East Hampton Summertime Never Changes Just The People Do

Summertime! It makes one smile just saying it. For East End Long Islanders it means summer people invasion. Roads get busy, weekends everything is busier. Let’s face it, the east end is the “American Riviera .”

With that said the more things change the more they remain the same. For example, an old gentleman , John Heisig, who has long passed on, was fond of telling me of night drives from Southampton to Montauk with everyone in gowns and black tie . Multiple cars with everyone cocktailing along the way. The laws were different then. He said on weekends it might be five or six cars, convertible Cadillacs, like a parade! What was their destination? The Casino on Star Island!!!

Now it might be the “Surf Lodge,” or some other in the moment hip place! Summer homes are utilized in the summer. That’s Hamptons 101. Summer beach passes are also utilized in the summer, also Hamptons 101. Can’t leave out summer restaurants and other tourist destinations like the Clam Bar and Lunch Bar on the Napeague Stretch! Not to mention the Stephen Talkhouse with that long Saturday night line of folks with their cover charge cash in their hands. I wonder when they will start using apple pay or Venmo at the door there?

For the folks who live on the east end year round it’s a time to cash in and rent your house for a month or two while you visit relatives or huddle up somewhere else and curse the crowds and tourist. For many it’s the same old-same old and live with it. How many locals have made extra cash working private catered parties for the south of the highway rich and famous? Doing that is almost like a right of passage as is being a waitress or local life guard.

Over time the names of the venues and the visitors change, but the crowds remain. The ghosts of Carl Fisher, Cyril, Nick Monte, Tate King, Perry Duryea, Henry Hedges, and even John Steinbeck haunt the nights with their spirit . They influenced the behavior of the east Enders.

As for this writer it’s the warm water that soothes my soul in the summer. I swim in it, I sail through it and I sit before it enjoying the forever pleasing east end ocean breezes!