[Howard Riefs]

My wife wants to go to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. We've never been and would welcome any travel advice regarding:

-- Best area to stay
-- Recommended hotels that cost less than a mortgage payment (if possible)
-- Restaurants (formal and informal)
-- Beaches
-- Bars, etc.

She specifically mentioned the American Hotel in Sag Harbor if you have any insight on that old hotel.

I'm not planning to play golf ... so please don't consider this a veiled attempt for access whoring.

[Ross Harmon]

Good BBQ here... http://www.townlinebbq.com/

[Emile Bonfiglio]

I've heard that there are some decent courses out that way that don't get much play...should be able to walk right on.

[Andy Troeger]

We really enjoyed this little place--best meal of the trip...in Riverhead.

Farm Country Kitchen http://www.farmcountrykitchen.net/

[Jaeger Kovich]

Best advice... bring ca$$h and dont expect to get on any great courses on Memorial Day weekend

[Tim Martin]

Stay with O'Halloran.

[Joe Andriole]

1708 House, Southampton

[Mike Sweeney]

1708 House, Southampton

Great place and very expensive. It is in "The Village" at the crossroads of Southampton. Try the http://www.southamptoninn.com/ which is also right in Southampton Village. Convenient, reasonably priced (for Memorial Day), and close to Coopers Beach, Flying Point Beach and Mecox Beach. There are a bunch of hotels on "the highway" in Southampton that are okay but not great.

The American Hotel is in Sag Harbor on the "Peconic Bay side" of "The Hamptons. It is the trendy anti-Hamptons place that is more Hamptons than the Hamptons.   Sag Harbor is a good 20-30 minutes to Southampton and East Hampton in traffic.

If you are going to go anti-Hamptons and don't care about the ocean beach go to Shelter Island (between the North and South Forks) and stay at Rams Head Inn, and play the famous 9 hole "Goat Hill" - Shelter Island Country Club.

I don't know the hotels in East Hampton that well, but they are all kind of "intimate" like 1708 House.

Montauk is more set up for tourist than East Hampton or Southampton. There are NO hotels on the beach in East Hampton or Southampton. Gurney's Inn is the famous place on the beach in Montauk, and there are some others on the beach in Montauk too.

When you pick a town, circle back on IM for restaurants.

PS. I may be a little dated as we sold our house in Southampton 6+ years ago and now hang out in CT. We miss the beaches but not the traffic. 

[Chuck Glowacki]

Forget the Hamptons and come to the North Fork.  Less traffic, plenty of good places to eat, beaches, etc.  Sound View Inn
is waterfront and close to all the "attractions".

[Jud_T]

Avoid Manhattan East and do the winery tours on the North Fork.  You could also check out our own George Bahto's Stonebridge Links in Hauppaugge. 

http://www.stonebridgeglcc.com/index.html

[Chris Shaida]

Above posts are on the money.  If you want 'Manhattan East' -- great food, beautiful ocean beaches but lots of noise, pretension, crowds traffic -- then the Hamptons is the ticket. On the other hand, if you've got some general notion of 'getting away', serenity, etc. look at Shelter Island or the North Fork.  Shelter Island is very quiet, charming; you can ride a bike (without worrying too much about getting run down by a coked up 21 year princess in a hummer) take walks on the beach or in a fantastic park) but there are only 3 or 4 restaurants that serve memorable food (but if you're only there for a long weekend that is probably enough).  You can hedge your bets by staying at the Sunset Beach Motel http://www.sunsetbeachli.com/main.html which brings just a bit of the 'hampton's vibe' to Shelter Island.  But Sweeney's right that the Ram's Head is the stately and lovely primo place on SI.

The north fork is quite beautiful but a bit funkier than the Hampton's.  If you're into wine the northfork is where the decent Long Island wineries are located.

As per Mike's post feel free to im me as well once you've narrowed down location.

[SteveOgulukian]

Howard,

I would suggest Montauk as it is muhc more "tourist friendly" than other sections of the Hamptons.  By that I mean that there are many beachside hotels and public parking near at the beach whereas you would need a permit in other sections on the Hamptons.

[jeffwarne]

My wife wants to go to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. We've never been and would welcome any travel advice regarding:

-- Best area to stay
-- Recommended hotels that cost less than a mortgage payment (if possible)
-- Restaurants (formal and informal)
-- Beaches
-- Bars, etc.

She specifically mentioned the American Hotel in Sag Harbor if you have any insight on that old hotel.

I'm not planning to play golf ... so please don't consider this a veiled attempt for access whoring.

Take the advice of several posters and stay on Shelter Island.(your wife will thank you)
beautiful and a 10 minute ferry ride to either fork if the the spirit moves you.
Multiple good restaurants and a good vibe.
play Goat Hill, the ONLY course in The Hamptons that won't be overun that weekend (if you do, take a sense of humor and a helmet)
a good local restaurant there, but tough to get in

[Howard Riefs]

Thanks all (via the board and IM) for the valuable insight and recommendations on all things Hamptons, North Fork, Montauk, Shelter Island, etc.

After much deliberation (read: my wife is the primary decision-maker), we're staying.... at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor.  I figure it will be a good central "home base" for visiting the other villages, Shelter Island and other areas, too. Plus, it only cost 2/3rds of a mortgage payment.

Looking at Shelter Island, how would you spend part of a day there (other than golf)?  Best place for lunch?  Other sights?

[jeffwarne]

Thanks all (via the board and IM) for the valuable insight and recommendations on all things Hamptons, North Fork, Montauk, Shelter Island, etc.

After much deliberation (read: my wife is the primary decision-maker), we're staying.... at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor.  I figure it will be a good central "home base" for visiting the other villages, Shelter Island and other areas, too. Plus, it only cost 2/3rds of a mortgage payment.

Looking at Shelter Island, how would you spend part of a day there (other than golf)?  Best place for lunch?  Other sights?

American Hotel and Sag harbor are good choices-town will be buzzing
Hotel is very old world, the restaurant is excellent,and pricey.

Shelter Island: Mashomack Wildlife preserve covers 1/3 of island. Several loops can range from 1 mile to 20 miles. Home of the land for my fantasy golf course along the bluffs, through the fields and amongst mature trees,
Restaurants-many more-see trip advisor
upscale? Vine street cafe, Ram's head Inn,18 Vine
Local spots? i.e. affordable The Dory-nice views over lakelike inlet, Fresh (Goat Hill), The Islander, multiple others
Hamptony? Sunset Beach-$12 bar drinks nice scenery  
Dirty Dancing era? The Pridwin-great wednesday buffet/dancing in summer
Old world? Chequit
By Boat? Island Cafe also by car, nice secluded spot on water

DRIVE THOUGH AND PAST GOAT HILL dirt road parallels first fairway to clubhouse and 9th hole worth seeing-stop in for  drink

Take a wine Tour on the north Fork via shelter Island(5 min ferry, 10 min drive, 10 minute ferry-each way but beautiful journey) -eat dinner on the island on way back to Sag Harbor-avoid shelter Island on departure day (Monday as traffic can be bead onto fery)

[Mike Sweeney]

Sag Harbor for Italian - http://ilcaps.com/

Lunch on Shelter Island - The back deck at The Dory, no website !

Formal dinner on Shelter Island - http://www.shelterislandinns.com/ramshead/

Casual on SI - http://www.sunsetbeachli.com/restaurant.html

Technically Southampton but pretty close to Sag Harbor for fish dinner on Peconic Bay - http://www.thecoastgrill.com/

[Jud_T]

These are the vineyards I'd check out:

http://www.paumanok.com/

http://www.channingdaughters.com/

http://shinnestatevineyards.com/

http://www.thegrapesofroth.com/index.php

http://www.jamesportwines.com/

http://www.roanokevineyards.com/

http://northfork.patch.com/listings/schneider-vineyards

http://www.lenzwine.com/

http://www.wolffer.com/

[Mike Hendren]

For beach reading, I suggest Phillistines at the Hedgerow:  Passion and Property in the Hamptons by Steven Gaines. 

Bogey

[Howard Riefs]

Thanks for all the additional recommendations. 

As for wineries, how can anyone possibly top this name...

http://www.thegrapesofroth.com/index.php

[Chuck Glowacki]

for live music, the Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, don't let appearances fool you, they book some pretty good acts
and you never know who will show up
for celebrity watching, Nick and Toni's, East Hampton

[bstark]

The best restaurant on the East End is the Frisky Oyster in Greenport..take a ferry ride and check it out:

http://thefriskyoyster.com/

[Keith OHalloran]

Even though bstark is a skinny guy, his restaurant advice is good!  . Take the ferry from Sag Harbor to Greenport, spend the day, and eat at The Oyster.

[Chuck Glowacki]

North Fork Table, Southold

[Chris Shaida]

very good advice above. Mashomack is stupendously beautiful.  Vine and Firsky Oyster are very good (though as mentioned the latter woul require TWO ferry rides. Both enjoyable--and the second ferry (North) you could leave your car behind.

One other activity in SI is a quided kayak trip.  The shore line of SI has thousands of nooks and crannies. Exploring by kayak is big time fun if you like that kind of thing--it's not strenuous and you see a ridiculously varied seascape given the short distance you'd actually paddle.

Jeff et al -- did Planet Bliss close permanently

[jeffwarne]

Chris,
There's now a ferry between Sag harbor and Greenport-passengers only.

Planet Bliss?

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