Hamptons Weekend
"I'll be going to the country on Wednesday," said JK as we were trying to fix a day for dinner. "The country" evoked images of the Cotswolds, English manor houses and the like, but she was talking about the Hamptons, the eastern end of Long Island, consisting of Southhampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton and neighboring towns. Hampton snobs don't really consider West Hampton to be of the same standards as the other Hampton towns and there is this "south of the highway" snobbery as well (the highway in question, really a two-lane road, is Montauk Highway, Hwy 27). So my image of the Hamptons was very country clubby complete with garden parties and white dresses. When A&C extended an invitation to join that at their summer share in Wainscott with K&M, I jumped at the chance to see what all the fuss was about.
As it turns out, it is true that tout-New York is in "the country" or "by the beach" over the summer weekends (which pretty much extend from Thursday to Monday for many). However, it's less country club in feel than I expected. A 2-2.5 hour drive from Manhattan, it does really feel like New England countryside (think Cape Cod). With the exception of East Hampton, which has big brand shops such as Gucci, Tiffany & Co. etc., the rest of the villages are quite quaint and charming. On a beautiful, sunny day, driving along Hwy 27 with the top down, life is pretty sweet.
I caught a ride out with AD, who was excited that he and CS's feature in the Sunday New York Times was already out. Sunday stories actually appear online by Friday evening, so we printed copies of the article. By the time we got in the car, it was nearly 8pm. We were hoping to miss the traffic for the Friday night exodus. We got to Almond, which was packed, in Bridgehampton before 10:15pm, so traffic wasn't too bad. We met up with C, K and M for a drink before heading to their house in Wainscott. The 3-bedroom house, owned by a dentist, was simple, but comfortable. There was a pool and deck where we ended up lazing away most of the weekend -- we pretty much had all our meals there. They were all great in the kitchen, baking blueberry muffins and a killer carrot cake, making pasta salads, seafood bakes, hamburgers and hot dogs on the Weber grill etc. The only local restaurant I got to try out was Nichols in East Hampton, which served up home-style, American food in a pub atmosphere. Apparently, it's also a good spot for celebrity sightings.
I spent Saturday morning in Sag Harbour, a little town with cute shops and stunning yachts. Sunday morning, after reading the Times, we headed out to Montauk, all the way out to the lighthouse. Montauk has much more of the secluded beach feel, because it is at the most eastern tip of Long Island, which is a very long island. There were hardly any people at the beach, and unlike the other beaches in the Hamptons that require permits for parking in the beach parking lots, Montauk's lot offered free parking. It also had a very charmingly done up shack selling refreshements and snacks, which the other beaches did not seem to have. The beach was a little more cluttered with pebbles and shells, but the quiet was very soothing and it's fun watching all the boats come and go from the inlet.
Andre Balazs' Sunset Beach is out on Shelter Island (you can drive from Sag Harbour, but you need to get on a ferry). Apparently, it's quite a happening beach from which to watch the sun set on a Sunday evening. If I weren't staying with friends, I would probably stay there or The American Hotel in Sag Harbour.
As it turns out, it is true that tout-New York is in "the country" or "by the beach" over the summer weekends (which pretty much extend from Thursday to Monday for many). However, it's less country club in feel than I expected. A 2-2.5 hour drive from Manhattan, it does really feel like New England countryside (think Cape Cod). With the exception of East Hampton, which has big brand shops such as Gucci, Tiffany & Co. etc., the rest of the villages are quite quaint and charming. On a beautiful, sunny day, driving along Hwy 27 with the top down, life is pretty sweet.
I caught a ride out with AD, who was excited that he and CS's feature in the Sunday New York Times was already out. Sunday stories actually appear online by Friday evening, so we printed copies of the article. By the time we got in the car, it was nearly 8pm. We were hoping to miss the traffic for the Friday night exodus. We got to Almond, which was packed, in Bridgehampton before 10:15pm, so traffic wasn't too bad. We met up with C, K and M for a drink before heading to their house in Wainscott. The 3-bedroom house, owned by a dentist, was simple, but comfortable. There was a pool and deck where we ended up lazing away most of the weekend -- we pretty much had all our meals there. They were all great in the kitchen, baking blueberry muffins and a killer carrot cake, making pasta salads, seafood bakes, hamburgers and hot dogs on the Weber grill etc. The only local restaurant I got to try out was Nichols in East Hampton, which served up home-style, American food in a pub atmosphere. Apparently, it's also a good spot for celebrity sightings.
I spent Saturday morning in Sag Harbour, a little town with cute shops and stunning yachts. Sunday morning, after reading the Times, we headed out to Montauk, all the way out to the lighthouse. Montauk has much more of the secluded beach feel, because it is at the most eastern tip of Long Island, which is a very long island. There were hardly any people at the beach, and unlike the other beaches in the Hamptons that require permits for parking in the beach parking lots, Montauk's lot offered free parking. It also had a very charmingly done up shack selling refreshements and snacks, which the other beaches did not seem to have. The beach was a little more cluttered with pebbles and shells, but the quiet was very soothing and it's fun watching all the boats come and go from the inlet.
Andre Balazs' Sunset Beach is out on Shelter Island (you can drive from Sag Harbour, but you need to get on a ferry). Apparently, it's quite a happening beach from which to watch the sun set on a Sunday evening. If I weren't staying with friends, I would probably stay there or The American Hotel in Sag Harbour.
posted by 10000miles at 01:10
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