Stony Brook Village Center offers free Wi-Fi

The term "working lunch" no longer means staying in the office.

Last week, the Stony Brook Village Center installed a new Wi-Fi system, offering free wireless access to restaurants, shops and historical sites located in Stony Brook village.

"Everyone seemed to have it. We've been planning it for a while now and it's time," said Marie Gilberti, communications manager for the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, a nonprofit that works to preserve the traditional character of Stony Brook village as envisioned by village founder Ward Melville.

The system was installed by Sky-Packets, which also installed systems in Babylon Village and Sag Harbor Village in 2010. Visitors with smartphones can scan a special kind of bar code called a QR code, found in several store directories around the village. A scan will provide instant access to the Stony Brook village website.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization is encouraging visitors to bring laptops, tablets and smartphones to certain historical sites and restaurants around the village.

"A lot of people come to the village for lunch to get work done and we just want to give the best of the best," said Gilberti, who added that feedback from patrons has been positive.

The Village Center overlooks the Stony Brook Harbor and includes 35 shops and seven restaurants. Retail store hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information on Stony Brook village or the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, call 631-751-2244 or visit www.stonybrookvil lage.com.