FREEPORT, N.Y. (WPIX) – A hidden gem on Long Island's South Shore is bringing family fun back to the forefront.
Out on Freeport, Long Island, there is an oceanside oasis of restaurants, entertainment and waterfront wonder at the Nautical Mile.
Sam's Scoops is just one of several fun and yummy spots we checked out along the mile-long strip.
"I love Freeport, it's my home," said owner Robyn Workman, who grew up in Freeport. "The people are loving and welcoming, my community is awesome."
Sam's Scoops is bringing ice cream back to the Nautical Mile, after a previous sweet shop shut down. Workman believes people get the wrong idea about the Nautical Mile.
"A lot of people don’t know, they all hear 'Oh it's clubs.' It’s really not. It's coming back for family entertainment," she said.
That's a point that Mayor Robert Kennedy wants to drive home.
"It was more a fishing town than it is now. There used to be more fishing boats now it seems to be there's more restaurants and entertainment," Kennedy said.
While the identity of the village has changed over the years, it's now a wonderful destination for families.
"We have access to Jones Beach, we have access to Jones Inlet, the charter fishing boats, the amusement rides for the kids – it's just a really great place to visit," Kennedy said.
Lifelong Long Islander Mike Missano comes from 25 miles away, because he knows all about the waterfront wonder at the Nautical Mile.
"I jetskiied over here all the way from Islip. The fish is fresh the atmosphere is awesome i love to be on the water," Missano said.
Missano and others we spoke with pointed us to one of the favorite spots along the strip: Bracco's Clam and Oyster Bar. It's an oceanfront staple in Freeport, which has been run by a local family for three generations.
"My father was a commercial fisherman," said owner Jerry Bracco. "I was in the Navy and when I got back, I took over the business. My father got sick and my three sons are here now."
Bracco said he's never seen a reason to leave the coastal village.
"You have boats, you have the water, you can go fishing you can have seafood just a nice atmosphere, you're right on the ocean here," Bracco said.
In all the decades he's been here, he's hard pressed to think of something negative about the place he calls home.
"All the memories are good," he said with a laugh.
If you don't want to ride a jet ski to Freeport's Nautical Mile, you can get there by car or the Long Island Rail Road. It's located along the Babylon Branch.
For more information about visiting the Nautical Mile, click here.
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