Ronkonkoma and adjacent Lake Ronkonkoma share the same zip code,
which may be why some of the locals interchange the two names. “There
are a lot of bars in the area, and it’s near a lot of stuff,” says Jamie
Calise, 21, who tends bar at JW’s Pub (729 Hawkins Ave.). The “stuff”
includes several parks, Lake Grove’s Smith Haven Mall and the popular
MacArthur Airport.
Anthony D’Amato, 23, moved from Brookhaven to Ronkonkoma after he
got married last year. He was looking for a “nice place” nearer to his
family and his job at Anna’s Pizzeria (719 Hawkins Ave). “My wife and I
like to go out to eat around here,” he says.
John Harvard’s brewery and restaurant in Lake Grove is one of their favorites.
Steve Ward, 29, who works with D’Amato, says he and his wife like
to take their kids to Raynor Beach County Park, off Ronkonkoma Avenue,
for picnics.
