The Hamptons refers to a group of towns and seaside villages on the South Fork, Suffolk County on the east end of Long Island, in New York State, some dating from the 1600s. They typically, although not all of them, have a name ending with "-hampton," and each has its own flavor. The Hamptons are located roughly 80 miles east of Manhattan, New York City.

While winters are relatively quiet, the summer season brings crushing crowds and a flashy nightclub scene. It is a well-known summer colony. Parts of the Hamptons are known for being a playground for the rich and famous, and are frequented by residents of New York City, particularly during the summer months for weekend getaways. This has given rise to the phrases "house in the Hamptons," "America's summer playground," and "Hamptons summer share." The Hamptons are known for their white sand beaches, rolling farmland and vineyards, and spectacular mansions and ranches. 

The Towns

The "Hampton mystique" began in Westhampton Beach. In 1870, residents began renting out rooms to travelers who reached the area on the newly constructed Long Island Rail Road. Soon the practice spread, and the Hamptons became a resort area of renown.

Just east of Westhampton Beach, Quogue and East Quogue are part of the Greater Westhampton area. Quogue's Victorians are nestled along tree-lined streets, while contemporary mansions line the ocean along Dune Road. In East Quogue, acres of farmland and pine forest, as well as beautiful bay and ocean beaches, are enlivened by Main Street shopping and lively nightlife.

The town of Southampton was established in 1640 by English colonists, and was the first settlement in New York State. It boasts old money and huge estates. Southampton has a decidedly colonial feel, and its Job Lane's shopping district oozes chic. Windsurfers enjoy 3 bays: Peconic, Noyac, and Shinnecock (which is also a popular diving spot).

Hampton Bays was established in 1740 and was known as Good Ground until 1922. It is home to such historic buildings as the Canoe Place Inn also known as "The Tammany Hall of the East". Many oldtime fisherman continue to call Hampton Bays home. It enjoys access to Peconic and Shinnecock Bays as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

The farming community of Water Mill is the nation's only community with a functional, working water mill and windmill.

Bridgehampton, just east of Water Mill, has antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants in which you can sip wine made from grapes grown in local vineyards. This is also horse country. Bridgehampton is home to the prestigious annual Hampton Classic Horse Show[1] and the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge[2].

East Hampton was founded by farmers in 1648. Farming remained its main source of livelihood until the 1800s, when the town began to develop into a fashionable resort. East Hampton's wealth and puritan heritage now combine into an understated prosperity, and much of the village remains as it was during the 18th century. Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Joel, and Martha Stewart have homes there.

Amagansett is a Native American word meaning "place of good water." From its earliest beginnings, the town has possessed a tranquility that is suited to fishing and offshore whaling.

At the easternmost part of the island, laid-back Montauk doesn't put on any airs, with its seaside hotels, thriving fishing and boating community, and surfer-studded beaches. The 110-foot Montauk Point Lighthouse, completed in 1792, is the oldest operating lighthouse in the state and the 4th-oldest in the country.

The North Fork, across the Great Peconic Bay from the Hamptons and the South Fork, is best known for its quiet villages, bountiful farm stands, and burgeoning wine industry. New England-style hamlets such as Jamesport, Cutchogue, and Southold are peppered with unpretentious restaurants and interesting shops that seems transported from another era. Clean, uncrowded beaches lie to the south on Great Peconic Bay and to the north on Long Island Sound.

Shelter Island lies between Long Island's North and South forks. Reachable only by boat (there is regular ferry service), the 11½-square-mile island offers a partial escape from the summer traffic and crowds of the Hamptons. Quiet country lanes wind across the island's rolling land, nearly a third of which has been set aside as a nature preserve that's a bird-watcher's delight.

By train, one can travel the length of the Hamptons in about an hour (see Long Island Rail Road schedules from Westhampton to Montauk).

West to East

The township of Southampton includes the following hamlets and villages:

·         Remsenburg

·         Westhampton

·         Westhampton Beach (village)

·         West Hampton Dunes

·         Quogue (village)

·         East Quogue

·         Hampton Bays

·         Southampton (village)

·         North Sea

·         Water Mill

·         Bridgehampton

·         Sagaponack(village)

·         North Haven

·         Sag Harbor (village, shared with East Hampton)

The township of East Hampton includes the following hamlets and villages:

·         Sag Harbor (village, shared with Southampton)

·         Wainscott

·         Georgica, part of EH Village

·         East Hampton (village)

·         Springs

·         Amagansett

·         Napeague

·         Montauk Notable residents

The Hamptons in Popular Culture

Books

·         Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in The Hamptons, by Steven Gaines (1998)

·         De Kooning's Bicycle: Artists and Writers in the Hamptons, by Robert Long

·         Making It in the Hamptons, by Karl Grossman et al

·         The Beach House, by James Patterson (2002)

·         The Au Pairs Series, by Melissa de la Cruz

·         The Perfect Manhattan, by Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey

·         Misfortune," by Nancy Geary (2001)

·         The Hampton Connection, by Vincent Lardo (2000)

·         Further Lane: A Novel of the Hamptons, by James Brady

·         The House That Ate the Hamptons: Lily Pond Lane, by James Brady (1999)

·         The Hampton Affair, by Vincent Lardo (1999)

·         Just for the Summer, by Laura Van Wormer

·         God Bless the Child, by Ellen Feldman (1998)

·         Hampton Shorts: Fiction Plus from the East End, by Judith Rossner (1997)

·         The Spirit of Hamptons Vineyards: Poetry from the Heart, by Paula A. Timpson (2002)

·         A House in the Hamptons, by Gloria Nagy (1993)

·         Twanged, by Carol Higgins Clark (1998)

·         Death in the Hamptons, by Matt Bloom (2002)

·         The Hamptons, by Linda Dominique Grosvenor (2004)

·         American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Poetry

·         "Lost in Translation," by James Merrill

Movies filmed in the Hamptons

·         Annie Hall (1977)

·         The Door in the Floor (2004)

·         Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

·         The Forgotten (The Beachouse Scene) (2004)

·         Grey Gardens (1975)

·         Interiors (1978)

·         Margot at the Wedding (2007)

·         Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

·         The Nanny Diaries (2007)

·         Something's Gotta Give (2003)

·         Town & Country (2001)

·         White Chicks (2004) - filmed in Canada despite the storyline being based in the Hamptons.

Wineries

The South Fork boasts 3 wineries: Wölffer Estate (Sagaponack), Duck Walk Vineyards (Water Mill), and Channing Daughters (Bridgehampton).

TheHamptons.com

·         TheHamptons.com was the first official web presence for The Parrish Art Museum, Guild Hall, Group for the South Fork, the Hampton Classic Horse Show, the Hamptons International Film Festival, World Affairs Council, Native Americans of the Shinnecock & Montauk tribes and online gallery for local artists. TheHamptons.com debuted in 1995 and was one of the first graphical web sites on the internet.