Babylon Apartment Renter's Guide
Babylon Apartment Renter's Guide
Overview
Named after the ancient city of Babylon, Babylon, New York combines old history and modern culture into one quaint village.
About an hour's drive from Manhattan sits the Long Island hamlet of Babylon
Named after the ancient city of Babylon, Babylon, New York combines old history and modern culture into one quaint village.
About an hour's drive from Manhattan sits the Long Island hamlet of Babylon. It's a village of 12,166 residents that provides a refuge from the hustle and bustle of New York City. While one of Babylon's selling points might be the fact that it's far-removed from taxi-cluttered streets and $9 bottles of Heineken, the village has character and charm in its own right. Its location on Long Island's south shore, abutting the Atlantic Ocean, creates opportunities for marine pursuits like boating, swimming, and surfing. At the same time, an array of restaurants and shops, as well as a full slate of community events throughout the year, guarantee that Babylon residents won't be missing the Big Apple when they climb into their commuter trains for the trip home every evening.
Moving to Babylon
Despite its small-town stature, Babylon is highly accessible by a variety of mass transit systems. It has a stop on the Long Island Rail Road, a train system that travels the length of the island and that takes travelers as far as Penn Station in Manhattan. Likewise, Suffolk Country Transit provides bus service throughout Long Island, including stops in Babylon. Another bus service, the Nassau Inter-County Express, serves Babylon's neighboring county, but also makes stops in a few western Suffolk County communities, including Babylon.
Whether you want to live in the community because it appeals to you, or simply because you work in Manhattan and want a home where you can escape the rat race, Babylon offers plenty of rental properties to help you achieve those goals. Apartment complexes like Fairfield at Babylon offer one bedroom apartments for rent, as well as studio and two-bedroom apartments. Townhouses are also available for rent, as are apartments in residential homes. House rental is also an option. Rental homes in Babylon run the gamut from smaller abodes with one or two bedrooms, to larger units with three and four bedrooms that accommodate multiple occupants. In addition, duplexes can be found on the rental market, though in terms of availability, they're more difficult to find than are houses and apartments. If your heart is set on a duplex, be sure to stay on top of the local real estate scene so that you can grab one when it becomes available. And since there are no real neighborhoods in Babylon, you don't have to worry about getting lost on the wrong side of town (since there isn't one)!
Living in Babylon
Babylon might be a self-respecting locale now, but in the early 1800s, its debaucheryor at least one woman's perception of itgave the village its name. In 1803, Nathaniel Conklin, one of the region's early settlers, moved to the community with his family, which included his aged mother. The elder Conklin, a pious, churchgoing woman, was appalled by the spectacle of drinking and carousing that she saw taking place across the street from her home every night at the American Hotel and Tavern. She suggested that "Babylon" would be an apt name for the new settlement, comparing it to the materialistic, unsavory city mentioned in the Bible. While the community's early leaders sought a different moniker with which to christen their new village, the name "Babylon" stuck. Since then, Babylon's debauchery exists only in the history that surrounds its name, but residents will still find plenty of ways to amuse themselves (and most of those diversions would likely meet with Mrs. Conklin's approval).
Let's start with food. Babylon is known for its array of dining establishments, which encompass almost every ethnicity and taste imaginable. Many of the village's restaurants get seafood straight from the cold ocean waters just beyond their doors. A large number of eateries are locally owned, but unadventurous eaters will also find a Subway or a Checkers scattered among the specialty locales. In addition, if you like shopping, you'll love Babylon. Throughout the village are a number of specialty shops that sell everything from jewelry to skateboards to vintage clothing. Looking for a way to spend time that doesn't involve shopping or eating? Babylon has that, too. The village's historical society operates a museum dedicated to the days of Babylon past, while events like the annual Dirty Sock Run raise money for local food pantries. Water and surfing enthusiasts can also take advantage of the insane waves at Gilgo Beach, located not far from Babylon.