The Hamptons are usually filled with what I had hoped to leave behind in New York City (Mario Batali)
It all began four years ago, with a boyfriend. My mother was dating a man at the time, and when things began to get serious we’d drive from my hometown an hour away. At the time, this drive seemed to span more than just one hour- and the Hamptons seemed to be located much farther away. Driving there, I thought the Hamptons was another world. Eventually, things became so serious that we were packing our things and moving to this other world. I had heard the stereotypes about the Hamptons, but nothing could prepare me for a lifelong romance with this faraway land. We learned all about the Hamptons that first summer: we learned the farmstands, the closest beaches (other than the canal that our new home bordered), the most unique boutiques in town. It was thrilling! Rather than large commercial developments like I had been used to in my hometown, the Hamptons was seemingly a collection of Utopian villages tucked far away in the deepest, most natural woods of Long Island. I was smitten. Since that initial summer, I have fallen even more in love with the Hamptons. There are just so many reasons to! It’s quite true: the summers are magical here. My first summer was full of dinners (drinks, and dessert!) at sushi or mexican restaurants, handsome new acquaintances (sometimes seventeen-year older than me Millionaires), and nights being danced away at clubs. Days blend seamlessly into nights; nights blend seamlessly into day as the sun rises up and over the horizon. While the summer always includes magical moments and serendipitous surprises, I learned that when the leaves begin to turn color and dance in the wind, the Hamptons becomes magical in another way. Fall comes, but when it does there are many delights like pick-your-own-apples and still-warm weekends when you feel as though you own the entirety of the beach since no one is there…and who can forget about the end-of-the-season sales? To be honest, each season is so defined here and that’s what makes it the most special place to be. In winter, there is nothing like driving to the beach after a snowfall to see the coastal landscape disguised under a blanket of the purest white snow. Walking into a restaurant and being able to choose any table to sit at for dinner- that’s a rarity in the summer, and a complete delight in the winter. Watching the villages each transform to Christmas villages with holiday lights and decorations is another reason why winter here is just so special. So, I’m letting you in on a big secret and I do hope that you won’t share it- the Hamptons is an amazing place to visit year-round! |