to the island’s seasonal charms.
Situated between the North and South Forks of Long Island, Shelter Island is an 8,000-squaremile sanctuary for wildlife and work-weary vacationers alike. The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Nature Preserve takes up more than a third of the island, offering a veritable utopia for wildlife. With its pristine rolling hills, marsh grasses, and wooded paths, the preserve beckons those in pursuit of all manner of outdoor activities to get out and play. The island provides a picturesque backdrop for horseback riding, biking, hiking—even, perhaps, a meandering Sunday drive. With water on every side, the island offers exquisite ocean views from a multitude of vantage points.
Located a mere 100 miles from New York City, Shelter Island is a close-to-home refuge, one that can satisfy both the nostalgic yearning to step back in time and the impulse to indulge in the finer pleasures of modern life, as well. From the secluded beaches and quaint shops of the island itself, it’s a hop, skip, and jump to nearby cosmopolitan
diversions—the wine vineyards of Long Island’s North Fork and the high-end boutiques of the Hamptons are both
easy day trips. But it’s by no means necessary to leave the island at all—with golf courses, live theater, music, and a yacht club, there’s enough to keep almost anyone occupied for a long weekend, or longer. While Shelter Island claims only 2,500 permanent residents, during summer the population swells to 8,000—a testament to the island’s seasonal charms.
The residents’ philosophy of respect for the land is not surprising, given the island’s agrarian roots—until about a century ago, it was predominantly a farming community. It wasn’t until 1871, when legendary landscape architects Frederick Law Olmstead (the designer of New York City’s Central Park) and Robert Morris Copeland began transforming the northwest corner of the island into a summer retreat for visitors, that the Shelter Island we now know began taking shape. With a lively mix of folk architecture and located on Crescent Beach, the Pridwin Hotel is one of Shelter Island’s premier resorts, offering ocean views, abundant creature comforts, and a real sense of place—and of the island’s past. From cozy waterview cottages, to larger fireplace cottages, to rooms in the hotel, the Pridwin has accommodations to suit the needs of almost any guest. For weddings, the facilities can handle up to 250 people. For more information on celebrating your wedding at this unique destination, contact the Pridwin’s
event coordinator, Alissa Friedman, at 212.533.0864.
