Finally, after the winter season, spring has come to Long Island, New York, which means longer days, warmer weather and spring flowers. People are now starting to go outside for longer periods of time and are posting that time on social media. From students taking their graduation or prom pictures to adults shooting their wedding photos, spring brings so many Insta-worthy moments that you can’t miss. While it’s not like New York City, where there are murals, museums, buildings and bridges galore, Long Island does have some places where you can have a photoshoot and brag about it on your social media. Here are five places you can go to this spring for Insta-worthy photos.
- Lavender by the Bay
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First on this list is a farm that has acres and acres of lavender flowers. It’s called Lavender by the Bay and they have two locations, one in East Marion and their newest location in Calverton. Their farms include various English and French lavenders, and they even sell their own lavender spa products. The amount of purple in the lavender farms is sure to make your photos pop! Due to COVID-19, the farms are limiting visitors, but they are open on the weekends.
- Long Beach Boardwalk
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With the weather getting warmer, taking pictures by the boardwalk in Long Beach is a perfect way to get beach photos without being in the scorching heat. The beach makes an ideal background for pictures as many residents walk, run and bike there for the ocean views. While the beaches in Long Beach aren’t open until May 29, the boardwalk is 2.2 miles long and includes free parking.
- Argyle Park
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Argyle Park is the next spot on this list and is considered a popular spot for wedding photography. With the 9/11 memorial garden and concrete steps overlooking the small waterfall, it’s not hard to see why so many people come here to take wedding photos. The park even features flowers and greenery overlooking two lakes. The park site is in Babylon, and while professional photos require a permit, village residents who want an Instagram-worthy picture can go there without charge.
- Montauk Lighthouse
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The Montauk Lighthouse is quite a historical location, being the first lighthouse in New York and the fourth-oldest in the USA. This lighthouse, located in Montauk, is still active even today, and its old aesthetic plays into the rustic-styled photos that you see on Instagram. Whether you’re there for landscape photos or a rustic background for wedding, family or personal pictures, Montauk Lighthouse is a location you can’t miss. The lighthouse is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but you have to pay admission, which is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children.
- Planting Fields Arboretum
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The last location on this list is the Planting Fields Arboretum, located in Nassau County. This museum is a state park and an arboretum that covers 400 acres. While the Camellia Greenhouse is now out of season, the park’s main greenhouse is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. While it’s not the Camellia Greenhouse, the main greenhouse includes plants like orchids, cacti, begonias, palms, ferns and hibiscuses, making it perfect for a springtime photo shoot. The park even has magnolias, cherry trees, azaleas and dogwood trees, so you’re not just getting Instagram-ready pictures from the greenhouse alone. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the staff is turning away people once its parking lot reaches 50% capacity, and only a maximum of 20 people are allowed at a time in the greenhouses. Should you make it before the max number of people, tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $5 for kids 11 to 17. Kids 10 and under can go for free.
Long Island might not have as many Instagram-worthy places as New York City, but there are still places you can go to take that perfect picture. Unlike in the city, Long Island has several nature spots where you can take rustic or nature-styled portraits. Now that it’s springtime, people want to go outside and take pictures of the flowers and trees in bloom.
Nevertheless, since we are still in a global pandemic, we at Her Campus Hofstra encourage everyone to practice social distancing and to wear a mask when you go out to these locations.