SOUTHAMPTON NEW YORK--FOR THE NON-CELEBRITY
I have been wanting to write this post for a very long time---The whole celebrity craze out here in the Hamptons has made for another sort of experience for the average person who lives here, and the person who seeks out relaxation and anonymity during the summer here as well.
Firs
t of all, the reason I say "Out Here" or "Out East" when I speak of the Hamptons is that is exactly what it was always known as: "Are you going out to the Hamptons this weekend?", or "Are you going out East this weekend?" is a common question because it is notoriously a second-home or vacation res
ort.
New York City is where most people come from; they spend time here in the Hamptons in their second homes and/or rentals just to get away for the weekends and summers.
Well, it is home to about 58 thousand people who live out here all the time, "Year-Round" as they say! These people call this place home and would never want to live anywhere else. Their families generally grew up here--and their family's family as well...In fact so many families here trace their roots back to the original settlers in 1640 and the cemeteries that dot these local landscapes testify to that.
POTATO FARMING WAS A WAY IF LIFE IN THE 18TH CENTURY THROUGH MOST OF THE 20TH
Then there were the potato farmers that came here from Ireland in the mid 19th century, escaping the certain death that was all around them in Ireland at the time. And then the Polish families that moved
here too at a later date but for a similar reason. They flourished here and grew their potato farms expertly and became the backbone of the Long Island Potato business up until the mid-20th century.
EFFORTS ARE IN PLACE TO PRESERVE THE PEACE AND QUIET HERE
Farmland is still a key component of the land here "Out East" but it has to be protected by a preservation tax paid to the Town of Southampton by buyers of homes and vacant land at the closing of all sales on property in Southampton and East Hampton.
This is to preserve the vacant land that exists and to prevent over-development of our precious farm land.
Is it working? I would suggest it is in a way. It is after-all a large sum when you look at the facts. You must calculate the 2% into any plans to purchase land or improved property.
All in all, there is still plenty of peace and quiet here--you just have to know where to find it!
Beaches are vast here and it is easy to find yourself completely alone without planning on it. When that happens you can hear the water ebb and flow and lap at the beaches edge. You can feel the pull of the tide if you sit quietly enough and breath in and out with the ebb and flow. It truly is a gift if you can experience it without interruption. The same can be said of the grassy parkland that exists in so many parts of the Hamptons...they are all there to enjoy. Nature trails can be found trailing off into the distance from many country roads here---take a jaunt down one of these pathways and you are sure to be surprised at the sheer beauty all around you!
Come here to the Hamptons--not for the frenetic pace that can be seen more and more on the busy streets of the Hamlets--but for the daily breath and ease of a quiet sunny day sitting in the grass or on a sandy beach, quietly listening.....
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