A "GO TO" GUIDE TO THE HAMPTONS--PART II--Casual Chic; that is the best way I can tell you about this part of the Hamptons. There is no bustling Village as you find in Southampton and East Hampton. There are more farmstands than there are shops and grocery stores. The way of life here is guided by the lifestyle that the Hamptons prides itself on: Ocean beaches, grassy meadows, beach plum thickets along the dunes, clam bakes "at the cut", lobster dinners on the beach and a laid back attitude that has been reserved for the rich and famous since time began....
This is P
ART II of my "GO TO" guide to the Hamptons. This part will cover the hamlets of Bridgehampton and Sagaponack. In this post I will give you the best parts of these two Hamlets and will identify the differences and the similarities that make them the most valuable and desirable part of the Hamptons to live in.
A BRIDGE TOO FAR
Life is very fine indeed here in this part of the Hamptons! Known for the huge potato fields and picturesque farms, both Bridgehampton and Sagaponack were at one time the flat, vast green pastures and meadows that flow from the highway to the sea--straight out of an Andrew Wyeth painting with the Atlantic ocean as it's backdrop.
There are two things that separate these two hamlets and that is Sagg Pond and Sagg Bridge on Bridge
Lane. At the head of Sagg Pond the first settlers separated from their original Southampton settlement in 1640 and established Bullhead, later renamed Bridgehampton, after the bridge built across the pond.
Sagg Bridge was built in 1686 by Ezekiel Sanford. The bridge was the link between Mecox and Sagaponack and gave this locality its name of Bridgehampton. So, Southampton Town went through great effort to protect the bridge for many years beyond what it should have lasted. They finally gave in and re-built it in 2012 increasing the load to the 4-5000 lbs maximum allowed to traverse it.
Sagaponack is the home of many film stars and other celebrities who have chosen this heavenly land to build on. Although it is focused now on celebrity, there remains a serene atmosphere with the farm fields and other green space, still welcoming those who choose to drive off the highway and explore the back roads.
Famous for his car the Hummer, Ira Rennert is a billionaire who made his money on Junk Bond Funds in the 90's. He bought 66 acres in Sagaponack South back in 1994 and proceeded to build "Fairfield", a 66,395,000 SF Limestone mansion that is nothing short of over the top luxury.
There are 26 fireplaces in the house and 29 bedrooms, 39 baths, 164 seat theater, 200 car garage and on and on...The residents of Sagaponack have fought Rennert all the way---even chose to protect their rights from the behemoth that Rennert built by incorporating Sagaponack Village in 2005. This was done to create protection from the Town of Southampton in their efforts to control the rest of the lovely and now not-so-bucolic farm fields.
Bridgehampton was the home of the famous baseball player, Carl Yestremski. His family or remnants still live here and survive the madness that has crept upon the area with a stealth that could
never have been predicted back when Carl was a boy, playing baseball on the field on Church Lane right in the heart of Bridgehampton. Yes, it is still there and will remain in perpetuity, I believe. He was the local boy who grew up as a farmer and became a famous baseball hero. Until people forget that he grew up here, he will be a local hero to all the boys and young men who play baseball on the same field.
Across from the baseball field is the Candy Kitchen, known as a meeting spot in the summer for all the summer folk and a great place for breakfast in the winter for the locals. There is also the well-known Pierre's, a wonderful French Restaurant that is filled all the time in the summer and most of the winter too! Then you have Almond on the point at the corner of Ocean Road and Main Street...this is the place where Melons once was---Now long gone, Almond replaced it very successfully in the early 2000's. This was the second location for the fabulous Almond restaurant; it is a perfect year round casual eatery.
The White Elephant that stood for a century or two on the corner of Main Street (Montauck Highway) and Sag Harbor Turnpike has been transformed from its earlier antique store iteration to a 5 star Hotel and restaurant called Topping Rose. Rated the best of all the hotels here on the East End, Topping Rose attracts the elite who need a great place to stay and a top of the line restaurant to eat in while here on the East End.
And don't forget the small farm stands and the famous "Loaves and Fishes" food stalls on Sagg Main, right off the highway as you head into town. Grab a picnic lunch at the General Store, next to the Post Office right on Sagg Main Street. Continue on down that road right to the ocean beaches at the end---The most dreamy part of the Hamptons is at your feet as you step onto the sandy beaches!!
As the antithesis to the grandeur of the huge estates that dot the landscape, there is the last and the only surviving one room school house, right at the corner of Sagg Main and Sagaponack Road. There are still
classes held in this charming shoolhouse and it remains as it did 100 years ago, a tribute to higher learning amongst the farms and fields.
Most of the farmers who settled this area have sold out and moved on to greener pastures. A few remnants of the original families remain but they are few and far between.
You can still get a sense of the sprawling farmland; some have remained as just that and it is well worth a trip East to catch a glimpse of the ocean with it's high dunes and major estates spread across the skyline. You will not be disappointed!
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