Suffolk County:

The Bunkhouse, 192 Montauk Highway, Sayville, NY - Mixed crowd, Fire island crowd in the summer, dance floor. 12 miles from Stony Brook. (631) 567-BUNK

Thunders, 1017 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station, NY - Mixed crowd but more men than women, two floors, two DJs, outdoor patio and pool tables. 23 miles from Stony Brook. (516) 739-3909 www.parkandride.com

Forever Green, 841 Broome Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY - Mostly women, dance floor, live music. 27 miles from Stony Brook. (631) 226-9357

Nassau County:

Deluxe/Luxe, 2686 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, NY - Mixed, young crowd, large dance floor with NYC vibe, queer on Wednesday nights. 33 miles from Stony Brook but worth the drive. (516) 520-1332.

Shi Bar, 121 Woodfield Avenue, West Hempstead, NY - Very female crowd, small dance floor, sometimes live music, good atmosphere. 41 miles from Stony brook. (516) 486-9516.

For an extensive listing check out www.ligay.com/bars_clubs.html

For New York City Queer Nightlife check out www. nyblade.com/kiosk/bars

Fire Island:

Fire Island has been, for nearly a hundred years, the location of the oldest gay and lesbian community in America - Cherry Grove, and more recently, The Pines. Cherry grove tends towards a good time, mixed, motley crowd, while The Pines is almost exclusively male, muscular, and at times, arrogant. For bars and clubs check out The Ice Palace and Cherrys in Cherry grove and The Pavilion in The Pines. The ferry dock is in Sayville and ferries run from the beginning of April to the end of October. A round trip costs $11. For ferry schedules go to www.sayvilleferry.com