11967 Real Estate — Homes For Sale in 11967

Modest streets give way to roads through beach grass and unbroken views over the water. Shores feel unspoiled, almost desolate. This is Shirley. Shirley is a community in the Town of Brookhaven, on the South Shore of Long Island. It is named for developer Walter T. Shirley, who had the vision in the 1950s to turn the area on Mastic Bay into an affordable enclave.The area, initially developed at the start of the 18th century, provided farming, fishing and hunting for Native Americans. English landowners set up estates along Moriches Bay. The Manor of St. George, owned by the Smith family, was taken over by the British for use as a fort during the Revolution. Their neighbor across the peninsula, William Floyd, signed the Declaration of Independence. Nearly every resident mentions nature. Smith Point County Park, which has a wide ocean beach, is on the eastern end of Fire Island but is accessible by car. Drivers with permits and 4 wheel drive vehicles are afforded the opportunity to drive and camp along the seashore. There are several smaller strips of waterfront to cycle or walk along. The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, one of the last undeveloped estuaries on the island, offers fishing, kayaking and canoeing along the Carmans River. less