A Walk Around Lake Ronkonkoma in 2023

Just like my bike ride back in 2015, my walk began on Rosevale heading north towards Smithtown Blvd. I actually went on this walk without this blog in mind so I didn't take quite as many pictures as last time, but I did take a few along the way which made me decide to try reviving the blog.

In 2015 I had no idea that there was already so much grass roots activity brewing to get the lake cleaned up that just a year later they would would get the attention of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and the Suffolk County Park service, so it was pretty cool to come back and see some of the progress they had made. I unfortunately wasn't aware of these initiatives until I started writing this post and researching a bit, so while I happened to get some pictures of what they cleaned up, I did miss some others like Larry's Landing.

So anyhoo, my first stop this time was at Smithtown Beach. It was still pretty cold in March, so it was relatively empty at the time, but there were a few people out walking. There was also a fair amount of seagulls hanging out by the water.

Smithtown Beach looking north - March 2023

The old road towards Bavarian Inn doesn't appear to have changed much, but there were some improvements made to the area where Bavarian Inn used to be.

Baymen Park Beach looking south - March 2023

This road could be part of a nice trail around the lake if a bit more care was taken. People are already using it like that, I just wish the county (or town?) would have a proper contiguous trail from here through the old site of the Bavarian Inn and up to a sidewalk (not just driveway aprons) on Smithtown Blvd.

Baymen Park Beach looking south - March 2023

The bridge over the little creek between Lily Pond and Lake Ronkonkoma looks pretty different since 2015. I wish I had taken a better picture of it, but you can see in the picture below they've put up railings and cleared away a lot of the debris.

Lily Pond flowing into Lake Ronkonkoma

The site of the Bavarian Inn also looked really different; the wild grasses were removed, so was the last bits of garbage out in the middle of the field, and pine trees were planted all over. As I understand it, what's being planted here is supposed to filter out the nitrogen, i.e. sewage, that's been flowing into the lake causing the harmful algae blooms.

You can see from the sandy trail through the pine needles where people frequently walk here. There was a guy behind me walking his dog and two other guys who looked like they were taking professional pictures of the lake.

Site of former Bavarian Inn - March 2023

This shot below is almost the exact same angle as the one I took back in 2015. There you can really appreciate how much work was done here. Much credit goes to the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society and the Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group for their efforts!

Site of former Bavarian Inn - March 2023

Beyond this, there's no clearly designated route you're supposed to take on foot. The guy walking his dog and I went through an informal path through the bushes into the parking lot of Parsnip's, which doesn't have a sidewalk out in front. There's only an almost random traffic light with a button to press to change the traffic light out in font of Parship's so you can cross to the other side, but that's it, and then from there you have to cross School House Road which again doesn't have a light or painted crossing for pedestrians.

At this point you might be thinking, "man, this guy sounds like a little old lady" and you wouldn't be far off, because that's my standard. If pedestrian infrastructure isn't safe enough for kids and seniors, then it's not safe enough.

So anyhoo, I trudged on.

The picture below is from the northeastern shore further down Lake Shore Drive. This isn't the lake's sexiest side with the power lines and broken trees, but this is about where St. Mary's is, which as I said in my previous post is one of the nicest looking buildings on the lake.

Lake Ronkonkoma northeastern shore - March 2023

This is also right by the home of Todd Arnett, the sculptor who in 2016 made the Indian Princess sculpture that's now prominently displayed a bit further down the road. The front of his house also features a lot of his artwork, which includes a near life-size wooden giraffe.

Todd Arnett's Indian Princess Statue overlooking Lake Ronkonkoma - March 2023

The statue was carved out of a two-century old tree that dates back to 1820. The tree had died and had to be cut down because it was becoming a hazard.

Indian Princess Statue with plaque from New York Folklore Society

At the foot of the sculpture are stones with personalized engravings, many from members of the Schutte family, who own the property that the tree stood on.

Engraved Paving Stones Dedicated to Loss of 200 Year Old Beech Tree on Lake Ronkonkoma

In case it's not legible in the picture, many are dedicated to loved ones living and lost, and there's a poem that spans four of the stones:

Grammy has a big tree
It is bigger than you and me

It is more than 200 years old
That is what I have been told

The tree gave lots of shade
That is where I played and played

Under the tree I'd eat and play
Each and every single day

"Grammy's Big Tree" by Kenzie Schutte, 21 October 2015

On this walk I didn't stay strictly along the lake and took a little detour up to Portion Road and Ronkonkoma Ave. You hardly notice it driving by, but there are little ponds on either side of the road back behind the trees right where Lake Shore Road becomes Portion Road.

Pond on East Side of Lake Ronkonkoma

I like to advocate for public transit, so I also got a shot of the bus stop on the corner of Portion and Ronkonkoma Ave. As bus stops go in Ronkonkoma, this is one of the best. There's a shelter, a bench, a trash can, a dedicated lane for the bus to stop in, pavement under your feet, and lamp posts. This is quite nice because most bus stops in the area consist of a lonely sign on the side of the road where there's not even a sidewalk and in some cases the sign is blocked by overgrown foliage.

S57 Bus Stop on the Corner of Portion Rd and Ronkonkoma Ave

This stop is part of the S57 line that runs between Smith Haven Mall and Sayville with a loop along Rosevale around the western side of the lake and stops at the Ronkonkoma LIRR station and MacArthur airport. Unfortunately, the sign that used to indicate what line this is seemed to be bleached completely white, presumably from the sun. As far as I know though the line is still running.

Crosswalk at Intersection of Portion and Ronkonkoma Ave

I also got a shot of the crosswalk that had previously been painted to look like it was paved with brick, but most of that paint has faded by now. On the bright side, the zebra crossing was in decent shape.

Ronkonkoma Avenue Strip Mall - March 2023

Further down Ronkonkoma Ave is the strip mall where King Kullen used to be before it closed in 2019. Hopefully something replaces it soon because that's a lot of space to just be sitting vacant, including the parking lot. The New Urbanist in me would like to see the section of the parking lot along the sidewalk be converted into a row of shops like on Hawkins, perhaps with one or two stories on top for residential spaces (just please no more 5-over-1s).

Adopt-a-Highway Sign on Ronkonkoma Ave between Division Blvd and Church St

On my way towards Raynor Park I noticed that this stretch of Ronkonkokma Ave is maintained by Long Island Firearms as a part of the Adopt-a-Highway program. Here is the official Release from LIF. In 2010 they pledged to clean up Ronkonkoma Ave between Church St and Division Road four times a year.

Entrance to Raynor Beach County Park

Raynor Park is pretty nice. If you haven't guessed by now, I grew up on the Town-of-Islip/Hamlet-of-Ronkonkoma/Connetquot-School-District side of the lake across Rosevale and Ocean Ave, and those roads aren't really conducive to being crossed by kids on bikes, so I don't think I ever went here back then, which is kind of a shame. It has soccer fields, playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, chess boards, a stage, picnic tables overlooking the water, and a walkway down to the beach.

Stage at Raynor Park

Chess Boards at Raynor Park

Smaller Playground at Raynor Park

I didn't investigate why, but there was a big road cone (road barrel?) next to this smaller playground. From the pathway you could see there was a lot of graffiti. The larger playground closer to the entrance of the park was in better condition, but kids were playing there so I didn't take a picture.

Staircase down to Lake Ronkonkoma Beach from Raynor Park

Is it just me, or do those white lines down the staircase look like somebody drove a car down the staircase here?

Lake Ronkonkoma from Brookhaven Side

It was cold by the water. It was a fairly mild day for March, but after crossing Lake Shore Rd I immediately felt the cold wind blowing off the lake.

Lake Ronkonkoma from Brookhaven Side

Lake Ronkonkoma from Brookhaven Side

Lake Ronkonkoma from Brookhaven Side

Looks like something is draining into the lake from the South side, presumably water from the storm drains on Lake Shore Rd. Hopefully not another source of nitrogen.

Airplane departing MacArthur Airport over Raynor Beach

Seagulls at Raynor Beach

If you live nearby and just want to lay in the sand by the water, this isn't a bad alternative to Robert Moses. No entry fee and no crowds.

Playground at Raynor Beach

It was way too cold by the water for kids to play here in March, but this looks like it'd be a nice playground when it gets warmer. There's picnic benches, a trash can, and behind where I was standing there are bathrooms that I assume are open in the Spring and Summer.

Fatima Al-Zahra Mosque on Lake Ronkonkoma

Right across the street on the hill is the Fatima Al-Zahra Mosque, which was founded in 2019.

Pond Rd Looking North

This section of Pond Rd has sidewalks on either side of the street, which is a welcome break from the ones on Lake Shore Rd which are covered by leaves and overgrown brush from years of neglect, and in some parts there simply is no sidewalk on either side of the street. Here though, anyone living on this road could safely and comfortably walk down to the lake.

I got a close up shot of the Welcome to [the] Town of Islip sign because there are a few interesting things I noticed about it:

Welcome to Town of Islip Sign on Pond Rd

First, one thing I learned later than I'd like to admit is that the lake is divided among the towns of Islip in the southwest, Brookhaven to the east, and Smithtown to the northwest. The borders between the three towns are the same ones established by the natives before European settlers arrived. In fact, that's why the lake is called "Ronkonkoma," which means "boundary fishing place" in Algonquian. This sign is fairly new though so maybe there's been a recent effort to give people a better sence of where they're located.

The second is that the Town of Islip was established in 1683, almost a century before the US became an independent country. That's particularly interesting as a walker since every settlement in North America that existed before the 1950's was built to be walkable. However, Ronkonkoma was mostly rural for much of its colonial and early US history, and thanks to Motor Parkway being extended to Lake Ronkonkoma in 1911 and the LIE in the 1960s, Ronkonkoma has been overrun with cars for quite a while.

The last thing that stood out to me was the Town motto: "fide sed cui vide". In Latin that roughly translates to "trust, but beware of whom." Maybe there's a more positive way to interpret that, but it doesn't strike me as very inviting. Does it mean you can trust some Town of Islip residents, but there are some shady ones you should watch out for? Or is it a warning to residents that while you can fraternize with folks from adjoining towns, you should make sure to watch your back? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but "e pluribus unum" and "excelsior" are a bit nicer in my opinion.

Fitz-Greene-Hallock Homestead

Further up Pond Road on the left is the Fitz-Greene-Hallock Homestead. There's a sign out front that says it was built around 1888 and that it's maintained by the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society. As of March 2023, this is the only property on this stretch of Pond Road that doesn't have a sidewalk, which is a shame because that makes it harder to read the sign out front.

Fitz-Greene-Hallock Homestead with view of Lake Ronkonkoma - March 2023

Memorial for Patricia A. Duffield

The only picture I took of the church square is this memorial to Patricia A. Duffield because I hadn't seen it last time I was here. In the background is what used to be St. Joe's Catholic School. I call it the church square but I'm not sure if it actually has a name. If not, I nominate la Piazza di san Giuseppe, which means "St. Joseph's Square" in Italian. Seems fair given the church on one side and the Knights of Columbus on the other. 

St. Joseph's Catholic Church - March 2023

This is St. Joe's on Church St. I actually continued down Rosevale, but I wanted to get a picture or two of the church first since it's right here and it's one of the older buildings in the area.

St. Joe's Church Plaque

According to the plaque the church was built in only one and a half months and was dedicated on 22 June 1884, almost 140 years ago! That means before Motor Parkway, before the LIE, and 24 years before the first Tin Lizzie rolled off the assembly line, there were enough people living here to build a church this size.

S57 Northbound Bus Stop at Rose Drive - March 2023

Further down Rosevale I grabbed a shot of another stop on the S57 line that happened to have a bench, albeit one in not so great condition.

Bench at S57 Northbound Bus Stop at Rose Drive - March 2023

This bench has surely seen better days. It might be hard to tell from the picture, but it's sunk into the ground so it's really low and angled back so it'd be uncomfortable to sit down and stand up. I'm just speculating because I wasn't brave enough to try it out. It's also chained to a random signpost that doesn't have a sign on it and there's a bunch of excess chain laying on the ground. The most troubling part was the rather suspicious black garbage bag sitting on the end of the bench. If you're curious what was in the black garbage bag, so was I, but I wasn't willing to investigate so the mystery remains unsolved. If you would like to submit a tip or just want to venture a guess, please let me know in the comments.

S57 Bus Stop at Rose Drive - March 2023

This is the stop facing the other direction. You might be wondering, "how come there isn't a stop for the southbound line heading towards the train station which is where most people would want to travel?" Well, there is one. There's a tiny little sign next to the telephone pole just to the right of the center of the picture. If you squint, you still won't see it. This is one example of what I was talking about earlier with stops that don't have a sidewalk, not even a shoulder, and are often hidden behind bushes. If SCT wants to increase ridership, at a bare minimum the stops should be visible and have a safe place for riders to stand and wait.

Ronkonkoma Beach on the Town of Islip side

Here is the sign for Ronkonkoma Beach on the Town of Islip side on Rosevale Avenue across from Kirk Avenue. Notice from my long shadow it was getting late so I wanted to wrap up my walk and didn't go into the park this time.

Crosswalk across Rosevale Ave across from Ronkonkoma Beach - March 2023

This is current state of the crosswalk to the beach. It goes across five lanes of traffic (or six if you count the shoulder where the bus stops) and the sidewalk randomly ends on the other side; it doesn't even route you onto the street. And the crosswalk on the left just leads you onto the grass of some homeowner's property. Road design choices like this are why people who live on Kirk probably still drive to get to the beach. 

Sidewalk facing North on Rosevale Avenue

This last picture doesn't look like much, but as a Cyclist™, I feel obliged to point out that these fresh tire tracks are proof that there are in fact people who ride their bikes on Rosevale and would benefit from safer bike infrastructure. It had rained the day before so the tracks were left less than a day ago.

Bicycle tracks on Rosevale by intersection with Motor Parkway - 2023

You might be thinking, "aren't they safe enough riding on the sidewalk?" To which I would reply, "aren't you safe enough living in your mom's basement?" I kid, I kid. But seriously, while I was walking down the sidewalk along Rosevale on the other side of Ocean, I was mindlessly looking down at my phone, as one does, when a grown man on a bicycle almost hit me. 

New York State doesn't have any statewide law about riding a bike on sidewalks, they've left it up to the cities and towns to decide, and many of them only allow children under a certain age to do so. This particular section of the lake is part of the Town of Islip, which does not have such a law, so that man was within his right to ride on the sidewalk. That doesn't make it safe though, because you have to go on the grass to get around pedestrians and cars are more likely to hit you making a right turn if you're off on the sidewalk before crossing at an intersection. 

People's homes are on Rosevale, yet it's built like a racetrack and people drive on it accordingly. If you narrow the road a bit, people tend to drive more slowly. A protected bike lane in addition to the sidewalk could go a long way to making this a safer road to live, walk, cycle, and even drive on. 

So yeah, that was my March 2023 walk around Lake Ronkonkoma. Thanks for reading!