| Revision as of 06:04, 28 October 2006 editEpeefleche (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers150,049 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 06:29, 28 October 2006 edit undoEpeefleche (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers150,049 edits →BooksNext edit → | ||
| Line 113: | Line 113: | ||
| ===Books=== | ===Books=== | ||
| * ''Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in The Hamptons,'' by Steven Gaines | * ''Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in The Hamptons,'' by Steven Gaines (1998) | ||
| * ''De Kooning's Bicycle: Artists and Writers in the Hamptons,'' by ] | * '']'s Bicycle: Artists and Writers in the Hamptons,'' by ] | ||
| * ''Making It in the Hamptons,'' by ] et al | * ''Making It in the Hamptons,'' by ] et al | ||
| * ''The Beach House,'' by ] (2002) | * ''The Beach House,'' by ] (2002) | ||
| Line 120: | Line 120: | ||
| * ''The Perfect Manhattan,'' by Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey | * ''The Perfect Manhattan,'' by Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey | ||
| * ''Misfortune," by Nancy Geary (2001) | * ''Misfortune," by Nancy Geary (2001) | ||
| * ''The Hampton Connection, |
* ''The Hampton Connection,'' by Vincent Lardo (2000) | ||
| * ''Further Lane: A Novel of the Hamptons, |
* ''Further Lane: A Novel of the Hamptons,'' by James Brady | ||
| * ''The House That Ate the Hamptons: Lily Pond Lane, |
* ''The House That Ate the Hamptons: Lily Pond Lane,'' by James Brady (1999) | ||
| * ''The Hampton Affair, |
* ''The Hampton Affair,'' by Vincent Lardo (1999) | ||
| * ''Just for the Summer, |
* ''Just for the Summer,'' by Laura Van Wormer | ||
| * ''God Bless the Child, |
* ''God Bless the Child,'' by Ellen Feldman (1998) | ||
| * ''Hampton Shorts: Fiction Plus from the East End, |
* ''Hampton Shorts: Fiction Plus from the East End,'' by ] (1997) | ||
| * ''The Spirit of Hamptons Vineyards: Poetry from the Heart,'' by Paula A. Timpson (2002) | |||
| * ''A House in the Hamptons,'' by Gloria Nagy (1993) | |||
| * ''Twanged,'' by ] (1998) | |||
| * ''Death in the Hamptons,'' by Matt Bloom (2002) | |||
| * ''The Hamptons,'' by Linda Dominique Grosvenor (2004) | |||
| ===Poetry=== | ===Poetry=== | ||
Revision as of 06:29, 28 October 2006
- For the Seinfeld episode, see The Hamptons (Seinfeld episode)
The Hamptons refers to a group of towns and seaside villages on the South Fork, Suffolk County on the east end of Long Island, New York State, some dating from the 1600s. Not all of them actually end in "hampton," and each has its own flavor. The Hamptons are located roughly 80 (Westhampton) - 140 (Montauk; a fishing community at the tip) miles east of Manhattan.
While winters are relatively quiet, the summer season brings crushing crowds and a flashy nightclub scene. It is a well-known summer colony. Parts of the Hamptons are known for being a playground for the rich and famous, and are frequented by residents of New York City particularly during the summer months for weekend getaways. This has given rise to the phrases "house in the Hamptons," "America's summer playground," and "Hamptons summer share." They all come for what's possibly the nation's finest stretch of white-sand beach. Rolling farmland and vineyards, spectacular mansions and ranches, and blue skies and sunshine add to the allure.
The Towns
The "Hampton mystique" began in Westhampton Beach. In 1870, residents began renting out rooms to travelers who reached the area on the newly constructed Long Island Railroad. Soon the practice spread, and the Hamptons became a resort area of renown.
Just east of Westhampton Beach, Quogue and East Quogue are part of the Greater Westhampton area. Quogue's Victorians are nestled along tree-lined streets, while contemporary mansions line the ocean along Dune Road. In East Quogue, acres of farmland and pine forest, as well as beautiful bay and ocean beaches, are enlivened by Main Street shopping and lively nightlife.
The town of Southampton was established in 1640 by English colonists, and was the first settlement in New York State. It boasts old money and huge estates. Southampton has a decidedly colonial feel, and its Job Lane's shopping district oozes chic. Windsurfers enjoy 3 bays: Peconic, Noyac, and Shinnecock (which is also a popular diving spot).
The farming community of Water Mill is the nation's only community with a functional, working water mill and windmill.
Cute Bridgehampton, just east of Water Mill, has antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants in which you can sip wine made from grapes grown in local vineyards. This is also horse country. Bridgehampton is home to the prestigious annual Hampton Classic Horse Show () and the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge ().
East Hampton was founded by farmers in 1648. Farming remained its main source of livelihood until the 1800s, when the town began to develop into a fashionable resort. East Hampton's wealth and puritan heritage now combine into an understated prosperity, and much of the village remains as it was during the 18th century. Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Joel, and Martha Stewart have homes there.
Amagansett is a Native American word meaning "place of good water." From its earliest beginnings, the town has possessed a tranquility that is suited to fishing and offshore whaling.
At the easternmost part of the island, laid-back Montauk doesn't put on any airs, with its seaside hotels, thriving fishing and boating community, and surfer-studded beaches. The 110-foot Montauk Point Lighthouse, completed in 1792, is the oldest operating lighthouse in the state and the 4th-oldest in the country.
The North Fork, across the Great Peconic Bay from the Hamptons and the South Fork, is best known for its quiet villages, bountiful farm stands, and burgeoning wine industry. New England-style hamlets such as Jamesport, Cutchogue, and Southold are peppered with unpretentious restaurants and interesting shops that seems transported from another era. Clean, uncrowded beaches lie to the south on Great Peconic Bay and to the north on Long Island Sound.
Shelter Island lies between Long Island's North and South forks. Reachable only by boat (there is regular ferry service), the 11½-square-mile island offers a partial escape from the summer traffic and crowds of the Hamptons. Quiet country lanes wind across the island's rolling land, nearly a third of which has been set aside as a nature preserve that's a bird-watcher's delight.
By train, one can travel the length of the Hamptons in about an hour (see Long Island Rail Road schedules from Westhampton to Montauk).
West to east
The township of Southampton includes the following hamlets and villages:
- Westhampton
- Westhampton Beach (village)
- West Hampton Dunes
- Quogue
- East Quogue
- Hampton Bays
- Southampton (village)
- North Sea
- Water Mill
- Bridgehampton
- Sagaponack
- North Haven
- Sag Harbor (village, shared with East Hampton)
The township of East Hampton includes the following hamlets and villages:
- Sag Harbor (village, shared with Southampton)
- Wainscott
- Georgica, part of EH Village
- East Hampton (village)
- Springs
- Amagansett
- Napeague
- Montauk
Notable residents
- Princess Yasmin Aga Khan
- Alec Baldwin
- Ellen Barkin
- Christie Brinkley & Peter Cook
- Edgar Bronfman Jr. & Clarissa Bronfman]
- Larry Brown (basketball)
- Sean Combs
- Katie Couric
- The Della Feminas
- Donny Deutsch
- Ted Forstmann
- Ina Garten
- Rudy Giuliani & Judi Nathan
- Tommy Hilfiger
- The Hilton Family
- Mike Hopkins
- Billy Joel & wife Katie Lee Joel
- Robert Wood Johnson IV
- Ed "Jean-Luc" Kleefield
- Calvin Klein
- Kelly Klein
- Henry Kravis & Marie-Josee Kravis
- Nora Lawlor
- Countess Lu-Ann de Lesseps
- Ralph Lauren
- Peter Matthiessen
- Paul McCartney
- Beth Ostrosky
- Sarah Jessica Parker & husband Matthew Broderick
- Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pelé
- Ron Perelman
- Itzhak Perlman
- Ira Rennert
- Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos
- Roy Scheider
- Thomas G. Seaman
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Jay Severin
- Kimora Lee Simmons
- Russell Simmons
- Steven Spielberg & wife Kate Capshaw
- George Stephanopoulos
- Howard Stern
- Martha Stewart
- Elie Tahari & Rory Tahari
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Roger Waters
- Tom Wolfe
- Renée Zellweger
- Jeff Zucker & wife Caryn Nathanson Zucker
Literature about the Hamptons
Books
- Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in The Hamptons, by Steven Gaines (1998)
- De Kooning's Bicycle: Artists and Writers in the Hamptons, by Robert Long
- Making It in the Hamptons, by Karl Grossman et al
- The Beach House, by James Patterson (2002)
- The Au Pairs Series, by Melissa de la Cruz
- The Perfect Manhattan, by Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey
- Misfortune," by Nancy Geary (2001)
- The Hampton Connection, by Vincent Lardo (2000)
- Further Lane: A Novel of the Hamptons, by James Brady
- The House That Ate the Hamptons: Lily Pond Lane, by James Brady (1999)
- The Hampton Affair, by Vincent Lardo (1999)
- Just for the Summer, by Laura Van Wormer
- God Bless the Child, by Ellen Feldman (1998)
- Hampton Shorts: Fiction Plus from the East End, by Judith Rossner (1997)
- The Spirit of Hamptons Vineyards: Poetry from the Heart, by Paula A. Timpson (2002)
- A House in the Hamptons, by Gloria Nagy (1993)
- Twanged, by Carol Higgins Clark (1998)
- Death in the Hamptons, by Matt Bloom (2002)
- The Hamptons, by Linda Dominique Grosvenor (2004)
Poetry
Movies filmed in the Hamptons
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Something's Gotta Give (2003)
- The Door in the Floor (2004)
- Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Wineries
The South Fork boasts 3 fine wineries: Wölffer Estate (Sagaponack), Duck Walk Vineyards (Water Mill), and Channing Daughters (Bridgehampton).
Seinfeld episode
"The Hamptons" is the name of a 1994 episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The episode, which takes place in the Hamptons, is best-known for introducing the slang term "shrinkage" -- referring to a decrease in penis size due to swimming -- into the pop culture lexicon.
Categories: