Retro Waterfront Style with Luxurious Updates

Forty minutes by train from Manhattan, seagulls call and gentle ocean waves lap at the boat slips along Freeport Creek. Though decades removed from its debut during the 1964 World's Fair, The Freeport Inn and Marina still sports a zigzagging roofline and long, open-air walkways—retro touches that lend its newly renovated grounds a dash of '60s swagger. Mod furniture makes the front lobby feel like a stylish friend's living room, a place to mingle before retiring to the Patio Marina Lounge for waterfront views and fresh seafood.

Deluxe rooms offer guests a comfortable space to relax with showerheads that simulate a hot, heavy rain and feather comforters atop king beds. At the creek-side Patio Marina Lounge, diners find cocktails and artistically presented small plates of baked clams ($12) and crispy oyster tacos ($14). A 3,000-square-foot outdoor area dotted with fire pits adjoins an indoor restaurant with a 30-foot bar and high-backed orange leather stools. Mirrored columns in the bar, another retro touch, allow recently restored walls to admire their new paint coats.

Freeport, New York: Seaside Charm Close to Manhattan

Just a few steps from the inn, Freeport's Nautical Mile invites leisurely, sea-scented walks along a mile of waterfront bordered by bars, restaurants, and shops. New York City is also just a train ride away on the Long Island Rail Road, which deposits riders at Manhattan's Pennsylvania Station, minutes from Times Square and Broadway. On Long Island's northern shore, Sands Point Preserve's nature trails wind past christmas ferns, bluebirds, and reclusive rabbits operating the secret stills to produce the island's famous iced tea.