The Hampton’s is renowned for its beaches, mansions, extravagant boutiques, high-end restaurants and trendy nightclubs courtesy of perspectives provided to us by Sex and the City and, more recently, Revenge.
This beautiful Long Island area attracts anyone wanting to escape from the city during the humid summer months; celebrities, politicians, models and affluent professionals. But this well-sought-after spot does remain ‘open for business’ during those chillier months from October to April and there’s still plenty to see and do…
Take a beach walk
Forget shopping and extravagant lunches, pick up a steaming cappuccino, throw on your cut-off jeans and head for the sand. I visited in November and whilst the water was definitely too chilly for a dip, the sandy shores and salty air certainly cleared my mind, plus the views of some of the biggest and most beautiful mansions, not to mention the ocean horizon, are pretty fabulous too.
Visit the Montauk Lighthouse
Whilst the lighthouse itself is closed for tours until mid-March, it’s pretty spectacular from the outside and the views out to the vast Atlantic Ocean are breath-taking too. Just make sure you’re rugged up because the wind whips off the water like knives during the cold parts of the year and after enjoying the views I was glad to shelter myself from the cold.
Lunch in East Hampton
Grab a bite away from the cold at Cittanuova. This European styled restaurant has beautiful décor exuding sophistication and the Hampton ’s casual cool style. The food there was delicious, we all tried several things from the menu and everything was great. There’s a selection of traditional Italian pizza and pasta, as well as burgers, salads and soups. I had the CittaBurger which was huge, and very tasty. Plus if you’re warmed-up enough after your meal there’s a gelato bar where you can indulge in a gourmet scoop.
Indulge in some retail therapy
There’s plenty of designer stores and little unknown gems throughout Long Island . Be sure to check out the book shop in East Hampton and who can resist a look in Tiffany & Co. Their East Hampton’s store is quaint and cute; a miniature version of their Manhattan flagship store. Other places to throw down some cash include Cynthia Rowley, Southampton; Tiina the store, Main St ; Michael Kors, East Hampton ; and Hampton & Co, Southampton.
Visit a Hampton’s Winery
Unfortunately we ran out of time to do this last one but the Hampton ’s area and eastern part of New York state is known for its winery scene. There are several to choose from including Wolffer Estate which does Tasting Fridays all year round (we drove by this one and it looked beautiful), Baiting Hollow and the Channing Daughters. The area produces all kinds of beautiful grapes including cab sav, gewürztraminer, pinot gris and sav blanc.
I’m looking forward to getting a chance to return in the summer and see how the classic Hampton ’s lifestyle plays out.
Photos by Krissie and Hamptons Tourism.
