The Hamptons are home to many communities. Historically, it has been devoted to agriculture and fishing. Many farms are still in operation in the area. There are three commercial vineyards operating in the Hamptons as well.
Given the area's geographic location, it maintained strong commercial and social links to New England and the nearby states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Many of the original settlers were from and most of the trade links were with communities in Connecticut. Indeed, much of the older architecture and aesthetics of the villages in the Hamptons resemble New England. This is especially true for Sag Harbor Village and East Hampton Village.
Once direct rail links to New York City were established, the community of summer vacation residents[1] expanded significantly. The Village of Southampton, which is the oldest of the Hamptons and the most westward of the villages in the core area of the Hamptons, grew rapidly. It remains the largest and most diverse of the Hamptons' towns. The other villages and hamlets grew at a slower rate over time.
The agriculture community became supplemented by artisans and professionals (mainly in Southampton Village and Sag Harbor Village), and then by a large influx of artists. As a result, the arts community in the Hamptons has origins extending back to the nineteenth century.[2][3] The Art Village in Southampton and the community of Springs in East Hampton town hosted a number of resident artists and art schools (e.g., the Shinnecock Hills Summer School founded by William Merritt Chase).
Current profile
The villages and the hamlets are distinguished by how their significant population increases during the summers, although the Hamptons have increasingly become year-round destinations for New Yorkers seeking a refuge on weekends.
Amenities in the area include the Southampton Arts Center, the Southampton Cultural Center, the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in Springs; the Parrish Art Museum and the Watermill Center[4] in Water Mill; the Guild Hall, a museum and theater, in East Hampton.[2] In the sporting world, the region's golf courses are very highly regarded. The private golf clubs in Southampton are among the most exclusive and expensive in the nation. Those courses include the National Golf Links of America, the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and the Sebonack Golf Club. These golf clubs are currently[when?] ranked 8th, 4th and 41st within the United States by Golf Digest. There is also the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, ranked 72nd by Golf Digest.[citation needed]
Other private clubs include The Bathing Corporation of Southampton, the Southampton Bath and Tennis Club, and the Meadow Club in Southampton Village.
History
The Hamptons' history as a dwelling place for the wealthy dates from the late nineteenth century when the community changed from a farming community with good potato ground to a popular destination. In 1893 The New York Times wrote
The beautiful villages clustering around old Southampton, including Quohue, Good Ground, the rest of the Hamptons, and the incomparable Shinnecock Hills combine to make as close an approach to Eden as can be found in a long journey. Exclusive—in the best sense of the word—society is here represented during the summer by its choicest spirits. Well-bred men and women find a congenial atmosphere, refined attractions in plenty, and innumerable charms about these quaint old villages.[5]
The Hamptons are connected to New York City and the rest of Long Island by a series of roadways (most notable of which are Route 27A, also known as Montauk Highway, and Route 27, also known as Sunrise Highway), rail service, and bus service. There are also several small airports throughout the Hamptons which offer both private and commercial service on small aircraft and helicopters.
The Long Island Rail Road provides limited rail service seven days per week via the Montauk Branch connecting towns and hamlets in the Hamptons to Montauk and New York City. Hampton Jitney and Hampton Luxury Liner coach bus services provide slightly more frequent passenger travel between New York City and the Hamptons, especially during summer months. Local Suffolk County buses also provide service to neighboring areas.
In the show Louie, comedian Louis C.K. performs a stand-up comedy set at a private charity function in the Hamptons with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.[19]
Reality stars Khloé Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick are the main cast of the show Kourtney and Khloé take The Hamptons, which began airing in November 2014. The show is based on the family spending the summer at a house in the North Sea area of The Hamptons, and features guest appearances from other members of the famous family.[20]
The Castle episode "Murder He Wrote" is mainly set in The Hamptons and the ocean front house Castle owns there. Castle and Beckett marry at the same house at the end of "The Time of Our Lives".[citation needed]
In "The Hamptons", the 85th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld and his friends spend an unforgettable weekend in the Hamptons.[21]
In "The Wizard", the 171st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, George Costanza's late girlfriend's parents catch him lying about buying a house in the Hamptons.[22]
The series Revenge centers around Emily Thorne posing as a new citizen of the Hamptons, at which she previously lived, while—unbeknownst to the public—planning to take revenge after the wrongful conviction of her father.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was inspired by the extravagant parties he attended in the Hamptons and along Long Island's Gold Coast in the 1920s. These gatherings, hosted by the wealthy elite, influenced the novel's depiction of the lavish lifestyles of Long Island millionaires during the Jazz Age.
^ abKen Johnson (August 6, 2015). "Elaine de Kooning and Andreas Gursky in Close-Up in the Hamptons". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015. Decades before the East End of Long Island became a popular for summertime vacationers, the area was a rural retreat for artists, from the American Impressionists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to the Pop artists of the '60s
^John Ortved (August 4, 2015). "Summer Peacocking in the Hamptons". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015. ...a standout event on the Hamptons social calendar.
^"SOUTHAMPTON'S BEAUTIES.; A Charming Region at Its Best in the Summer Months". The New York Times. May 27, 1893. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2015. The beautiful villages clustering around old Southampton, including Quohue, Good Ground, the rest of the Hamptons, and the incomparable Shinnecock Hills combine to make as close an approach to Eden as can be found in a long journey. Exclusive—in the best sense of the word—society is here represented during the summer by its choicest spirits. Well-bred men and women find a congenial atmosphere, refined attractions in plenty, and innumerable charms about these quaint old villages.
^Jim Rutenberg (August 28, 2015). "The Battle for the Soul of the Hamptons". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015. ...a new horde of speculators (moguls, nightclub impresarios and their yearly multiplying conspicuous consumers) drives and flies ever eastward from Manhattan toward that beguiling jewel of Long Island, the Hamptons.
