Day in the Life of Long Island: Experiencing the first day of summer
For the first day of summer, Newsday's reporters, photographers and multimedia journalists chronicled what a day on Long Island looks like.
From western Nassau to Montauk, we captured the sights, sounds and stories that helped paint a mosaic of the day’s experiences.
People walk along Windmill Beach near the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor on Wednesday. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
See how the day unfolded here and check out more scenes at:
![Sundown at Jones Beach in Wantagh on Wednesday.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AYzEwODUzMmYtZWQ5MS00%3AMDc1MDg3%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Sundown at Jones Beach in Wantagh on Wednesday. Credit: Morgan Campbell
![Alex Smith plays the tenor saxophone during a jam session with...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANDk2NTc1OGEtZjEyNC00%3AYjkyZTc2%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Alex Smith plays the tenor saxophone during a jam session with the Brandon Rivas Quartet at the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
![Seniors pose for pictures on the beach during cocktail hour...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMDFmYzFhNjctNzBmMy00%3AMDcwYjQz%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Seniors pose for pictures on the beach during cocktail hour at the Floral Park Memorial High school senior prom,Wednesday evening at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville. Credit: Danielle Silverman
![Dr. Ellen Leonardt, medical director at Animal General of East...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZjA3YTI3NjEtMGZkZC00%3ANjUwODBl%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Dr. Ellen Leonardt, medical director at Animal General of East Norwich, right, and Arielle Tejada, vet tech, examine four ducklings who were surrendered to Humane Long Island on Wednesday in East Norwich. The ducklings were hatched at Hopscotch Montessori School in Manhattan. (The school was told they'd be chicks.) The school's two campuses have since vowed to stop treating baby birds as science experiments. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
![Terri Carr Muran, board member of Humane Long Island, feeds...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANzhhN2Y0MmYtNDcyYy00%3AMGM4NGY1%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Terri Carr Muran, board member of Humane Long Island, feeds a young peacock named Chickpea a banana in the backyard of her animal foster home Wednesday in Brookville. Chickpea, who was rescued as a baby after being abandoned in Brooklyn, is one of several peafowl up for adoption through Humane Long Island. Terri reminds the public that the adage adopt don't shop applies to all animals, peafowl included. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Heading to the Silurian Awards to celebrate great work of @Newsday. #DayInTheLifeLI pic.twitter.com/xbGNhfDjM1
— Hank Winnicki (@HankWinnicki) June 21, 2023
![Jocelyn Torres and her husband Jose Sanchez welcomed their daughter...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMDE2MTg1ZTEtYTA5My00%3AMDA4ZWZj%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Jocelyn Torres and her husband Jose Sanchez welcomed their daughter Hanna at Good Samaritan University Hospital on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
![Shawn Haynes, owner of Strong Island Produce in Wyandanch, unloads...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZTdiZGQyYWEtNWM3OS00%3AODZjMTNi%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Shawn Haynes, owner of Strong Island Produce in Wyandanch, unloads watermelons, directly from a Georgia farm, from the back of his truck in Wyandanch on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
![Meghan Becker, 20, of Lancaster, Pa., a horticulture intern currently...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AYTJjNDg3YTUtOGMyNC00%3AMzMyYjFi%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Meghan Becker, 20, of Lancaster, Pa., a horticulture intern currently living at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay, helps weed the perrennial border along the park's rose arbor on Wednesday. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Another day full of #socialmedia management, meetings, and other @StonyBrookMed biz coming to a close. #dayinthelifeli #wearestonybrookmedicine pic.twitter.com/Ic6E6Cb4PB
— Carley Weinstein (@CarleyWeinstein) June 21, 2023
🌈 Happy #SummerSolstice2023! Nothing like kicking off summer with a walk under a rainbow around the sun☀️ #SummerSolstice #DayInTheLifeLI @Newsday pic.twitter.com/LvFcTSU5fP
— Alexa Coveney (@AlexaRaeCoveney) June 21, 2023
Waiting for the police commissioner to speak at the scene of a police-involved shooting in North Amityville. #dayinthelifeli @Newsday #SCPD pic.twitter.com/rjwSOmpZD6
— Cecilia Dowd (@ceciliadowdnews) June 21, 2023
![A man reads a book as he sits on the...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AYzMzOTNlNjMtOTY3OC00%3AOWRiZDYy%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
A man reads a book as he sits on the sand at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk on Wednesday. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
![Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANTk1OWI1N2EtMTA2Ni00%3AY2EyNjgx%2Fxlbeaches230901_photos.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
![Yvonne Drain, 59, takes part in a Zumba class at...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANzFkYmIxODQtZjIwNC00%3ANGE5YTRh%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Yvonne Drain, 59, takes part in a Zumba class at the Town of Hempstead Senior Center in Merrick on Wednesday. Credit: Linda Rosier
Isabella Ruiz, 6, of Bay Shore, plays on a slide at Belmont State Park in West Babylon on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
![Charmaine Scott, 62, of Huntington, and Bob Schwartzman, 72, of...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMjJhYjE0MmEtZDNkZi00%3AOGNlMDZl%2Fliditl_collage9.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Charmaine Scott, 62, of Huntington, and Bob Schwartzman, 72, of Syosset, play Pickle Ball at Sweet Hollow Park in Melville, on Wednesday afternoon. Credit: Danielle Silverman
![Day in the life of Long Island at Belmont State...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMjM3NjhlYzQtNjI0NC00%3AZDE2MDNh%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Day in the life of Long Island at Belmont State Park, Wednesday June 21, 2023. 6 year-old Isabella Ruiz of Bay Shore with her grandpa Won Han. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
![Third grader Fallon Reilly, 8, competes in the tug-of-war competition during...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMDI2ZDU0ZjctMGZlNC00%3ANWZjZjQ2%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Third grader Fallon Reilly, 8, competes in the tug-of-war competition during field day at the Sag Harbor Elementary School on Wednesday. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
Lukas Gebel, 5, of East Patchogue, left, and his brother, Sebastian, watch the sharks in the Shark Habitat at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, on Wednesday. Despite their fearsome appearance, the sharks in this habitat are not aggressive toward humans unless they are provoked. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
![Emelia Guichay, 5, from Manorville, plays in the sand at...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AYmQ5ZGE0MDEtNmRhOS00%3AZDFkMGNl%2Fliditl_collage7.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Emelia Guichay, 5, from Manorville, plays in the sand at Windmill Beach, as seen through the window of the Sag Harbor Windmill, near the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, June 21, 2023. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
![Judge Howard Sturim, left, reaches over Barney, his seven-year-old Irish...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMjg1YTBlOWMtNDc4MS00%3AZWRiMWFj%2Fliditl_collage5.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Judge Howard Sturim, left, reaches over Barney, his seven-year-old Irish doodle, to hand paperwork to Matt Connolly, right, a court attorney, on Wednesday in Mineola, NY. Barney’s amazing nose not only assists the judge, but also helped to alert a Nassau attorney appearing in Judge Sturim’s court that his blood sugar was dangerously low, averting a medical emergency. Credit: David Handschuh
Students jump rope during field day at the Sag Harbor Elementary School in Sag Harbor on Wednesday. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
![Mechanic Brandon Joyce, of Mastic Beach, works on a car...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AYzM1Y2ZiOWItYzkxMC00%3ANzQzMjRh%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Mechanic Brandon Joyce, of Mastic Beach, works on a car at Anchor Auto and Truck Repair on Neighborhood Road in Mastic Beach on Wednesday. Credit: Tom Lambui
@newsday.tv Good morning and happy first day of summer! ☀️🌅Here’s what a day in the life looks like across Long Island this morning. How did you start the longest day of the year? ☺️ (Video credit: Newsday staff) . . . #longisland #liny #nassau #suffolk #nassaucounty #suffolkcounty #dayinthelifeli #nyc #newyork #summer #summer2023 #firstdayofsummer☀️ #summersolstice ♬ Morning
![Commuters board a westbound LIRR train from Island Park on...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AOTg1OTMyNzgtNWViZi00%3AYWIyMjI3%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Commuters board a westbound LIRR train from Island Park on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Long Beach resident Kevin Watts reads a book, something he says he does every morning, while sitting along West Park Avenue in Long Beach on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
![A westbound Long Island Rail Road train leaves Long Beach,...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMGQ1YmY5NzgtNDI0Yi00%3AOGIwNzkx%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
A westbound Long Island Rail Road train leaves Long Beach, crossing the Wreck Lead Channel, on Wednesday morning. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
![Family Court Judges Mary Porter, left and Rosamaria Abbate chat...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AOTM0YTEyNTUtZmM4Yi00%3ANTYwZTQ2%2Fliditl_collage4.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Family Court Judges Mary Porter, left and Rosamaria Abbate chat at the Cohalan Court Complex in Central Islip, on Wednesday. Porter puts on her robe before taking the bench. Credit: David Handschuh
Slightly chilly for the first day of summer as @HempsteadTown bay constables patrol the bays off Point Lookout. @Newsday #DayintheLifeLI pic.twitter.com/oIBxsIYAoN
— John Asbury (@JohnAsbury) June 21, 2023
Hempstead bay constables work 12 hours a day patrolling the bays and ocean between Jones Inlet and Kennedy Airport. Choppy waters today ahead of an incoming storm are keeping a lot of boaters off the waters. #DayintheLifeLI @newsday pic.twitter.com/O4Kz3dwmvS
— John Asbury (@JohnAsbury) June 21, 2023
Hello Summer -- We missed you! To kick off the season, the Fountaingate Gardens team hosted our first-ever Junebilee #Summer Celebration, complete with Caribbean fare, tropical drinks and a Calypso band! #Independentliving #retirementcommunity #dayinthelifeli @Newsday pic.twitter.com/JrQ38gty9T
— Gurwin Healthcare System (@GurwinJewish) June 21, 2023
Patron Annette B. passes through while on the #NassauLibaryTour. It's all in a day in the life of Long Island!
— Freeport Memorial Library (@ASKFML) June 21, 2023
#FreeportLibrary #FreeportNY #DayintheLifeLI #NassauLibraryTour pic.twitter.com/2cJywOiiaf
![Traffic moves in both directions on the Southern State Parkway...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZmRkMjI2NzItODMzMi00%3AMzNiZTUz%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Traffic moves in both directions on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 22 during rush hour on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Horse trainer Edmund Pringle gives a morning bath to A Lister at Belmont Park in Elmont Wednesday. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
![Ira Haspel, farmer and owner of KK's The Farm in...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AOTRhODYyZmQtNzRlMC00%3AYTk5MDFi%2Fliditl23_collage4.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Ira Haspel, farmer and owner of KK's The Farm in Southold, harvesting snap peas on Wednesday. Credit: Randee Daddona
![Tyler, of Ridge, walks Banks, a 1-year-old sheepadoodle, on Wednesday.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMWEyMmM1ZjYtMWM4MC00%3AZDM1YjI5%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Tyler, of Ridge, walks Banks, a 1-year-old sheepadoodle, on Wednesday. Credit: Tom Lambui
Fishing in Mattituck Inlet in Mattituck on Wednesday, including Joel and his mom, Juanita. Credit: Randee Daddona
The Long Island Rail Road at the Long Beach station just before sunrise on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
![The sunrise from Wading River Beach on Wednesday, the first day...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AY2EwMGE3ZjEtNzJmNC00%3ANDMyZjU1%2Flidayinthelife230622.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
The sunrise from Wading River Beach on Wednesday, the first day of summer. Credit: Tom Lambui
Commuters at the Mineola LIRR station early Wednesday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
![Erick Hernandez makes bagels at Bagel Boss Wednesday morning in Hicksville.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AN2I1OWJlY2YtMjMwYS00%3AZmJlYWM0%2Fliditl23_collage2.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Erick Hernandez makes bagels at Bagel Boss Wednesday morning in Hicksville. Credit: Howard Schnapp
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMjdiZTIwNGItZGZkYi00%3AOTNkNzhi%2Flidayinthelife230622_collage1.jpg%3Ff%3DPreview%2B4%253A3%26w%3D640%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZjg3MGFjM2UtZjhmNC00%3AY2EwODFj%2Flidayinthelife230622_collage1.jpg%3Ff%3DPreview%2B4%253A3%26w%3D500%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZWFiZTJkNmItMGU1OC00%3AMWJjYzc2%2Flidayinthelife230622_collage1.jpg%3Ff%3DPreview%2B4%253A3%26w%3D500%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZmQ5OTk3ZTYtMzQzMC00%3ANGI4ZGQw%2Flidayinthelife230622_collage1.jpg%3Ff%3DPreview%2B4%253A3%26w%3D500%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
By posting your photo or video publicly to Instagram using the hashtag #dayinthelifeli and tagging @Newsday, you grant Newsday LLC permission to use and publish your photo or video across our platforms.
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANmEwODdhYzMtMDJjZi00%3AYjE4OTJh%2Fb7461-mp4-20_44_11_12-still001-jpg.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.