Ocean Bay Park is a small town with a big personality. Largely populated by share houses, OBP knows how to throw a beach barbeque blowout. The riotous weekend warrior reputation is reinforced by the serious drinking and all night dancing at Flynn’s, Schooners, and The Inn Between. This town’s laid-back, non-restrictive lifestyle is especially appreciated by the waves of young renters seeking a beach party environment. However, Ocean Bay Park also has its share of longtime seasoned residents.
Ocean Bay Park was originally conceived as a community for retired New York City Police and Firemen. While that concept never really got off the ground, it started to boom as a vacation resort with World War II when gas rationing and international travel restrictions made Ocean Bay Park an appealing and accessible getaway. In this era domestic servants from Point O’ Woods directly east were known to frequent Ocean Bay Park during their night off, so in the end, Ocean Bay Park really did become a working-class resort after all.
The architecture in Ocean Bay Park tends to be modest, but with character. All the residential streets are named after lakes. Buildings like Flynn’s and the Fire Island Hotel are actually renovated Coast Guard stations from Forge River and neighboring Point O’ Woods. The Ocean Bay Park Firehouse is among the prettiest volunteer firehouses on Fire Island, with a large back deck that overlooks the bay and serves as a community meeting center.
For a community that really is not all, that large (about 350 houses) Ocean Bay Park has an abundance of bar/ restaurants, pizza places, two decent hotels, a tennis court, bike shop, and well-stocked grocery store. Ocean Bay Park also offers a direct ferry line though from Bay Shore, NY.
Flynn’s offers marina space for about 50 boats and is one hell of a party spot!
