Take a different route when visiting this well-liked summer vacation spot.
Since I've been residing in New York year-round for six years, I should know that if it's summer, it's Hamptons season. Our affluent beachside neighborhood has more cachet than most summer getaways, and the well-off and well-traveled already know where to go.
What about the less-traveled path, though? My insider advice gives you a glance into the area I call home from a local, whether you're planning a weekend trip or a month-long stay in the Hamptons.
Places to Stay
The ten-year-old Crow's Nest restaurant and inn deliver sophisticated sophistication according to hotelier Sean MacPherson. The hotel's less well-known David Pharaoh Cottages, which are located apart from the main building, however, provide spectacular views of Lake Montauk and a serene atmosphere. A new dining idea will be available this summer at the main property next door, with table service and a large community table on the lawn serving as a private event venue.
The Baker House 1650 in East Hampton, which is located farther to the west, is a bed and breakfast with various outdoor terraces, a gorgeous guests-only pool, and a living room with a fireplace. The hotel's beautiful, modern spa, however, with its counter-current swimming pool, eucalyptus steam shower, soaking Jacuzzi tub, and dry sauna is located in the hotel's basement.
Restaurants and bars
The Sagaponack Farm Distillery, a fresh and trendy establishment that serves craft spirits created from potatoes, rhubarb, and other ingredients, receives its produce from Marilee Foster's farm in Sagaponack. The tasting facility is open every day for patio service and has a small amount of interior space. It also serves specialty cocktails and sandwiches.
Bostwick's on the Harbor in Springs offers unhindered sunsets every evening along with a full raw bar for those seeking cocktails with a view. The Montauk in Montauk offers a sundowner with a bit more retro feel. On a cliff above Fort Pond Bay, this straightforward pub first operated in the 1920s and offers Painkillers and refreshing beer.
The 27-year-old Sen in Sag Harbor is known for its excellent sushi, but a little-known fact about the eatery is that it also serves the best ramen in the Hamptons. There is nothing comparable on the East End to the double-pork version, which is prepared with roasted bone broth and served with pickled ginger, bamboo shoots, soft egg, and braised pork belly. A few miles away, David Loewenberg's eatery, The Bell & Anchor, serves up some of the region's most dependable and reasonably priced fare, with weekday three-course prix fixe meals starting at $34.
Where to find beaches
By visiting some of the Hamptons' lesser-known (but still wonderful) beaches, you can avoid the throng. The bayside Gin Beach in Montauk is a little island with calm, shallow water. Passes for the beach are necessary, however, you can sip a cocktail on the deck of the adjoining Inlet Seafood Restaurant and go on foot from there. On Noyack Bay in Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach sells day tickets to non-residents most of the time. It also offers free parking close to the main section of the beach.
Avoid crowded beaches like East Hampton's Main Beach and Southampton's Cooper's Beach in favor of Sagaponack's Sagg Main Beach if you prefer the ocean to the bay. Non-residents can purchase day tickets to this picture-perfect sandy location, which provides bathrooms and food services.
Places to Play
Discover some of nature's best-kept secrets in the Hamptons. In season, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and occasionally Sundays are open for visitors at the 16-acre LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, which was previously the residence of textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen. Online timed ticket reservations are required to enter the expansive sculpture garden.
The 187-acre Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor is home to long-tailed ducks, painted turtles, piping plovers, and eastern chipmunks. The terrain consists of an upland forest, a salt marsh, a beach, and a lagoon. The refuge's beach will be closed this summer due to nesting patterns, but you can cool off in Trout Pond, a neighboring freshwater sanctuary with a wooden deck that's ideal for lounging in the sun on hazy summer afternoons.
While you're in town, visit Naturopathica for a massage to loosen up the knots. A variety of wellness alternatives are available at the East Hampton spa and healing center, including one of my personal favorites, the Chill Massage with full-spectrum CBD.