West Gilgo Beach is a small private gated community located in the Town of Babylon

Babylon (town), New York

The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on Long Island, the town population was 211,792 as of the 2000 census. There is also a Village of Babylon located within the town. It borders Nassau County to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the South...

 in Suffolk County, New York

Suffolk County, New York

Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...

. The census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 considers it part of Gilgo-Oak Beach-Captree, New York

Gilgo-Oak Beach-Captree, New York

Gilgo-Oak Beach-Captree is a former census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York and the Town of Babylon. The population was 333 at the 2000 census. It contains several small beach communities on the barrier island along the southern edge of Long Island...

History

Created in the late 1930s by residents of High Hill Beach who were displaced by the creation of Jones Beach State Park

Jones Beach State Park

Jones Beach State Park is a state park of the U.S. state of New York. It is located in southern Nassau County, in the hamlet of Wantagh, on Jones Beach Island, a barrier island linked to Long Island by the Meadowbrook State Parkway, Wantagh State Parkway and Ocean Parkway .The park is renowned for...

. Some of the original houses were moved by barge to the new community, the others were moved by road over the newly-constructed causeway connecting Jones Beach to Captree. Since then the West Gilgo Beach Association has grown to approximately 80 houses.

Description

Originally almost entirely a summer community, over half of the houses are now winterized. There is a mix of full time and second home residents. There is a small non-denominational church, a self service library, and an unmanned post office. There are small firehouses with hoses on carts. Residents depend on central well water and individual septic tanks. Cable television remains inaccessible.

The land is not owned by the residents, but is on long term lease from the Town of Babylon. In the early 1990s, there was litigation by the state to not extend the lease. After much negotiation, the lease was renewed, with a ramp up in costs.

Noteworthy Projects

In July 2011, West Gilgo Beach residents united to beautify the community via a large scale mural painting in the beach-access tunnel. A documentary of the project can be seen here: West Gilgo Beach Mural Project.

Geography

Located on Jones Beach Island

Jones Beach Island

Jones Beach Island is one of the outer barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is named for the father of Thomas Jones. It is sometimes referred to as Oak Beach Island, and the former home of the infamous Oak Beach Inn. It is separated from Long...

, a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 and the Great South Bay

Great South Bay

Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...

 of Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

. West Gilgo is an L shaped community with two roads, Ocean Walk which begins at the border of Nassau County, New York

Nassau County, New York

Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...

 and Suffolk County, New York

Suffolk County, New York

Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...

 and extends East along Ocean Parkway and Bay Walk which begins at the gate and heads North towards the Great South Bay

Great South Bay

Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...

. West Gilgo is a Right-in/right-out

Right-in/right-out

Right-in/right-out and left-in/left-out refer to a type of road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. RIRO is usual where vehicles drive on the right, and LILO is usual where vehicles drive on the left...

 exit from Ocean Parkway, between Tobay Beach and Gilgo Beach.