Getting to Kismet
(Scroll down for driving directions.)
It takes two hours to get to Kismet from Penn Station. Take the train to Bay Shore, and then the ferry to Kismet.
Bay Shore LIRR train schedule
(At Penn Station, pick up the green and white schedule for the Montauk line.)
Kismet ferry schedule
For additional boats, you can also click on the Saltaire schedule. (Saltaire is the next town over and about a ten-minute walk from Kismet)
Planning Your Arrival
Obviously, you need to hook together a train and a ferry. Start with the ferry schedule and pick your boat.
IMPORTANT: Be sure that you are clear on whether the time listed is the time that the boat leaves Bay Shore, or leaves Kismet--most people learn this lesson the hard way. You can always call the ferry to check departure information: (631) 665-3600.
Once you have your boat, pick a train that arrives in Bay Shore a half-hour before the boat leaves. (Once you know the deal, 20 minutes is enough time.)
When you get off the train at Bay Shore, there will be vans or taxis that will drive you to the ferry for $3.50. Tell them that you are going to Kismet and they'll drop you off at the proper terminal. It is only a fifteen-minute walk, but if you're boat is leaving in less than fifteen, you better get you in a taxi...
Historic Fire Island lighthouse.
Walk away from the train tracks, passing the 7-11 on your left. Keep going on Fourth Ave and take it all the way down to the ferry dock. (Once you cross Main St., Fourth Ave is called Maple Ave.) Make sure you know which dock your boat leaves from (Main, Kismet/Saltaire, or Maple Ave.) and then turn left in the proper terminal. For Maple Ave, just keep going straight.
Walking Directions from the Kismet Ferry Dock to the Chance House
When you get off the ferry, walk to the end of the dock past the pizza parlor and turn left in front of The Out. Walk past the Inn and then the Kismet Market to the end of the dock. Turn right. This is Pine Walk, our street. After crossing the second intersection (which is the large, main road) the house is the third one on the left. It is large and red.
Walking Directions from the Saltaire Ferry Dock to the Chance House
When you get off the ferry, walk to the end of the dock and turn right. Walk along the bay until you get to the end and then turn left. Make your first right onto the Main Road. Make your second left onto Pine Walk. The house is the third one on the left. It is still large and red.
Buy Your Tix in Bulk
You can purchase a ten-ride off-peak ticket for the train. It saves you a couple of bucks each way. Also, it saves time in that you don’t have to purchase a ticket each time. (Especially when you're running late...) And if you happen to board a train during peak hours, they let you pay the difference on board without charging you extra.
Also, you can purchase a 40-pack of ferry tickets at a discount that saves a couple of bucks each way. A 40-pack is going to be more than any single person will need, so find one or two other people to go in on this with you. (You can buy these with transit checks.) These tickets can be purchased in the business office on the second floor of the main terminal.
Driving directions to the Bay Shore ferry terminal from Manhattan
Take the Midtown Tunnel and continue on 495 East. Take the Cross Island Parkway South to the Southern Parkway East. Take Exit 42S and at the end of the ramp, turn left and then make a quick right onto Fifth Ave. After a couple of miles, you will pass a lighthouse and flagpole and the road will become one-way. After a couple of lights, turn left onto Main Street. Then make a right onto Fourth Ave. This will turn into Maple Ave. Continue on Maple and you will see the signs for the ferries on your left.
Be sure to check that you are at the correct terminal for Kismet before parking your car.
You can park for free at the train station on the north side of the tracks in the 48-hour parking section. (They don't count how many days you're there...)
Driving directions for Daytrippers
Just coming for the day? Don't want to deal with the ferry? Kismet is twenty-five minute walk from a parking lot called Field 5, which only permits daytime parking. Take the Midtown Tunnel and continue on 495 East. Take the Cross Island Parkway South to the Southern Parkway East. Take Exit 22S, which puts you on the Meadowbrook Parkway South. Drive through the Jones Beach Causeway (This is where Sonny Corleone took the pipe...) and get on the eastbound Ocean Parkway. After 15 miles or so exit onto the Robert Moses Causeway and then follow the signs to Field 5. Park and then either walk westward on the beach until you get to Kismet, or walk past the barricade where cars are not allowed to enter and follow that road past the lighthouse until you arrive in Kismet.