Cherry Grove, more than any other town, gives Fire Island its reputation as bawdy, flamboyant, and gay. The liberal atmosphere and privacy has attracted such famous faces as Garbo, Hermoine Gingold, Earl Blackwell, Arlene Francis, and Paul Cadmus adding to its notoriety.

Dating back more than 130 years, Archer and Elizabeth Perkinson started a small restaurant, and gave the area its name. They later bought more land, built a two-story hotel, and the Grove was on its way to becoming a world famous resort. The hotel later became Duffy's Hotel, a notorious gathering place until a fire sadly destroyed in in 1956. In the post WWII boom years, gays flocked to the Grove and made it their stronghold.

Today, there are about 300 homes gracing the rolling boardwalks and tree lined walkways. A trademark of the Grove are the colorful banners and flags which fly outside houses with names like Ranche du Bois, Sin and Tonic, Paws A While, Oedipus Wrecks, Cherry Netherland, and the Tulle Shed. Grovers are among the most avid gardeners on the island, and tend their elaborate creations with great pride. Grovers are great dog lovers, and canines rule here.

Community spirit reigns here. The Cherry Grove Arts Project sponsors several first-rate theater productions every summer, such as last year's Crazy for Gershwin, which ran for three hit performances at the Community House. The Annual Art Show is highly regarded, and this year the Archive Collection Show displayed the treasures of the Grove's colorful past. Spectacular Benefits are held regularly. This year's theme was Arabian Nights at The Casino Night, raising funds for the Community House Improvement Committee.

Bingo is done in style here, and the Wet T-Shirt Contest is a must-see. The Annual Volleyball Match is complete with floats, cheerleaders and a marching band. The list goes on. Possibly the most outrageous event is the fourth-of-July Invasion of the Pines, when a ferryboat full of Grovers dressed in their finest drag invades the Pines harbor singing God Bless America. They are welcomed by a tumultuous crowd, cheering and blaring their horns.

Another tradition of the Grove is sunset-watching from Cherry's. The piano stops playing as everyone watches the dramatic moment to great applause. Top O'The Bay boasts a great view, too, and there is a warm fire at Rachel's. After cocktails at Johnny Pool, dine well at Michael's, the Cherry Pit, or Cherry Grove Pizza. Impossible to miss, the world-famous Ice Palace and Belvedere Guest House, is a huge, white, ice cream-cake style building, housing a pool, gym, hot tub, disco and rooms for men only. The Cherry Grove beach Club is a great spot to swim, relax and have a drink. Downtown Cherry Grove has clothing stores, a grocery store, gift shop, gardening shop, liquor store, and post office.Anything but ordinary, Cherry Grove stands out as a unique personality among Fire Islands many towns.

Ferries are from Sayville.