Three neighbourhoods perfect for laying low and recharging in the Hamptons

Every year, crowds of linen-clad holidaymakers descend upon the Hamptons. If you know where to go, you’ll be well-equipped to enjoy the long stretches of sandy beaches and bays untouched by the casual tourist. The collection of seaside enclaves on the eastern edge of Long Island makes for an idyllic retreat for those needing to take a breath after a busy summer.

You can find peaceful pockets away from the traffic to catch a glimpse of what the picturesque region was once like in the 1950s and 1960s. A few of the more hidden beach towns, interspersed between the bay and the sparkling Atlantic shore, still echo the days when architects such as Andrew Geller were lining the streets with modernist marvels and creatives from Jackson Pollock to Willem de Kooning were among the regular crowd. Here are three of our favourites.

1.
Amagansett, for those in need of retail therapy

Amagansett is a hamlet found in East Hampton – one of the region’s more laid-back towns – where instead of Chanel, you’ll find La Garçonne, an outpost of the New York multibrand boutique that stocks Dries Van Noten, Toteme and Sofie D’Hoore. Its main street features independent footwear brand Sabah, known for its Turkish slides, and 180 the Store, a homeware retailer housed in a white building that looks like a chic beach cabana. Il Buco Al Mare, the sister restaurant to New York’s Il Buco and Bottega Il Buco in Ibiza, serves mushroom-topped focaccia and littleneck clams in a wood-clad space with a terrace. You’ll also find Amagansett Square, a green space ringed with shops and restaurants including Doubles, which serves burgers best eaten al-fresco, and Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee, a favourite of Alec Baldwin and Jerry Seinfeld. Amber Waves and Balsam Farms both stock crates of fresh local produce – rocket, basil, corn, wild flowers – on the outskirts of town.

If you prefer to host your own dinners, renting a house nearby can offer a sanctuary. The Roundtree Beach House – a classic, low-slung 1960s home that the nearby Roundtree hotel rents out to guests – comes with access to bicycles; hotel amenities, including breakfast and regular cleaning; an outdoor barbecue; and a lawn with a hammock set under the trees. For those who would rather not find themselves in the kitchen on holiday, The Hedges Inn, a boutique property in nearby East Hampton, recently opened under new owners Sarah and Andrew Wetenhall, who also operate The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. They have overhauled the 13-room, 19th-century building with preppy-yet-playful interiors and butlers on hand to whisk guests to the open sands.

2.
Shelter Island, for slowing down amid luxury

Shelter Island, where the ocean laps calm beaches, is wedged between the North and South Forks of Long Island. The island might be small and quiet but hotels are in surprisingly good supply. The Chequit is a newly refurbished New England-style inn on the waterfront, while André Balazs’s Sunset Beach features sunny yellow rooms that look as though they belong on the Mediterranean. The island’s restaurants have a distinct, close-knit feel.

At Léon 1909, meals are cooked over an open wood-burning hearth in a barn-like space, while Marie Eiffel Market serves coffee and croissants best enjoyed on the dock. Though you will hear the distant rumble of private jets flying overhead, delivering New Yorkers to their mansions elsewhere in the Hamptons, on Shelter Island there’s hardly any traffic – and far fewer peacocking cars.

3.
Sag Harbor, for connoisseurs in search of simple pleasures

Just a twenty minute drive from Amagansett, you’ll find a yachting town on the bay side of Long Island with a strong year-round community. Sag Harbor might have a Goop outpost but the town is also home to Sag Harbor Books, a matchbox-sized independent bookshop with shelves of hard-to-find collectables and signed copies. Carissa’s is a bright bakery with glass cabinets stacked full of baguettes and pastries, a stone’s throw from a park overlooking the bay for a waterside picnic. If you’re craving Italian food for dinner, Tutto il Giorno serves clam linguine on a plant-filled terrace. 

The new Faraway hotel, which opened its doors in June, is spread across classic white-slatted and shingled buildings with a pool that looks directly onto the harbour. The coastal interiors, akin to those you might expect to find in Nantucket, lean into the town’s nautical history with a cream and navy-blue colour palette. The Church is a multidisciplinary arts and cultural centre that showcases exhibitions and performances by local makers. Further out in Water Mill, better known for its spacious beach houses than for culture, the Parrish Art Museum features the work of artists who resided in the Hamptons, from Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning to Joan Mitchell.