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The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook. (Photo courtesy of Claudia Powell)

While it’s home to a major educational and research hub, the hamlet of Stony Brook has so much more to offer than a world-class university and a hospital. In addition to some really great shopping, Stony Brook is also an underrated destination for the arts, an annual film festival and more. But then again, the “land at the narrows” (from its Setauket name, Wopowog) has long been a prime spot due to the ease of the Stony Brook Harbor meeting the Long Island Sound in this bustling town established in the mid-17th century. Put down those textbooks and check out our picks for a great day in this bustling ’burb.

LET’S GO SHOPPING

Much of the shopping you’ll do in Stony Brook is at the Stony Brook Village Center (111 Main St.), a New England-style spot with a large and varied array of shops to explore. Here are a few of our favorites:

Madison’s Niche (83 Main St., 631-364-9898) has gorgeous clothing, jewelry and gifts, accessories, candles, home decor and even toys and beds for pets. Clothing brands for men and women found here include Vineyard Vines, Liverpool, Pistola, Johnnie-O, Tommy Bahama and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Ben’s Garden (141 Main St., 888-922-7646) is owned by Ben Busko, a decoupage artist who got his start at 8 years old in 1992 when he sold his own decoupage projects and started seriously gardening at his family’s Long Island home. Busko went on to appear on Martha Stewart’s television show to teach her how to decoupage, so it’s no surprise that he’s gone on to a successful retail career, selling beautiful products made using the craft. The store is filled with gorgeous coasters, paperweights, picture frames, trays, stationery and even custom decoupage pieces as well.

Stony Brook Village Center (Photo courtesy of Claudia Powell)

For parents, aunts, uncles and everyone who needs to buy a gift for a child, Cottontails of Stony Brook (113A Main St., 631-689-9147) should be your first stop. With adorable clothes for babies, toddlers and kids, as well as a curated selection of books, toys and games, Cottontails will make you squeal with glee as you shop for the kiddo in your life.

Lake Side Emotions Wine Boutique (113 Main St., 631-675-2750) showcases wines from around the world, including a large selection of biodynamic, organic and natural wines. Owned by Christophe Lhopitault, who attended the Thonon-Les-Bains culinary school in France and has worked in restaurants and fine wine shops around the world, this store has a wine for every palate.

LET’S EAT

Comfort food? Check. Craft beer? Check. Family dinners? Check. 

Brew Cheese (127 Main St., 631-675-6060) has a concept so simple and so brilliant that we feel it should be everywhere: beer and cheese, paired together. Here, your head will spin from the possible combos from one of the many beers on tap and cheese boards or grilled cheese sandwiches. The friendly staff can suggest beer and cheese pairings, too, if you’re unsure what to order — after all, it is an embarrassment of fermented riches.

Sweet Mama’s (121 Main St., 631-675-9263) is a comfort food restaurant with a country store vibe. Breakfast and lunch offerings include chicken fried steak and eggs, burgers, hot honey chicken and waffles, an entire menu of Benedicts, flights of mimosas and Shirley Temples for the kids. For dinner, there’s fish and chips, teriyaki glazed salmon, mac and cheese and a whole menu of fun cocktails like a bourbon peach tea and smoked cinnamon whiskey sour.

Mirabelle at Three Village Inn (150 Main St., 631-751-0555) is the perfect restaurant for a special occasion. Start with decadent apps like steak tartare, grilled octopus, chickpea fries, foie gras and crab cakes, then move on to your main course — seafood fricassee, organic chicken breast, beef short ribs and strip steak.

LET’S GET ARTSY

In addition to its own high-profile film festival, Stony Brook’s lively arts scene may be this town’s best-kept secret. 

The Staller Center (100 Nicolls Road, 631-632-2787), at Stony Brook University, has a season full of live performances from musicians, comedians and actors, as well as film screenings. This fall, see Broadway star Renée Elise Goldsberry (Sept. 21) and comedian Wanda Sykes (Oct. 18), with screenings of The Met Opera: Live in HD throughout the season. But the Staller Center also has a very special summer program. See below!

The Stony Brook Film Festival, from July 18 to 26, is a high-profile event for movie buffs. Actors, writers and directors converge at the Staller Center for a week of exciting screenings. Passes are available for the entire festival or per screening. The opening night film is the North American premiere of Dutch director Theu Boermans’s “Sea of Time,” while the closing film is “Divertimento,” directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.

The Jazz Loft (275 Christian Ave., 631-751-1895), housed in the historical Old Stone House (built in 1770), is both a museum and performance space for jazz lovers. There are weekly big band performances, music lectures and even classes for young musicians.

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (97 Main St., 631-689-5888) is a museum that celebrates the greats of the music industry. Inductees to the Hall of Fame include The Ramones, Salt-N-Pepa, Pat Benatar and many, many others. This year’s big exhibition should be of note to any discerning Long Island music fan: “Billy Joel: My Life, a Piano Man’s Journey.”

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