| |
WHY
MONTAUK
We
chose to situate one of our main offices in Montauk because, in
the words of The Nature Conservancy, it is one of the country's
"Last Great Places." We welcome you to come see for yourself. All
of our clients and friends who have visited have enjoyed Montauk's
rural serenity and accessible natural beauty. Some have arrived
by car, others by train, jitney or ferry, and one client even touched
down on the Montauk landing strip in his twin-engine Beechcraft
King Air. Regardless of their differing routes, all were glad they
came. Please feel free to contact us
for help in arranging a trip here, or for local advice on the area.
Click or scroll below to read about specific aspects of Montauk
and the region.
 Surrounded
by water on three sides, the idyllic fishing hamlet of Montauk is
the easternmost village of the Hamptons. It is the ultimate seaside
resort community. Most of Montauk is preserved public lands and
beaches - which amounts to more than 5,000 acres -- such that even
in the height of the busy summer tourist season, it is possible
to find beaches or wooded areas where you may not see another person
all day. The stunning bluffs of Montauk are the only sea cliffs
to be found on the East Coast. The sea surging against those cliffs
cools and refreshes the wind and puts life in everyone that breathes
it. The poet Walt Whitman was well aware of Montauk's special qualities,
writing that he had "sail'd more than once around Shelter island,
and down to Montauk - and spent many an hour on Turtle hill by the
old lighthouse, on the extreme point, looking out over the ceaseless
roar of the Atlantic."
The
untamed nature of the area, combined with its 120-mile distance
from New York City (and psychological distance from the rest of
the Hamptons), has given the people here a relaxed attitude that
is infectious. Sometimes compared to Ireland, Montauk is home to
a vibrant Irish community, which expands famously every summer with
an influx of hundreds of Irish students who come to work, play,
and get a tan (or more stereotypically, a sunburn). Because of the
effects of the Gulf Stream, Montauk is blessed with temperatures
that are usually 10 or more degrees cooler than New York City in
the summer, and at least 10 degrees warmer in the winter. Montauk's
shores differ from others in the Hamptons in that they are high
and breezy. The wind seems to be always blowing, and it arrives
with a tang of the salt in it.
 Here
are some comments from Janevett, a "reviewer" of Montauk in The
Travel Vine: "The beauties of the days, the foggy cool of the nights;
the rocky seas with the incredibly clean miles of beaches; the quality
of the light and air and the salt tang; the gorgeous homes along
Old Montauk Highway; the proximity to the water -- you feel there
that you are closer to some elemental truth that just eludes than
anywhere else I've ever known."
Writing
about Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, who after adventures in the
Spanish-American War convalesced in Montauk, in front of what is
now our law offices, a journalist for The Brooklyn Eagle in 1898
reported: "Is it any wonder that when they reach their camp of clean
white tents at Montauk Point, their nostrils widen to drink in the
fragrant air, and they are content to lie on the turf and look into
the great white fleets of vapor that float overhead and soak in
the sunshine and feel that an end has come to all pains, all privations,
all anxieties, all neglects?"
Perhaps
people write this way because, as local journalist Carol Nye puts
it: "When you fall in love with Montauk, you fall very hard. Montauk,
as many visitors who come back every year know, can become a passion."
 Montauk
is a peninsula jutting out towards the continental shelf. Its pristine
white sands and rolling surf are its biggest tourist attractions.
The village has countless miles of patrolled beaches and many more
unmonitored. In any case, all of the beaches are public. Even in
the winter, walking on a beach or on the bluffs above can be either
a social activity or a soothing means of escape. The surfing here
is the most renowned on the East Coast, and we have excellent surf
shops and a strong surfing community. Three of the best beaches
are Ditch Plains, Terrace, and Turtle Cove. Please contact
us for directions.
 For
whale and seal watchers, there is an abundance of opportunities.
Regular whale-watching cruises will take you so close you can smell
the whales' breath (if that is something you are interested in).
Seals for unknown reasons have been gathering here in greater and
greater numbers, and even if you do not go on one of the frequent
seal-watching tours, you may encounter one of them lounging on the
beach, or bobbing in the water a few yards away from you as you
swim, looking like a misplaced puppy.
Deep
as the silence out here can be at times, if your ear is open you
always will hear the enormous breathing of the sea, no matter where
you are.
 Montauk
has many, many miles of forest trails for horseback or mountain
bike riding, as well as for hiking. It is home to the oldest cattle
ranch in the United States, where, among other activities, one can
go for a horse ride over some of the most diverse terrain on the
East Coast. Mountain bicycling in Hither Woods and elsewhere has
become increasingly popular, attracting beginners and enthusiasts
from around the Northeast. Many of the trails are old roads from
the days of yore, while others may predate European settlement of
the town. Road cycling is also popular due to the wide shoulders,
breathtaking Atlantic views, and rolling hills of Montauk ("Montauk"
is an Indian word meaning "Hilly Land").
 Many
world records and multitudes of fishermen have inspired Montauk's
nickname, "Fishing Capitol of The World" (or for some, "A Quaint
Drinking Village with a Fishing Problem"). Charter boats, party
boats, long liners, draggers, rentals, and private boats leave the
Harbor every day to sport fish or earn a living. Montauk is also
the "Mecca" of surfcasting. The waters around Montauk are known
worldwide for cod, pollack, fluke, flounder, striped bass, blues,
porgies, tuna, swordfish, tilefish, and, of course, SHARKS! Montauk
is particularly famous for the sharks caught off its shores, and
although there is no record of any swimmers ever being attacked
here, a shark-catching incident in Montauk's waters nonetheless
provided inspiration for an imaginative author named Peter Benchley
and his book, Jaws.
 The
greatest claim to fame of charter fishing boat captain Frank Mundus
a/k/a "the real Quint," besides having Peter Benchley as a frequent
and unusually inquisitive customer and providing the model for the
Ahabesque character in Jaws, came in 1964 when, after a five-hour
struggle, he captured a 17 ½ foot, 4,500-pound great white, 10 miles
off Montauk. The shark required 5 harpoons, each attached to a beer
barrel by a 400-foot rope, before it could be towed to shore. Capt.
Mundus also became known for his eloquent sayings, such as: "Find
me a nice, fat whale, and I'll show you some white shaahks." Apparently
no one has seen Capt. Mundus around here for years, and some believe
that he became just too famous and full of himself to hang around
any further with the likes of us.
Shark
tournaments in Montauk today draw big crowds and earn sizable sums
for the winners. As for commercial fishing, it has been Montauk's
chief industry since colonial times, and it continues to be an important
part of the village's economy and traditions.
 The
Montauk Lighthouse has become a symbol for all of Long Island. President
George Washington, when he was a young engineer, selected the site
for the lighthouse, and in 1792, after he became President, he commissioned
it to be built. Completed in 1796, it stands on the very tip of
Long Island and has guided ships through the sometimes treacherous
waters of the East End for over two hundred years. The powerful
light is visible for 19 miles over the Long Island Sound, the Atlantic
Ocean, and over Montauk itself, including our offices. The light
makes one revolution every five seconds. When it was built, the
lighthouse was 297 feet from the water. By 1938, erosion brought
the ocean over 150 feet closer. Now the lighthouse nearly hovers
over the edge. Over two hundred years ago, President Washington
boldly predicted it would stand for two hundred years. Although
recent conservation efforts have slowed the erosion, most agree
that unless it is relocated, nature eventually will take it into
the sea.
 "Summer
at the lighthouse is a time to arise early to watch the sunrise,"
writes Marge Winski, who lives in the apartment where the keepers
stayed before the light was automated. Writing in the Montauk Historical
Society Beacon, Winski adds: "Every morning is a spectacle
as the huge globe rises from the ocean's depths and turns the cliffs
lining Turtle Cove red with the first blush of light. For a brief
instant the sea is transformed into molten gold flowing toward shore.
As the waves break over the rocks everything becomes gilded with
liquid sunlight."
The
Lighthouse offers informative tours to the top and a lighthouse
museum for a small donation. On the grounds stands a poignant monument
as a tribute to those who have lost their lives to the ocean waves.
 Formed
over 100 million years ago by glaciers during the last great Ice
Age, Montauk's history goes back to pre-Columbian times. According
to carbon dating analysis, Native Americans have lived on Long Island
for nearly 4000 years. In Montauk, these were the Montauketts, a
peaceful tribe who lived by fishing, hunting, farming, and tending
sheep and cattle. Legend has it that tribal council meetings were
held around large bonfires on Montauk Point, where the lighthouse
now stands.
European
settlers arrived in the area as far back as the 1640's and started
cattle ranching. Despite all of these settlers, Montauk for nearly
all of its history has been considered frontier land. For hundreds
of years, Montauk was known primarily for its annual cattle drive.
The ranchers lived in three places, known as First House, Second
House, and Third House. Though First House has long been lost, the
cemetery where it once stood contains aging tombstones of a bygone
era. Second House still stands near the center of the present-day
town and is open as a museum of the area's rich history. Third House
stands in Theodore Roosevelt County Park where Teddy and the Rough
Riders recuperated after picking up various diseases at San Juan
Hill.
In
addition to providing the inspiration for Jaws (see "Fishing"
section above), Montauk was the part of the real-life setting for
another Steven Spielberg film, Amistad. As author and historian
Russell Drumm reports, in August of 1839, the schooner Amistad,
with 49 African mutineers and two Cuban prisoners on board, dropped
anchor off Montauk's Culloden Point, her sails in tatters, her hull
encrusted with barnacles. A New York City pilot boat previously
had come alongside the boat, and one of the Amistad crew, who spoke
a little English, asked if they were off the coast of Africa. Having
received the bad news, they turned east. Their leader, Cinque, ordered
the helmsman to steer for a light, which turned out to be the Montauk
Lighthouse. The appearance of rocks caused Amistad to navigate around
Montauk Point. She finally dropped anchor off Culloden, and members
of the ship's party wandered toward Montauk village on the south
shore of Fort Pond Bay, some wearing only handkerchiefs as loincloths,
others wrapped in blankets. They needed food, and held up Spanish
gold coins for payment.
In
the early part of this century, millionaire developer Carl Fisher,
who had created Miami out of swamps and woods, got the notion to
turn Montauk into "The Miami Beach of the North." The stock market
crash of 1929 prevented Fisher from fulfilling his dream, but not
before he left his mark on the town. Now the town boasts of a large
harbor, a castle-like hotel called the Montauk Manor, an incongruous
condominium tower in the middle of the town, and a beautiful golf
course.
In
the 1940's, Montauk saw the creation of numerous summer cottages,
and in the 1960's, the village's popularity with summer vacationers
led to a proliferation of seaside motels serving those who sought
to escape the crowds elsewhere. But the year-round population hardly
grew, and still amounts to about 4,000 residents in total. "With
all the changes over all that time, we survived as a beautiful open
place," says Peggy Joyce, president of the Montauk Historical Society.
 In
1972, an East Hampton real estate broker took Andy Warhol, his partner
Paul Morrissey, and a carload of friends on a search for a summer
retreat in the Hamptons. As Deborah Schoeneman and Deborah Netburn
reported in The New York Observer, "Warhol found the area dreadfully
boring, but when they drove into Montauk, he perked up and dropped
$220,000 on a secluded 25-acre oceanfront compound with a main house
and four cottages. In the end, Warhol never spent much time out
in Montauk, because his wig blew off on the windy bluffs." Since
Warhol's death, Morrissey has been renting the compound exclusively
to Warhol's friends, including Mick Jagger, Lee Radziwill, Halston,
and Jean Stein. More recently, he has set off a loud buzz in the
real estate world by putting the property on the market with an
asking price of $50 million, making it the highest priced residence
in the Hamptons.
There
is much more to the history of Montauk, including the hurricane
of 1938, some wild speculation about cold war government experiments
at Camp Hero Air Force Base, and the arrival of a few more resident
celebrities such as Edward Albee, Paul Simon, Dick Cavett, Robert
DeNiro, Ralph Lauren, Peter Beard, Richard Avedon and Julian Schnabel.
In short, there are far too many facts and stories to even try to
recount them all here.
Many
things could have happened to Montauk, from rampant development,
to permanent occupation by the military, to total "Hamptonization,"
but fortunately none of these came to be. "It is certainly true
that the best of old Montauk has survived.... it's amazing to think
more than half the land at Montauk is public after almost 400 years,"
says John Strong, a history professor at nearby Southampton College.
Kids
have no trouble finding things to do in Montauk. Local businesses
have made special efforts to cater to families, and the area is
considered a safe one for children. From the miniature golf course,
to the ice cream shops, to the museums, to a state-of-the-art skateboard
park and sports complex, no child will get bored. Even if there
were no man-made venues for activity, the beaches and trails are
the best playground ever. Have you ever noticed that at the beach,
all children are happy?
Unlike
the rest of the Hamptons, Montauk is known for its reasonably priced
motels and hotels. Maybe this has something to do with competition,
since there are over 75 of them! See the links
below for names and phone numbers.
Montauk
also has no shortage of great places to eat. For seafood in particular,
this is a location that cannot be beat. Our personal favorites:
Joni's (at 9 South Edison in Montauk, the best deli in the Hamptons,
where Joni rules), The Harvest (the secret is getting out, so make
your reservations well in advance), The Shagwong (a Montauk tradition),
Naturally Good (great health food), and Westlake Clam and Chowder
House (best sushi we have ever experienced, and we've been to the
best in Manhattan). See the links below for
further information.
- Montauk
Life
A
local publication dedicated to providing all the information
a visitor to Montauk needs to make the most of their trip to
the area. This site offers detailed listings for hotels &
motels, restaurants, real estate, shopping in addition to local
weather, events and more. The site features interactive maps
that show you the location of any listing you are interested
in.
- skyHampton
A
personalized service that enables you to receive local up-to-the-minute
information -- delivered directly to your cell phone. You sign
up for the information you want, so you're in control of the
content you receive.
- The
Stephen Talkhouse
In
nearby Amagansett, this a famous home for premier musicians
from across the world, many of whom return time and time again
to play sell-out shows in this intimate venue. Local bands from
all over Long Island and New York City compete for spots to
entertain here into the wee hours of the night.
- Samadhi
House
Montauk's
first Yoga Studio & Spa for men and women, and what a beautiful
place it is. The Yoga Studio is dedicated to providing a safe
environment of growth and advancement in all the practices of
yoga. Samadhi House recognizes, above all else, that the most
important attribute of yoga is its power to bring us in alignment
with our own true beauty. Samadhi House Day Spa is committed
to pampering its clients in luxury & soothing service. Close
attention will always be paid to detail and individual tailoring.
The treatments offer a bridge between the body and mind through
conscious breathing and silence during treatments. Samadhi House
is owned and operated by Maureen Taylor and Lee Bieler.
- Mandala
Yoga & Dance Center
Located
15 minutes away in Amagansett and founded by Jolie Parcher,
Mandala offers a variety of disciplines so that students can
discover a style that is inspiring and comfortable. Mandala
has classes for real beginners all the way through to classes
and workshops for advanced practictioners. Mandala also offers
dance classes and other movement workshops related to yoga.
- Yoga
Shanti
Founded
by Jessica Bellofatto and Colleen Saidman, both graduates of
the intensive Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training Program in New
York, Yoga Shanti is located a half-hour from Montauk in the
old whaling town of Sag Harbor. The Yoga Shanti center emphasizes
the spiritual aspects of the practice of Yoga in addition to
the more obvious physical benefits. Thus, classes may include
asanas (physical posture) but also chanting, meditation, and
the study of ancient yogic scriptures such as the Yoga Sutras
of Patanjali or the Bhagavad Gita. The underlying goal of Yoga
Shanti is to help individuals increase their awareness of who
they are and how they relate to the world.
- Yoga
at Hayground
Located
in Bridgehampton and directed by John Seelye, Yoga at Hayground
is "dedicated to the students and practitioners of Hatha
Yoga. Hatha Yoga is a celebration of mind, body and spirit."
The Yoga at Hayground teachers emphasize that Hatha is "an
opportunity to realize the full potential of the human spirit
through the doorway of the physical body. Our goal is a clear
mind, a strong body and a radiant heart."
- Montauk
Chamber of Commerce
The
local chamber of commerce maintains an online Business Directory
which lists many of the businesses in and serving the Montauk
community.
- On
Montauk
In
their own words "THE BEST Montauk guide, with information
about Montauk's hotels and motels, restaurants, events, beaches,
real estate, and major attractions."
- Suffolk
Online
"Suffolk
County's Gateway to the Universe!"
- East
Hampton Chamber of Commerce
Plenty
of information about East Hampton and the surrounding area.
- Twinforks.com
A site
dedicated to the north and south forks of eastern Long Island
- NY27
"An
increasingly comprehensive, albeit opinionated, guide to the
Hamptons."
- Island
Views
A community
news and information site, "because island life is different."
- Long
Island Web
Long
Island's home on the web.
- The
East Hampton Star
"The
Star Shines For All"
- Hamptons
Web
Thorough
Hamptons guide
- Christine
O'Keeffe's St. Patrick Day's Page
Patty's
Day is big in Montauk.
- LIEye
A Long
Island webzine.
- Long
Island's Page of Pages
An
extensive guide.
- Hamptons
Online
A Hamptons
guide, directory, and Internet service.
- Peconic
Online
An
East End guide, directory, and Internet service.
- Nanny
Agency of the Hamptons
Nannies.
- Long
Island Attractions and Places of Interest
Pretty
good Long Island site with some great links.
- The
Travel Vine
A travel
guide.
- ihamptons.com
The
"insider" Hamptons site.
- Hamptons
libraries.
Library
rescources.
- Montauk
Library
Montauk's
beautiful library. Worth the visit just for the building itself.
- The
Millhouse Inn
A delightful
bed and breakfast located in East Hampton village near the
windmill, and savvy enough to include us in their links to
"cool stuff" in the Hamptons.
- Peconic
Telbooks
Links
and other research resources online.
|
|
