Patchogue

First stop on our journey: Patchogue. Supposedly this is one of the nicer villages in Suffolk. But we had other ideas - namely, visiting the Plaza Theater, a derelict cinema a mile or two away in East Patchogue.

The theater has been the subject of town controversy. Residents want the Town of Brookhaven to seize the property under eminent domain because it's such an eyesore.

There was a homeless man seated in a wheelchair staring into a corner of the theater as if he was in time-out. We couldn't tell if he was dead or just sleeping, but as one of us approached him, he stirred. We thought about taking a picture but that would be kind of cruel. So here's some random signs instead.

We did find something pretty behind the theater.

GPS coordinates set, we departed the theater for the village.

What a contrast! The Christmas decorations are in full effect and the village is full of shops and pricey eateries.

The Dollar Store in Patchogue Village will punish you five times for one offense.

Apparently this theater is supposed to be a big deal, but they're just playing Christmas things like the Nutcracker.

A painting shows off the Patchogue of the past, trolley-car and all.

More pretty village.

Overall, if you've got an hour or two to kill, you should check it out. The contrast between the two areas is pretty interesting. But there isn't really much else.