What They’re Talking (And Complaining) About in the Hamptons
Those who live here are smug about their proximity to the city (under a 90-minute drive with no traffic) and proud of its being less stuffy than villages to the East. It’s been dismissed as “Dentist Hampton” over the years — Steven Spielberg lands his plane here but then heads home to East Hampton. Ina Garten’s original Barefoot Contessa shop was here but relocated to East Hampton in 1985; some are still burned by the move. The synagogue — run by Marc Schneier and recently renovated — has become a stop on every politician’s Suffolk County tour.
New in Town: Westhampton Beach’s Sunset Theater opened after a renovation, and the chintzy Seabreeze Motel has been reborn as the sleek Three Ducks.
Talk of the Town: In March, a brush fire caused by someone making s’mores ripped through the area.
Famous Residents: Adam Sandler and Maria Bartiromo.
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Has an old-money crowd and snooty country clubs yet somehow feels a bit more low-key than the other Hamptons. The beloved Beth’s Cafe is the village’s only hot spot.
Talk of the Town: New Moon Cafe in East Quogue closed in December after 46 years in business.
Famous Residents: Eli Manning and Jim Cramer.
While there has been a mini-invasion of French beauty founders — Frédéric Malle and the owners of Caudalie recently bought houses here — it’s still the most affordable of the hamlets, relatively speaking. One can get a ranch-style home for under $1 million. Rechler Equity Partners has bet big on Hampton Bays by spending $110 million on the refurbishment of Canoe Place Inn & Cottages, which reopened in 2022. It might be the Trumpiest village on the East End considering last August’s return of Boaters for Trump.
Talk of the Town: The Shinnecock Nation is building a gas station on its tribal land — locals don’t want it and are suing to stop construction.
Famous Residents: Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, Frédéric Malle, and Muriel Brandolini.
A well-known content creator on what she spends to be in East Hampton for all of July.
It all starts in January, when I rent the house for $50,000. A month of fun in the Hamptons probably costs me another $10,000, and that’s, like, partying, food, a couple of really, really detrimental trips to Round Swamp Farm where, after a few cocktails, you spend $200 on chicken fingers. A great night out is a table at Common Ground East or the Surf Lodge in Montauk. You’ll hopefully split the table with friends, but it can be anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000 depending on the night. I love Surf, but the crazy thing is it’s not even a good crowd. You’re probably not going to meet anyone new and extraordinary. You’re going to be like, Oh yeah, there’s that guy I, like, matched with on Hinge six months ago.
— As told to Alyssa Shelasky
Historically the Waspiest of the Hamptons, the population is on the cusp of a generational shift as children of the old guard start to inherit properties. The town was once the center of the ’90s Hamptons party scene (think Lizzie Grubman’s lead foot, her Mercedes SUV, and Conscience Point), and it is slowly returning to this status. Restaurants like Southampton Publick House and El Verano now erupt into ad hoc late-night dance parties. Its oceanfront Meadow Lane, known as Billionaires’ Row, is home to Ken Griffin, James Tisch, Julia Flesher Koch, Aby Rosen, Robert Kraft, and Michael Loeb, whose house was Bobby Axelrod’s in Billions.
New in Town: A brick-and-mortar FreshDirect opened on Main Street that’ll give the Citarella a run for its money.
Talk of the Town: The partly constructed 19,000-square-foot complained-about eyesore at 1320 Meadow Lane, which had sat untouched since 2018 and experienced multiple price reductions, finally sold for $49.5 million, almost half its most recent asking price.
Famous Residents: Tory Burch, Brooke Shields, Leon Black, Michael Bloomberg, Wilbur Ross, and Howard Stern.
Noteworthy for being the point at which Eastbound traffic gets bottlenecked on a summer Friday where Route 27 crosses Mill Creek. Also known as the location of the Summer House house. Its proximity to the city is a big draw for those who refuse to drive any farther East, and it has some of the biggest lots on the East End, meaning someone who wants to build a truly enormous mansion will have more room to do so. (The most expensive piece of real estate on the Hamptons market is a 76-acre Water Mill equestrian estate for $125 million.) The tiny hamlet is home to the Parrish Art Museum and the Watermill Center.
New in Town: The landmark Corwith Windmill is being restored.
Talk of the Town: Last year, a woman was found dead at the Shou Sugi Ban House hotel in a suspected murder.
Famous Residents: Jennifer Lopez and Alan Alda.
The end-of-summer Hampton Classic Horse Show happens here, but it’s also a big year-round equestrian community, which is why you’ll see people in riding pants running errands. Its main strip is home to the 100-year-old Candy Kitchen, where Logan Roy (allegedly) promised a 7-year-old Kendall that he’d be his successor.
Talk of the Town: All anybody wants to know is when Target is opening in place of Kmart. Word is 2026.
Famous Residents: Isaac Mizrahi, Madonna, Bill Ackman, Roger Waters, Christie Brinkley, Bob Balaban, and Lorraine Bracco.
The richest Zip Code in the Hamptons has very few homes, and there isn’t much turnover, making its real estate extremely sought after. Billionaire Ira Rennert owns the largest home in the region here — a 110,000-square-foot, 29-bedroom, 39-bathroom compound on an almost 65-acre estate called Fair Field. These days, Sagaponack is rosé HQ, a.k.a. home to Wölffer Estate Vineyard and its neighboring Wine Stand shack, where crowds gather amid the vines to drink wine and order zillion-dollar cheese plates for Sunset Music.
Talk of the Town: People have strong feelings about the recently reopened Sagaponack General Store (some love it; some are offended by the $50 pies).
Famous Residents: Jimmy Fallon, Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopoulos.
Overheard at 9 a.m. on a Thursday.
“Don’t look at the prices; just pay.”
“It’s a lot of lemon.”
“Well, that’s real estate … that’s how it works.”
“It’s basically just breakfast food.”
“This is so cute I could live here.”
“It’s free?”
“There should be a sign outside that says WE HAVE INCREASED PRICES.”
“Prices weren’t that bad.”
“I do not understand how she’s making money.”
Customer One: “Linen is, like, the worst fabric. It’s just wrinkles.”
Customer Two: “But I think if you are going to wear pants, it has to be linen.”
The village’s quaint wharf flanked by superyachts is symbolic of present-day Sag Harbor. Long known for its charming Main Street, there’s a sense it’s all becoming more like East Hampton — the LoveShackFancys and Goops of the world have opened, and there’s a battle brewing over a proposed waterfront commercial and residential development. Dating back to the ’40s, a group of historic Black neighborhoods (collectively known as sans) sits outside the main drag.
New in Town: Paid parking will be instituted this summer in the Meadow and Bridge Streets lots — which will cause much outrage.
Talk of the Town: Last summer, after a night at the American Hotel bar, Justin Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Famous Residents: Billy Joel, Marcus Samuelsson, and Donna Karan.
Recent neighborhood news from the police blotter, as reported in the East Hampton Star.
Amagansett
“The putting green on hole 17 at the East Hampton Golf Club ‘appeared to have been driven on by a dirt bike or e-bike’ on June 1.”
East Hampton
“‘Filming TikTok videos’ was a Hawthorne Avenue man’s explanation when asked what he was doing in his Mustang in the One Stop parking lot after 1 a.m. on Monday.”
“A Maple Lane man contacted police to report that 10 plants had beentaken from his backyard … The homeowner told police that he did not want to pursue charges but would like to be reimbursed for the plants if the thief was identified.”
Montauk
“Staff members at Bounce Beach Montauk told police early Sunday that a West Islip woman who had called the officers had been removed after dumping an alcoholic drink on an employee.”
“With a black Samurai-style sword in hand, a 33-year-old man from Newburgh, N.Y., allegedly threatened another man on Saturday night near Camp Hero.”
Sag Harbor
“A Main Street woman flagged down an officer to report that she had found a $20 bill covered in a ‘film.’ The officer determined the item was an empty plastic bag with the words ‘Sour Lemon’ written on one side, and noted a strong odor of marijuana.”
This tiny hamlet with its old farmhouses is somehow home to some of the Hamptons’s biggest controversies. There’s the ongoing issue over the flight patterns of the airport and whether or not it should even remain open — the Blade helicopters carrying finance bros pique particular ire. A group of residents is suing the Maidstone Gun Club, where rogue bullets have reportedly hit homes. And locals are not pleased about the defunct sand mine with a pending application to create a 50-lot commercial center.
Famous Residents: Ronald Lauder and Aerin Lauder. The Succession house sits at the end of Beach Lane.
East Hamptonites’ protests all but drove Scott Sartiano out of town last summer when it seemed as if he might bring Zero Bond to the historic district’s Hedges Inn. The village works overtime to preserve its past, especially its historic district, where the mayor proposed buying up the inns with preservation funds. One NIMBY couple successfully petitioned the village to halt the creation of noise-producing pickleball courts.
Talk of the Town: Tilman Fertitta, who bought the Huntting Inn, is suing the village because he wants to put in a pool and a patio that breach existing code.
Famous Residents: Ina Garten, Steven Spielberg, Mariska Hargitay, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Couric, Nathan Lane, Neil Patrick Harris, Carl Icahn, and Lily Pond Lane’s mogul-row neighbors, Jon Bon Jovi, David Zaslav, David Geffen, and Kenneth Lerer. Sylvester Stallone just paid $25 million for an eight-bedroom house on Hither Lane for his three daughters.
The Memorial Day weekend best sellers at BookHampton.
1. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
2. Who Knew by Barry Diller
3. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
4. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
5. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
6. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
7. All Fours by Miranda July
8. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
9. Hotter in the Hamptons by Tinx
10. Walk With Me: Hamptons by Susan Kaufman
Though spared from development for longer than most of the Hamptons, many of its ranch homes have recently been razed and replaced by enormous faux farmhouses, and the tiny cottages on the unpaved roads leading to the beach now abut oversize modern behemoths. Amagansett Square recently lost Mandala Yoga (now operating in nearby Scoville Hall) and Hampton Chutney Co. (where you used to see Jon Bon Jovi at a picnic table eating dosas with Paul McCartney). In their place, The Row and Jenni Kayne.
Talk of the Town: The bizarre case of the missing $25 gift card at an Amagansett public school was resolved but not before making national headlines. Also, much to the chagrin of neighbors, the owner of a house there shrouded his home in MAGA flags ahead of the 2024 election. He electrified his property to deter would-be vandals.
Famous Residents: Gwyneth Paltrow, Alec Baldwin, Paul McCartney, Lorne Michaels, Andy Cohen, G. E. Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost.
The once-sleepy hamlet where artists like Jackson Pollock came to capture the light is less so these days. Thanks to some new waterfront restaurants, it’s been discovered by sunset cocktail seekers. Local spots such as S&S Corner Shop have a Greenpoint-coffee-shop feel and are frequented by a new set of homeowners who snatched up the area’s formerly affordable houses during the pandemic, leaving hardly anything to buy for under $1 million. Many of the erstwhile working-class and Ecuadoran residents are being priced out — but the Springs Food Pantry estimates it provides food for 30 percent of the hamlet’s residents.
New in Town: Another summer will go by without the Springs General Store, which the team behind the popular Amagansett café Doubles is working to reopen. Permits are now reportedly making their way through the system after years of debate over whether wine could be served on-site (it cannot).
Talk of the Town: Residents have argued about the placement of a large cell tower for years even though making a phone call, even to 911, is nearly impossible. Now, instead of one large tower, as many as 200 mini-towers will go up over the course of the year.
Famous Residents: Lauren Graham, John Slattery, and Laurie Anderson.
The narrow sandy stretch has water on both sides and a population of about 200 and is best known for its seafood spots: Lobster Roll Restaurant (a.k.a. Lunch) and the Clam Bar, which the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side was just accused of knocking off.
The CEO of fanatics is taking a break from throwing the most photographed event of the Fourth of July weekend. There are more coveted invitations over the holiday anyway, such as to the homes of the Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the billionaire heiress Katharine Rayner, and Elizabeth “Lally” Weymouth, whose family owned the Washington Post for decades. Those parties are very exclusive, much like the dinners hosted over the course of the summer by the usual cast of monolithic families: the Schwarzmans, the Bloombergs, the Santo Domingos. That’s also true of the two weddings bookending the season’s social calendar — those of Huma Abedin and Alex Soros, which took place in mid-June at the Soros estate in Water Mill, and art-world nepo babies Lucas Zwirner and Charlotte Lindemann in August at Andy Warhol’s former Montauk compound, Eothen, now owned by the bride-to-be’s father, the art dealer and collector Adam Lindemann. Some social engagements are open to the public for a price, such as the Parrish Art Museum Midsummer Gala (July 19; a table costs up to $50,000), the Watermill Center’s summer benefit (July 25; tickets are up to $50,000), and the Guild Hall Summer Gala (August 1; a table is up to $100,000). And then there are those functions that are best skipped altogether: If you see an ice luge or John McEnroe, you’re at the wrong party.
It’s been years since Montauk transformed from the fishing village and surfer hangout to a party town attracting 20-somethings looking to rage till the wee hours at the Surf Lodge. But the indignities keep coming: News of a $6,000-a-month private dinner club opening has roiled residents, and massive spec houses are popping up all over the place. Real-estate prices have gone bananas here; a trailer recently sold for $3.75 million.
Talk of the Town: People are bracing themselves for Bagatelle, which is taking over Gosman’s Dock, and the gaggles of partyers who will no doubt be barfing off the pier.
Famous Residents: Liev Schreiber, Julianne Moore, Robert De Niro, Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup, Ralph Lauren, and Cynthia Rowley.
A dispatch from the No Kings Day protest on Meadow Lane.
“The billionaires spend millions of dollars to beef up their private security! What are they so afraid of?” an organizer cried into her megaphone as she rode in the back of a truck, leading protesters to “shut down Billionaires’ Lane” in Southampton on June 14. But actual Meadow Lane residents, like Ken Griffin and Leon Black, were nowhere to be found; the only ones who appeared to hear the question were a pair of ospreys feathering their nest on top of a mansion chimney.
More than 100 protesters — some local, many from elsewhere on Long Island — rallied for two hours against ice, oligarchy, and U.S. support for Israel. Some Southamptonites splintered off, refusing to march up the lane when they saw free palestine! signs. “It’s disappointing that the strong anti-Trump fever that exists is being co-opted by a minority of very loud, misguided people!” said David, who was visiting his father, a Southampton resident. “This was not the No Kings rally I signed up for.”
The Southampton Village police made their presence known, but there were no counter-protesters, no cowering homeowners, no security guards or surveillance except for a white man in a Barbour jacket and a Rolex filming the crowd from his bike.
Daniel, a solar-panel installer in his 20s from up island, told a horror story about dislocating his shoulder on the roof of a Hamptons mansion like the ones on the street. He had to finish the day’s work injured, only to discover a problem with his workers’ comp that left him relying on friends to make ends meet.
“This is an America where people like me suffer,” he continued, “where we starve so bankers can take a helicopter from here to Wall Street. Shaaaaaame!”
“Shaaaaaame!” the crowd called back, clanging cowbells.
Zachary, a 40-something from L.A. who visits the Hamptons frequently, held up the NO FAUX-KING WAY! sign he had scrawled on a pizza box as the rain threatened his $575 Stubbs & Wootton needlepoint camo slippers. He’d arrived late, he said, “but I guess you can’t be late to a revolution!”
— Lucy Boyle
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