My son and I visited Stony Brook during the summer, I know it is a great school but the campus was huge, so spread out. What surprised me is that there did not seem to be a way to get to town, we did not even visit the town. We have always lived in small or medium-sized college towns, with plenty of restaurants, cafes and other attractions for college kids, but I did not see anything resembling that close to the university. If admitted, my son will not have a car, so I want to know what the vibe of the town is, whether there is a way to get there on foot, and whether the town is so spread out as it appears. Thank you.
There is actually the largest mall on the island, Smith Haven Mall, only about 5 minutes away.
Good question. There’s a free shuttle bus for students that runs down the mall – as RogerJuice mentioned – as well as Target/WalMart/grocery stores/restaurants. There is a small village just north of campus that has a few shops and restaurants, and both Stony Brook village and Port Jefferson village are a few minutes away, and those are accessible by county bus (which is $1 for students) as well. So yes, it’s spread out a bit, but everything’s reasonably easy to get to.
Chris
“going into town” is very popular at many colleges, even those not within walking distance.
That mall is 5 minutes by car but an hour walk.
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/beyondthebrook/
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/beyondthebrook/port_jeff/Port%20Jefferson.shtml
And this has a Town Store Guide and a Take Out guide.
Thanks for your replies. I better not mention the mall to him, (not his favorite place), but will make sure to visit again
once we know if he is admitted.
@TripletsMami Hi! I actually live about 10 minutes away from the school, and both my brothers go there. Trust me, there is plenty to do that is not farther than a 15 min bus ride. Port Jeff, Stony Brook, and St. James are all relatively close and definitely have nice, non-chain restaurants–seriously. Even living here, I don’t get sick of them. But there are definitely many chain restaurants around, too, if you enjoy those as well. Getting around on foot is simple once you get to the towns, but you will need the bus to get there (or a commuter friend with a car. At Stony Brook he is sure to make a bunch of friends like that!!). Also, there is Avalon Park not far away, which is so beautiful in the fall/summer. Let me know if you have anymore questions, I definitely know the area and would be happy to help 
Thank you, fishgill!