Is Greenport Village Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Hugging the southern shore of Long Island’s North Fork, the historic village of Greenport offers a charming escape from New York City.

Founded in 1648, this seafaring town was once a bustling maritime hub, but today it brims with breweries, boutiques, and galleries housed in its Victorian-era buildings.

This is a four-season destination, with summer being the peak travel season.

Greenport owes much of its popularity to the burgeoning North Fork wine scene that surrounds it.

With over 30 wineries dotted along the bucolic backroads, wine lovers flock here to sip award-winning vintages.

This village has become so popular that local leaders had to halt any new developments to discuss growth plans.

This isn’t a place where they want to lose the waterside charm to make it a huge resort town.

They also don’t want it to become a party town, like some parts of the Hamptons are on the South Fork.

Greenport is a vacation destination for all budgets, where you can get multi-course fine dining meals or eat from the seafood shack and watch the sunset.

Most accommodations will be rentals or historic inns.

This is a special place – it’s not quite the affluence of the Hamptons but nowhere near the charged vibe of Atlantic City.

It sits perfectly in the middle for a relaxing place with small-town charm and friendly people.

It’s ideal for couples, families, or solo travelers who want to unwind.

Warnings & Dangers in Greenport Village

OVERALL RISK: LOW

There's a low overall risk here, with plenty of safe things to do in a respected community.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

The tourism website for the village has a list of all the transportation options to get to Greenport and the adjacent cities and islands. Most people will drive, so you'll need a rental car, but that poses parking problems during peak season. All the risks are low, but there are a lot of options to consider.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM

I would treat this as a medium risk, even though statistically, the risk is low. Here's why–this is a tourist destination with affluent people, and thieves will be looking for a crime of opportunity. You keep the risk low by locking car doors, leaving valuables out of plain sight, and keeping tabs on your purse when dining or shopping. Never set it down for even a few minutes. Wallets should be in front pants pockets or inside a jacket pocket.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

This is a medium risk due to the potential severe weather events and the lack of exits to get off the island in a worst-case scenario. Between hurricane season and nor'easter season, the risk runs year-round. Winter can bring snowstorms that make traveling roads and water impossible. Severe thunderstorms can cause dangers anywhere outdoors. Storms offshore can cause rip tides or dangerous waves. You'll get plenty of information about weather risks, but you must pay attention to the forecast and sign up for safety alerts.

MUGGING RISK: LOW

There have only been three robberies here since 2014. That's a very low risk. It doesn't give you permission to walk around in dark areas late at night. Use common sense.

TERRORISM RISK: LOW

This is another low risk, but you're on an island connected to the largest city in the country that is a potential target. Always pay attention to suspicious activity and report it to the local police.

SCAMS RISK: LOW

I would always be on alert for potential scams in places like Greenport, but the risk is low if you're wise to the common scams. You can find those on the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office website or through the New York State Attorney General's Consumer Frauds Bureau.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

This is another low risk, even if you're a solo traveler. You'll want to use those smart safety steps, like not walking around at night alone, not going to a private place with someone you just met, and always letting someone know where you're going and when you'll be back.

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

The Suffolk County Water Authority oversees water quality here. While there's no reason to be concerned about the tap water in normal circumstances, incidents like flooding, tropical weather, and sub-freezing temperatures can cause problems (as they would in any community). Just stay aware of village alerts and the risk stays low.

Safest Places to Visit in Greenport Village

Greenportvillage.com and VillageofGreenport.com are the tourism and visitor websites, in that order.

Both have good information, but the tourist site is a little more modern.

Southoldny.gov has a section for “Visiting” with some local tourist information too.

When visiting Greenport, spend some time wandering the shops and galleries along Front Street and Main Street.

The two streets meet at the heart of downtown, the span out with businesses in all directions.

The antique carousel, that’s more than 100 years old, operates seasonally for a small fee.

It’s on Front Street.

Children are welcome, but no more than one person can be on a horse at a time.

Parents will have to stand next to a horse carrying a child.

Several more historic sites are located throughout town, like an 1840 schoolhouse, a blacksmith’s shop, and the old Greenport jail.

A free walking tour map with nearly 50 sites on it is available on the tourism website.

Stop by the East End Seaport Museum to learn about Greenport’s shipbuilding and whaling past.

Lighthouse and scenic boat tours are also available.

Visit the beaches at Truman’s Beach or Goldsmith Inlet Beach Park for swimming and sunbathing.

For a full list of beaches, the tourism website covers all the options on the North Fork of Long Island.

Taste local wines at one of the many tasting rooms, such as Kontokosta Winery, which has views of the Long Island Sound.

It’s also well worth the drive or bike ride to Orient Point.

The small hamlet sits on the easternmost tip of Long Island’s North Fork.

Visitors can relax at Orient Beach State Park and soak in the views of the lighthouse offshore.

The lighthouse is not open for tours.

Places to Avoid in Greenport Village

This prong of Long Island is known as the North Fork, and from Southold through Orient at the tip of the island, there are no bad neighborhoods or dangerous parts of town.

The only places to avoid would include private property and beaches that aren’t open.

(Some beaches will close when lifeguards aren’t on duty.)

You definitely want to avoid getting this confused with the other Greenport in New York.

The Empire State can be confusing for first-timers.

Many towns, villages, hamlets, or cities share the same name.

Sometimes they are right next to each other, around each other, or nearby.

In this case, Greenport (the town) is more than four hours away, off Long Island near Hudson.

What makes you want to pull your hair out even more, is that many of these smaller towns/villages/etc. have outdated websites that don’t so much as give you an address to search to confirm you’re looking at the right place.

To avoid confusion, and since I’ve already torn some hair out, here’s some clarity:

• The area code in Greenport Village is 631. If you see a 518 area code, that’s the town of Greenport.
• Greenport Village is on Long Island, in Suffolk County, near Southold. Greenport the town is in Columbia County, near the Hudson River, and most listings in Greenport will have a Hudson, NY, address.
• All the Greenport Village websites clearly state “Village.” While the official name is the Village of Greenport, we’re calling it Greenport Village to help you get to the right place when searching.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Greenport Village

So... How Safe Is Greenport Village Really?

Greenport falls under the law enforcement of Southhold, which has incredibly low crime rates.

Larceny is by far the biggest crime here, but police data doesn’t go deep into how many are pickpockets vs. stolen items from yards vs. car break-ins, etc.

Even before you figure in the tourists who come here, that theft rate still falls 15% below the national theft rate.

The low crime rates can make any crime that happens all that more shocking.

In February 2023, a grandmother left her grandchild in the car while running a quick errand.

The car was running, and a thief took off.

Luckily, a good Samaritan jumped in to help.

The child and woman were fine.

It’s just an example of how you can never let your guard down.

Greenport also adds additional part-time police officers in summer during the height of the tourist season.

Other than that, the risks are related to the outdoors and are generally as bad as you allow them to be.

If a tropical storm or hurricane is coming, you should leave.

If a big winter storm is about to bear down, get supplies and stay put.

If there’s a lot of rain, don’t drive through flooded roads.

Use caution at the beach and obey all warning flags and safety advice.

Greenport Village is really one of the safest places you can visit on Long Island.

Enjoy!

How Does Greenport Village Compare?

Useful Information

Visas

Visa requirements are explained on the U.S. State Department website, but you'll either have a visa or visa waiver voucher in your valid passport to get through Customs and Border Patrol at the airport. Wait times for those processes are also detailed on the website.

Currency

You can only use the U.S. Dollar here (USD), and all airports in the NYC metro area have foreign currency exchange options. Also, banks can take care of that if you are a member.

Weather

You'll get the typical cold winters, warm summers, and mixed bag of weather in spring and fall. Plan for winds off the coast. It will help to bring a waterproof outer layer as up to four inches of rain falls each month, with October being the wettest. Bring bug spray and sunscreen, too.

Airports

JFK and LaGuardia are the closest, each about 90 miles away. That trip can take up to two hours or more in traffic, plus wait times if you are taking the train.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance should be part of your planning, especially with a coastal town that can shut down due to bad weather. Pay special attention during the hurricane season from November through June.

Greenport Village Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

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