Where: The Hamptons, New York
When: July 22, 2006 / October 22, 2016
With: Suzannah / Dave
Ah the Hamptons. The who's who and have's vs. have-not's of New York society. The Hamptons are synonymous with beachside mansions and ladies who lunch and elite parties. Basically, the Hamptons are not my scene, or most people's scene. But there's always a curiosity to get a glimpse into what it would be like to "summer" there.
Located at the eastern tip of Long Island, "The Hamptons" is a name given to a collection of small towns that all include "hampton" in their title: Southampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton, to name a few. Each one has a distinct vibe and feel, though what that is, I am not sure. However, I do know that having a summer house out in this area is a marked status symbol for New Yorkers.
Getting out to the Hamptons can be tricky, especially if your helicopter pilot isn't available for some reason. There's renting a car (since most New Yorkers don't have cars), but then you'll be sitting in traffic for hours with everyone else heading out there, particularly on Friday nights in the summer. There's the train, but it can take a pretty long time and only goes to certain stops. And there's a bus, but really, you'd still be stuck in traffic AND be sitting on a crowded bus (i.e. not the Hamptons experience, persay). Point being, in my many years of living in New York, I never really had the desire to make the trip. (Also, I'm from Jersey, our beaches are awesome, I have places to stay, and there's way less traffic and pretense. Yes, please!) However, I've had two opportunities to make the trip nonetheless.
The first time I went to the Hamptons was kind of a fluke. Suzannah had a friend from college who grew up around there and invited a huge crew of people to come stay for the weekend. I was up for the adventure (and free lodging) so I tagged along.
I was only there for one day and night, and my impressions were that it was beautiful, though we didn't see a ton of the towns. The beach was fun, but an off-shore hurricane made the water insanely rough and choppy, and almost impossible to swim in. So we had a cloudy day of beach games.
We did get to swim in a lake though! And I imagine that is not the typical Hamptons experience.
We went out that night in town, but I recall it being pretty much no different than any other beach bar I'd been to before, perhaps with a few more polo shirts.
So while I felt like I could say I'd been to the Hamptons, I wouldn't say I smashed it. Flash forward twelve years, and one of my very good friends was getting married out in that area. Dave and I took it as an opportunity to explore a bit. The wedding was in the middle of fall, so we wouldn't be getting the true Hamptons experience, but in a way, it was a beautiful time to visit without the crowds.
It was amazing to see how once you slog through the congested parts of Long Island, the area becomes almost like countryside. Huge fields of farmland stretched out on either side towards the water. We'd pass through adorable, historical towns with colonial store fronts, perfectly tended flower boxes, and one or two stoplights. We even passed a few windmills. It was beautiful, but I could see how easily traffic could get backed up here in the dead of summer.
Off the main road, when not driving through a major town, there were a ton of trails and parks that led to lookouts over the water. It was a bit chilly for a true hike, but we did stop at one to take a quick look.
Our main focus on this visit, though not the typical Hamptons experience, was to Montauk, the very tip of Long Island. I have had a fascination with visiting Montauk ever since I saw one of my all-time favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And I was so excited to finally be going.
The iconic sight in Montauk is the lighthouse, Montauk Point Light. It was the first to be built in the state of New York in 1797 and is the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the country.
When: July 22, 2006 / October 22, 2016
With: Suzannah / Dave
Ah the Hamptons. The who's who and have's vs. have-not's of New York society. The Hamptons are synonymous with beachside mansions and ladies who lunch and elite parties. Basically, the Hamptons are not my scene, or most people's scene. But there's always a curiosity to get a glimpse into what it would be like to "summer" there.
Located at the eastern tip of Long Island, "The Hamptons" is a name given to a collection of small towns that all include "hampton" in their title: Southampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton, to name a few. Each one has a distinct vibe and feel, though what that is, I am not sure. However, I do know that having a summer house out in this area is a marked status symbol for New Yorkers.
Getting out to the Hamptons can be tricky, especially if your helicopter pilot isn't available for some reason. There's renting a car (since most New Yorkers don't have cars), but then you'll be sitting in traffic for hours with everyone else heading out there, particularly on Friday nights in the summer. There's the train, but it can take a pretty long time and only goes to certain stops. And there's a bus, but really, you'd still be stuck in traffic AND be sitting on a crowded bus (i.e. not the Hamptons experience, persay). Point being, in my many years of living in New York, I never really had the desire to make the trip. (Also, I'm from Jersey, our beaches are awesome, I have places to stay, and there's way less traffic and pretense. Yes, please!) However, I've had two opportunities to make the trip nonetheless.
The first time I went to the Hamptons was kind of a fluke. Suzannah had a friend from college who grew up around there and invited a huge crew of people to come stay for the weekend. I was up for the adventure (and free lodging) so I tagged along.
I was only there for one day and night, and my impressions were that it was beautiful, though we didn't see a ton of the towns. The beach was fun, but an off-shore hurricane made the water insanely rough and choppy, and almost impossible to swim in. So we had a cloudy day of beach games.
We did get to swim in a lake though! And I imagine that is not the typical Hamptons experience.
So while I felt like I could say I'd been to the Hamptons, I wouldn't say I smashed it. Flash forward twelve years, and one of my very good friends was getting married out in that area. Dave and I took it as an opportunity to explore a bit. The wedding was in the middle of fall, so we wouldn't be getting the true Hamptons experience, but in a way, it was a beautiful time to visit without the crowds.
It was amazing to see how once you slog through the congested parts of Long Island, the area becomes almost like countryside. Huge fields of farmland stretched out on either side towards the water. We'd pass through adorable, historical towns with colonial store fronts, perfectly tended flower boxes, and one or two stoplights. We even passed a few windmills. It was beautiful, but I could see how easily traffic could get backed up here in the dead of summer.
Off the main road, when not driving through a major town, there were a ton of trails and parks that led to lookouts over the water. It was a bit chilly for a true hike, but we did stop at one to take a quick look.
Our main focus on this visit, though not the typical Hamptons experience, was to Montauk, the very tip of Long Island. I have had a fascination with visiting Montauk ever since I saw one of my all-time favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And I was so excited to finally be going.
The iconic sight in Montauk is the lighthouse, Montauk Point Light. It was the first to be built in the state of New York in 1797 and is the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the country.
Ready to climb to the top.
The view from the top, looking back on Long Island.
After climbing the stairs.
The interior.
Besides the lighthouse is the Statue To Lost Mariners, dedicated to all fisherman lost at sea.
The beach on the south side had a ton of surfers, even in this weather. Apparently, this is a big surfing destination.
While we were there on a blustery day, I'm glad we got to see Montauk and the surrounding area.
And so, with those two visits, I think I can say I've been to the Hamptons, even if I have yet to smash it out of the park. It may be a bit harder to visit again now that we don't live in New York, but perhaps one day I'll make friends with someone whose helicopter pilot can fly us out to their mansion for the "true" experience.
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