One square mile in Suffolk County known as Brightwaters is home to fewer than four thousand lucky people. Brightwaters is an exclusive neighborhood with homes that go back to the times the community was settled, over a hundred years ago. Brightwaters is towards Great South Bay and is a tranquil spot with large water bodies. In fact, the name originates from the name, Wohseepee which translates as sunlit ponds or bright waters, referring to the five lakes north of Montauk Highway. The major lakes within Brightwaters limits are Cascades Lake, Mirror Lake and Nosrekca Lake.

The area was developed as a model community by real estate developer Thomas Benton Ackerson who bought several hundred acres to start a planned community in the early years of the twentieth century. He built beautiful bungalows and mansions on large estates in his model community around a 4000 feet canal that he dug. This canal extended from Great South Bay to Montauk highway. Brightwaters was incorporated as a village in 1916. Ackerson named one of the lakes in his development Nosrekca, which is his name, Ackerson spelled backwards!

Today this exclusive neighborhood boasts of a median household income that is significantly above state average and some of the priceless old time houses are worth over a million dollars. The residents are well educated and many of them are professionals and businesspersons. The neighborhood boasts of two lovely parks, Walker Park and Wohseepee Park in addition to the many water bodies. A bridge on Lakeview Avenue E over Brightwaters’ Mirror Lake that was built in 1910 is eligible for listing in the National Register according to the New York State Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Survey. This is truly a lovely structure with a concrete arched deck, filled spandrel and decorative rail and parapet.

Bay Shore Brightwaters Public Library is one of the best libraries in the county. It is a rich resource of books audio and video materials. It conducts various community activities for various age groups and is the center for many interesting talks and lectures. The library has been around for more than a hundred years albeit in other locations.


Among the many structures with a rich colorful history is the Jon Thomas Inne just off Sunrise Highway. This was a boarding house in the early years, run by the Millers who sold it in 1938 when it was converted into an inn named Old Heidelberg. It was bought by its current owners in 1977 and it became Jon Thomas Inne. A local institution, Jon Thomas Inne offers fine food and dining in comfortable atmosphere. Another popular local watering hole is the Brightwaters Inn.

Though there are local schools in Brightwaters there are no centers of higher education .A local training center is the Advance Career and Professional Development center that provides quality consulting and training services to people working in diverse organizations. The Gay and Lesbian Foundation of Long Island is located in Brightwaters.