LJ Decker Photography, I Love Bayville New York

LJ Decker Photography, I Love Bayville New York I started this page in May of 2010 to share my love of photography and Bayville with my friends who have moved out of town.

BUY PRINTS ljdeckerphotography.pixieset.com Bayville, New York
From Wikipedia
Bayville
— Village —

U.S. Census Map


Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 40°54′26″N 73°33′26″W / 40.90722°N 73.55722°W / 40.90722; -73.55722
Country United States
State New York
County Nassau
Area
- Total 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
- Land 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
- Water 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elev

ation 39 ft (12 m)
Population (2000)
- Total 7,135
- Density 5,065.7/sq mi (1,955.9/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 11709
Area code(s) 516
FIPS code 36-05034
GNIS feature ID 0943216

The Village of Bayville, often referred to as Pine Island, is located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 7,135 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 1919.[1]

Bayville was a popular tourist destination in the early 20th century, featuring a sandy beach and an entertainment "casino" with dining, dancing and lawn bowling. Historically Bayville was known for its production of The Pine Island Oyster. It was also the home, beginning in 1927, of Harrison Williams. Williams has been estimated to have been the wealthiest man in the nation on the eve of the Great Depression. He amassed a fortune of between $680,000,000 and one billion dollars, by consolidating electric utilities companies into investment trusts, with the help of his attorney John Foster Dulles & the firms of Dillon Read & Goldman Sachs. Williams' wife Mona was voted "The Best Dressed Woman in The World" several times. Other notable residents of Bayville have included:Robert Clarkson, the President of The American Express Company; Hon. Alexander Del Giorno Esq., New York State Court of Claims - Supreme Court Judge; Joseph "Frenchy" Ferrarro, convicted murderer; Brad Fiedel, Hollywood Film Musical composer; Ferdinand Jelke Esq., Attorney and socialite; William McKittrick, Director, Pan American Airways; Sal Mineo, Actor and Film Maker; Michael Novak, Philosopher & Diplomat; Rick Pitino, Coach, University of Louisville Basketball Team; James O. Stack, the President of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Chain; Michael Genovese, brother of Vito Genovese (Gangster); and for several summers the Actress Kim Novak. Bayville has traditionally been served with rail service to New York City through the Locust Valley Station of the Long Island Railroad, and its children attend the Locust Valley Schools. Bayville is connected to the main body of Long Island by a beautiful stone draw bridge erected in 1922 and refurbished in 1938. During the 1960s Bayville became a center of statewide controversy when then Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller announced his plan to build a bridge connecting Nassau County to either Westchester County or Connecticut, using Bayville as the stepping-off point of the southern side of the bridge. Local residents resisted the idea and eventually defeated it, utilizing the Federal Wetlands Protection Act as their principal weapon. Even the Governor's sister, then a resident of nearby Mill Neck, privately supported the defeat of the bridge plan.

06/14/2026

6-14-26 Good morning

6-12-26 Good Evening
06/12/2026

6-12-26 Good Evening

06/10/2026

Voters will have to choose the village’s next leader by writing in the name of anyone they want or they think will take the $5,000-a-year gig.

🥹
06/08/2026

🥹

Out beautiful SadTree has fallen. I want to cry. I can't even tell you how many photos I've taken of her over the years. SadDay. RIP.

6-7-26 I was going through some old photos. I miss this…. IYKYK
06/07/2026

6-7-26 I was going through some old photos. I miss this…. IYKYK

I’m so sad that Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay lost “Sad Tree” last night.  Sad Tree is a survivor of Super Storm Sandy ...
06/07/2026

I’m so sad that Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay lost “Sad Tree” last night.  Sad Tree is a survivor of Super Storm Sandy and stood as a reminder and survivor of that horrific storm. 

We say goodbye to a familiar friend on our shoreline.

During last nights brief, but powerful storm that rolled through the area broke our beloved "Sad Tree" in half.

For many Oyster Bay-East Norwich residents, "Sad Tree" was more than just a tree—it was a local landmark.

Standing along the beach at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, the tree became one of the most photographed spots in town, serving as the backdrop for countless family portraits, prom photos, engagement shoots, and memories made by the water.

Local lore has it that Sad Tree earned its name after suffering damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, leaving it with the distinctive drooping shape that made it instantly recognizable. Whether that story is fact or folklore, the name stuck, and so did the affection residents developed for this unique piece of Oyster Bay.

As we say goodbye to this beloved fixture on our shoreline, we're reminded that some of the things that make a community special aren't grand monuments or famous landmarks—they're the places that quietly become part of our lives and memories.

Do you have a favorite photo or memory of Sad Tree? Share it with us in the comments.

6-7-26 Good morning. Horseshoe crabs, making baby horseshoe crabs
06/07/2026

6-7-26 Good morning. Horseshoe crabs, making baby horseshoe crabs

06/04/2026

Address

25 Shore Avenue
Oyster Bay, NY
11771

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