NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The end-of-summer stampede back to New York City from eastern Long Island will be tempered this year by the pandemic.
Typically, the day after Labor Day is known as "Tumbleweed Tuesday" by locals, but Kristen Jarnagin, president and CEO of Discover Long Island, thinks this year will be different, as vacationers and weekenders make their seasonal homes permanent, at least for now.
Amid the pandemic, home sales in Suffolk County spiked more than 55 percent. Schools have also seen an increase in enrollment.
Jarnagin said New York City residents first fled to the Hamptons at the start of the pandemic, but they're now sticking around for several reasons.
"Long Island is in a further phase than New York City as far as indoor dining," Jarnagin said. "They feel like there's more of a sense of normalcy here, we have more outdoor space, you can breathe the air, you can see green grass and people feel safe on Long Island."
Businesses have been benfitting greatly from this boon and Suffolk County is encouraging seasonal spots to stay open beyond Labor Day. The county is even planning to secure more personal protective equipment for local businesses.
"We didn't get a start to our summer when we normally do in June, we were delayed, so the great news is that this is helping a lot of our small businesses extend our season and we've been long trying to extend the season here because fall is a beautiful time to be on Long Island and winter is also really charming on Long Island," Jarnagin said. "It's a beautiful place to be and we're glad that people get to experience us in more of an offseason capacity."
One challenge businesses may face in this extended season is staffing.
"It does create some challenges — seasonal workers, you know, how to get employees and we're working very closely with Suffolk County to help us help the small businesses with some of those needs," Jarnagin said. "The part where we might struggle a little bit are the seasonal type of jobs that normally aren't used to staying open necessarily all year round, but we're excited because this might be finally the chance to show that Long Island is a year-round destination and to expose people to what we have to offer all year round."