Greenport, Village of
Description
- Attraction Type: Popular Places
Surface of lot: na
Distance to venue: na
Transportation to venue offered: na
Terrain: flat, paved, gravel in places
Places to rest: benches in the park, street seating has been added on Main and Front Streets
Paths and walkways: concrete
Doors: na
Number of floors: na
Elevators: na
Ramps: na
Steps and staircases: depends on where you go
Width of aisles: na
Places to sit: street seating has been added
Location of restrooms: public restrooms are located in Mitchell Park, near the Carousel
Type of restroom: multi-stall, with large accessible stall
Ease of entry and exit: doors are open
Baby changing station: yes
Available food services: a variety of food services are available in town
Notes: Some streets have timed parking. There are some parking lots near the waterfront. Free street parking is available a bit out of town.
Wanting to take a ride “out East,” but not wanting to deal with crowds on a summer Sunday, we decided on an early morning visit to Greenport! It turned out to be a perfect choice. We had absolutely no traffic from the time we left home (around8:15 am) until our arrival (about 9:50 am.) It was a pleasure taking the road less travelled (Route 48 ), passing by farm stands and vineyards. Free parking was readily available on a street not far from the Carousel and Mitchell Park and Marina. There are also some paid parking lots “in town,” as well as free “timed parking” ( two hour limit), on some of the streets.
Greenport is a small, quaint, (one square mile), harbor village, on the banks of the Picnic River. It has, what I consider a “low key, casual vibe.” We had not been here in several years and we were happy to see that most businesses were open and seem to be doing well. The street seating that has been created on Main Street is a really nice touch. The street has been made one-way to accommodate the benches, chairs and tables on both sides of the street.
Our first step was the antique Carousel, a place I had never set foot in. Somehow, each time we were there it wasn’t open. Getting to the building and entering it is accessible. Unfortunately, the carousel itself is not.
From the Carousel we walked towards the water. A free-standing building in the park has easy access, multi-stall restrooms, a large, accessible stall and accessible sink.
After sitting and enjoying the view, we headed towards Main and Front Streets for some coffee and shopping. The buildings in town are a mix of old and new. Many of the stores are small, and many have a step or two up to enter. However, there are enough with no steps to allow one to part with some money! The outdoor seating was a real “plus” for my better half to sit and relax while waiting for me as he chooses not to to go into most of the shops.
Since water views are always a draw for us, we made our way back to look at the boats coming and going, as well as the ships that were at the dock. As we watched the Shelter Island Ferry, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a ride – not to get off at Shelter Island- just to have a “round trip” on the water ($2.00 roundtrip if you don’t disembark!) It was lovely to have views from the boat. Getting on and off is easy. If you don’t want to stay outside, there is a small indoor sitting area (probably enough for 6 – 8 people).
After our ferry adventure, we headed to the East End Seaport Museum which is located right there in the same parking lot. Located in what used to be a LIRR building, this small, yet interesting museum has a great deal of information. Only the first floor is accessible. 16 steps will get you to the upper level.
Although our original plan had been to have lunch at one of the outdoor dining venues, things changed and we needed to get back. Oh well, there’s always next time. All in all it was a perfect day! We will return, we always do!
As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to visit a venue’s website when planning a visit. In this case, it would probably be good to visit a number of websites, including http://www.greenportvillage.com">www.greenportvillage.com, http://www.villageofgreenport.org">www.villageofgreenport.org, and http://www.timeout.com">www.timeout.com, to name a few.
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