Friday, April 27

East Hampton "cottage"

Billy Joel's Sag Harbor home

We awoke this morning to White Label rocking in the slip and waves lapping against the hull.  It would be another windy day.  With nowhere to go, we rolled over and fell back to sleep.  For anyone who has ever slept on a boat, this gentle movement teamed with the soothing sound of the wave action is almost hypnotic. 

East Hampton beach

It blew 25 mph all day.  We rented a car and set out to explore the area and do a real estate tour.  It was a revelation to us to find the amount of parkland surrounding Montauk and East Hampton.  There are many winding side roads through densely forested areas leading to some amazing country homes.  The water front estates are even more outlandish. 
It is easy to imagine how utterly outrageous the traffic would be during summer weekends.  Hwy 27 is the major thoroughfare for this area and it is only two lanes.  It was busy during off season.
The village of East Hampton reminded us of Aspen, with similar boutiques, coffee shops & restaurants. Designer shops, real estate offices and jewelry stores dominate the main drag.  No one else can afford the rent.  Referred to as "America's Most Beautiful Village", it is a haven for wealthy summer residents. Their expansive summer "cottages" are surrounded by well-manicured lawns and gardens, giving each neighborhood a park like feeling.
Nestled in the bay, at the heart of the Hamptons, is the 300-year old village of Sag Harbor.  Once one of the most important whaling ports in the world, it is today, one of the major cruising ports on eastern Long Island.  It is charming and tastefully relaxed, with most of Sag Harbor designated as a National Historic Site.  We spotted a  Billy Joel designed Shelter Island Runabout being delivered to the waterfront marina - it is one handsome boat, a take off of the New England launch, a la Hinckley.
If we're stuck here for another day or two, the blogging will be light as we are running out of things to do in the off season Hamptons.