As someone who was born and raised in Farmingdale, NY, I can tell you that this town is the poster card for suburban neighborhoods.  From main streets and monthly festivals, to shopping malls and restaurant chains, this town always has something to do; and Farmingdale State College is right at the edge of it. Farmingdale is border 8 neighboring towns: Plainview, Amityville, Melville, Bethpage, Levittown, Massapequa, Wyandanch, and Babylon. From the center of Farmingdale, each town is about a 5-15-minute drive out, and offers many experiences.  For people who dorm away from home it’s hard to drive around and find places to go to when you want to go out on a Friday night. So in the spirit of cheap fun and minimal gas use, here is a list of my personal favorite places to go to around Farmingdale.

Farmingdale Favorites:

1. Main Street, Farmingdale: Okay, I love this place in Farmingdale because it has absolutely everything you’d imagine a main street to have, and it is a ten-minute drive to the college. The Library Café is a great place to get brunch on Sunday mornings, get cheap but durable goods at the home goods shop, enjoy a variety of bars and fast food (including the four pizzerias that are two stores a part). And every year on Colum bus Day weekend they host the Columbus Day Fair, with local venders and amusement park rides to enjoy. Maybe I’ll see you there.
   
2. Allen Park: This might seem boring for some people, especially since our campus has pretty much everything Allen Park has. But it’s still a favorite of mine because I spent pretty much all of my middle school years there. If you need a football field, tennis court, hockey or handball space, it is there. Plus, most of the local Chinese food places deliver there which is awesome for Friday night basketball games.
3. Airport Plaza: This huge outdoor shopping outlet is about a five-minute drive down 110 from FSC, and has just about everything you’d need for a good time. The Farmingdale Multiplex is a recently renovated movie theatre that now has reclining seats (yay!), and is right next to Applebee’s, dinner and a movie anyone? Cheeburger Cheeburger is the best place to get your chocolate malt love on, and the Steward Leonard’s grocery store has an amazing frozen yogurt counter that is really cheap too. Need furniture for your dorms? Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond, and TJ Maxx are also in Airport Plaza. Two minutes from Airport plaza is another shopping center with a Walmart, United Artist theatre, and Chipotle. So much food, so much goodness.

Meet the Neighbors

1. Sunrise Mall: About 20 minutes from FSC there is a huge shopping mall in Massapequa, and it is surrounded by shopping outlets. Inside Sunrise there is a food court with every category of cuisine you could wish for, plenty of clothing stores, and even the occasional Spencers (but that store tends to switch places a lot so you might have to go looking for it). Need your phone fixed? Cell Doc charges around $90-110 depending on the phone and size, and it only takes half an hour so you can shop while your phone gets fixed.
   
2. AMC Shopping Center: Down Hempstead Turnpike (about 5-10 minutes) in the heart of Levittown there is a shopping area with my favorite movie theatre. Why is AMC my favorite you ask? Reclining seats, with food trays. That’s right, you can order full blown meals while getting your movie on. You could also eat at the TGI Fridays, Five Guys, Tropical Smoothie, and Fortune Wheel if your craving something other than movie theatre burgers (10/10 for my taste buds btw). Need a Halloween Costume? Party City has it all, need art supplies for Watercolor? Head on over to Michaels (just like I did!).
3. Diners: For my last favorite place I want to mention some amazing diners I have gone to both inside and outside of Farmingdale. Don’t judge but if I had the funds (and a waist that never got bigger) I would eat at a diner every day. Five-ten minutes from FSC down Hempstead Turnpike there are three diners worth visiting, the Farmingdale Diner (grilled cheese is awesome), the Embassy Diner (try their Oreo chocolate cake please!), and Diner Luxe (it’s always a party after midnight). The Massapequa Diner on Sunrise Highway has great onion rings, and Kirsh’s on Broadway has the most amazing ice cream you could dream of. Like a long drive and omelets? Head try Peter’s Diner in Lindenhurst, and while you’re there be sure to stop by the many parks along the water and watch the boats go by.

I am a day one diaper baby of Farmingdale, and growing up in such a close community has made me a better person than I would’ve been without it. I have biked to restaurants on Saturday mornings, and have played street hockey on dead ends until dawn. Ever eaten at an Italian Feast festival still midnight? I have. Ever eaten at five different pizzerias in one day? I haven’t but I know a guy who has and guess where they were? In Farmingdale. So, I guess you could call me a sort of expert on Farmingdale and where to go when you need somewhere close to FSC. Then again who knows, I mean I was only born and raised here.

I’m sure Will Smith doesn’t know everything about West Philadelphia either.