"I just wanted to thank you for posting our "looking to rent" ad on the site. We got two calls within days and found a beautiful cottage right in the heart of the village! Amazing. Anyway, I figured to let you know so you could take our ad down. Thanks again."

Sincerely,
Michael White
 

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"I was cruising the internet this evening checking out some sites from the Long Island scene when I discovered Bellport.com.  This is a really cool site and it certainly brought back the memories.  I grew up in East Patchogue but attended Bellport H.S. 1969-71. 

After a year at Southampton College, I transferred out of state to finish college and have only been back to visit less than 10 times since, the last being in September 2001 for our 30th high school reunion which was a good time.  I flew back home on the Sunday before 9/11.  Needless to say, that hit me hard.  I have not been back since unfortunately.  And my folks moved to Florida (where else?) a few years later. 

I enjoyed looking at Bellport.com this evening.  The pictures on the site look great and Bellport looks like a great place to live."  

-Tom Rose
Bellport H.S. Class of 1971 

 

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"Great website....great photos. Excellent work! Thanks."

-Jim Dwyer
 

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"Thank you for all of your good reporting. We call up Bellport.com from many places to get the latest news. We even brought up your web page from Germany once."  

-George Penny and Melina Vratny

 

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"I graduated Bellport High in 1967. My sister just sent me your site and it is so much fun watching the videos. Bellport is a cute town. I have lived in the Florida Keys for over 30 years but it is fun to revisit my childhood! We lived on Circuit Road! Thanks for the memories!!!"

-Rosalind Paragus (nee Kan)

 

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"WOW! Don't ask me how I stumbled across this site - I can't believe the little town I grew up in actually HAS it's own website! And a great one it is.

I moved away when I was just 16 and now 31 years later have taken a virtual cruise around the dock again! Oh the memories! This is where I learned to sail, crabbed off the dock, had my first kiss, skated on the Great South Bay in the times of ice-boating when the bay actually froze solid all the way to Bellport Beach! Thank you so much for your site! I grew up on Bieslin Road, and caught the bus at the end of the road in front of the sprawling golf course. I remember every crack in the sidewalk beside that long stretch of white fence on South Country Road.

What wonderful memories this website has brought back to me! I can't thank you enough for the smile this has brought to my face. Oh! And the 'artists on the lane' - WOW there are lots now! It is so good to see the town has remained it's lovely quaint self. I remember riding my bicycle to the Library for story hour, and later, hanging out on the corner in front of the deli with my high school friends.

Serendipity! Thank you!"

-Valerie Beckwith-Rosen
Princess Anne, MD

 

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"I just visited the site and was very impressed.  It brought back a lot of memories.  Reading the letters I saw a few from some of my classmates (Graduated 1962) and knew that I had to write.  Who can forget the Bellport High School fire.  It was on a Tuesday in 1963 and almost at the end of classes.  Myself and another fellow were trying to catch the students who were jumping out of the 2nd story window until the fire department arrived.  So sad to see that building go away.

I also enjoyed "looping the dock" and it was considered mandatory.  At our class reunion in 2002 I drove around the bay with my wife and had to explain to her the necessity.  The parades, crabbing, race week, etc. are all part of my memory.

I have been in Florida since 1991 but my heart is still in Bellport.  Many friends and some family still live there and I envy them.  Your website makes it easy to reminisce.  Thank you for the memories."

-Charlie Ross (Couture)
 

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"I just found Bellport.com. What an excellent idea!!!!! My family moved there in 1955. I graduated from BHS in 1962. I always knew that Bellport was a special place, but I do not think that I realized how special a place it was and still is until we moved away ten years later. I still find time to fly up every other year and spend time down by the dock and walking each street. Each step is filled with wonderful memories. Bellport will always have a special place in my heart."

-Hal Larkin 

 

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"Dear All,

I was lucky enough to be an actress on stage at The Gateway Theatre when I was 18 in 1970.  At 54 I still say it was the best summer of my life. 

Through the generosity of my dear friend Brooke a fellow actress I met that summer I have spent quite a bit of time in the Hamptons.  A couple of years ago I told my favorite childhood chum Vivian that if my heart's desire could become a reality then I would have a little place in the village of Southampton.  Vivian who has been to the Hamptons, but never to Bellport said, "What!  I thought you always said you wanted to live in Bellport?!"  I hmmnned about and said, "people change..." 

Perhaps I should now say, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."  I realize my friend Vivian really does know where my heart's desire is-it's Bellport.  I still love the Hamptons, but Bellport is 'true charm'.  Realistically speaking I will probably never get to have my charming little house in the village of Bellport, but I still dream of it....on my refrigerator is small house that was for sale, that has long been sold, but still my dream of Bellport lives on.

Here's to your wonderful website.  Thank you." 

-Rosalind McAllister
Kew Gardens, New York
 

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"I lived in Bellport for 50 years. There were only two grade schools no Jr high school and the High school was made of brick and wood. We would play baseball all day long do some fishing down by the dock stayed out late and our doors were never locked.

Everyone knew each other and if you needed anything there was always a neighbor there to lend a hand. The people were special everyone got along.  I remember as a child seeing on TV the tension our country was facing the "Black and White" thing. This I found very strange because in Bellport the Blacks and the Whites got along. We would play with each other  every day even eat at each others homes. There was no color if you lived in Bellport as I saw it. The 50's was a great time if you lived in Bellport.

We all got older and we went to high school. We call it the old school now because it burned down in 62 or 63. I remember that day well, it was a bright day school was almost out just about 15 more minutes and off we'd go. I remember the fire bell ringing and everyone was going though the drill but this was the real thing. I left through the southeast door and walked towards the bank across the street never looking back when I felt the heat and screams coming from behind me. Wow the school was on fire the Flames have already taken over the more than half the building the smoke was so black my friends couldn't get down the stairs to get out. The window at the end of the hall was nailed shut so no one could open the window they threw a trash can to break the glass and started to jump out. I remember a man Dr.Bell I believe that was his name pulling out the bushes and putting them under the window so it would break the kids fall. I was thinking that my parents would hear about the fire so I ran home. It seems to take only minutes two and a half miles away. It was a big story it was on the news for a few days. I still can smell that fire to this day.

As always everyone looked forward to the 4th of July fireworks down by the dock. I guess we were lucky someone lived in Bellport who owned a firework company.

There now was a new Bellport high school and we the kids in the school got to choose it's name. This was funny it was Bellport High School or Beaver Dam High School. The Beaver didn't make it.  Now we finished high school some of us went to college and some went into the service to fight a war. No matter what path you had to take I'm sure everyone felt the same as me. I missed Bellport my home my friends and my family. I'll never forget my first day back from basic training I got into my 1968 Camaro driving about 50 on Station Road and a cop pulled me over. In my uniform he asked me where I was going so fast? I told him I just couldn't wait any longer to see if any of my friends were down by the bay. He smiled and told me to slow down and let me go.

After the service I stayed in Bellport and started a family got a job as a conductor on the LIRR worked for 30 years and retired. Now this should be good news but it wasn't. All our lives my wife and I said when I would retire we'd move to Florida the Sunshine State. Oh yea did I mention my wife and I dated since we were 14. Well we sold everything and moved to Florida. The weather is good and that's about it. We miss Bellport everyday! Now we can't afford to come back and this pains us even more.   The reason I had to write this is maybe one day you can tell this story to someone who wants to leave Bellport, Stop them tell them to smell the Roses there isn't another place like it in the world.

I thank you for reading this I just had to tell someone for there isn't anyone here in Florida that would understand.

I live in Florida but my Home will always be Bellport.

Thank you and enjoy Bellport the best kept secrete in the world."

-Joe Centrone
 

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"I haven’t been home in 5 years and I miss Bellport very much.  I currently live in North Dakota, but will be moving to Saint Louis, MO in just a few weeks.  Needless to say I have lived many places, but nothing says home like Bellport.  I love watching the videos of the parades and remembering when I marched with the BHS Band 84-88.  Aaaah those were the days.  Thank you, Bellport.com for easing my home sickness and I look forward to sharing my beautiful village with my children next summer."

-Wendy P.
Fargo, ND
 

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"Friends from NYC introduced us to Bellport earlier this year. We decided to spend our short summer vacation there. We were fortunate enough to find a beautiful home, not far from mother's beach and the country club, for rent for a few weeks. We were charmed. Now we've decided to try to become –part time- Bellporters. Your village is charming. Keep it this way. I find the videos about looping the dock quite amusing. You have to do it! I did it at least once in the morning and once in the evening every day. I also agree with the importance of shopping locally and helping village shops and restaurant prosper and stay in business. Bellport is a best kept secret and should find itself well to remain this way. Congratulations on your website."

- Patrick and Katarina Preux
 

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"I thought I'd seen it all when Bellport.com came into being. The snow pictures, the news, and all of the new things you've added. But, wow! Until now I could only "loop the dock" in my memories. When I was growing up and later living in Bellport, we always had to "loop the dock" and say "goodnight" to the bay. When I return home for visits, one of the first things I do is go to "loop the dock." And when I leave to return back to Texas, I always have to go say "goodbye" to the bay until my next visit. To outsiders, this may sound slightly neurotic, but to Bellporters, it makes complete sense. Thanks again for another winner on this awesome web site. What a gift..."

-Martha Scott Phipps
Tiki Island, Texas
 

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"Just wanted to tell you that I think that the current www site for Bellport is just great! A lot of effort has been put in and a lot of value obtained for viewers. It's just a great site for our Village."
- Graheme W.

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"Your site is great for us old-timers!" - Martine
 

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"Hello Bellport.com! I just wanted to say that this site is really something else. I've been to another Bellport Village site but this one is definite better, especially for people who are coming for a vacation. I live in Bellport right next to Medford. I am always in the Village, practically live with my friends over the summer in the Village. Its just making more memories for us to look back on. I always wish my Development would be in the Village, its got the look and the street addresses are all SUNNY. Well I just wanted to tell you to keep up the excellent work." - Bea Del Rosario