Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's the one. I lived around the corner and use to go relax up there quite a bit.
*Edit* I forgot to mention, I actually prefer Portsmouth to the Old Port as well. I think it's a little more intact (I love Market Square), and I like that there are more places to sit by and view the water. Portland's obviously bigger and has more urban amenities, but Portsmouth proximity to Boston makes up for a lot of that. If given the option to live in either again, I'd choose Portsmouth. But I like visiting both.
I lived in Portsmouth for a decade. It's easily the best place I've lived. The Great Recession chased me out. Home prices and home ownership costs are really high. I picked somewhere coastal that's a lot more affordable.
I had a ton of business travel when I lived there. It was good Logan Airport access since I-95 is an 80 mph road to route 128 and 1/1A to the airport doesn't require a tunnel. I had a Boston Symphony season subscription. The company had a luxury box at the Garden I used a lot.
I'd comment that the water is freakin' cold. You can't swim without a wetsuit until July and any storm churns up the upper warm layer and it's back to a water temp in the 50s. Summer is short. The boating also isn't great. You can only go to the Isle of Shoals so many times.
Every place on this list has some tradeoffs. I've sailed the Chesapeake a lot in the fall so I've spent a lot of time in Annapolis. Summer is awful. October 1 is glorious. I've sailed a lot in Casco Bay. It's not as amazing as Penobscot Bay and points east but it's really nice from the 4th of July through mid-September.
Vibrancy is seasonal. Sleepy in the winter, and almost too vibrant in the summer, but the spring and fall months are perfect where the weather is nice, but you can go to restaurants without having to make reservations far in advance.
Aesthetic, Waterfront, Beaches
Established in 1639, and many of the old structures and land have been preserved. It is a mix of old world charm, with a beach atmosphere and culture. Main Street is quaint and as charming as you can get, lined with old growth trees, and old, but preserved buildings, with modern stores and boutiques hidden inside them. Old Inns and B&Bs, bookended on both sides of town with old windmills. Some of the nicest, soft sand beaches in the country on the ocean side, and the bay on the other side of town, with plenty of ponds filled with swans and ducks, as well as brooks where you can go hiking.
Food and Drink
Plenty of casual seafood and lobster shacks, amazing old-style restaurants in the Inns, and some of NYCs finest Michelin star, and other NYC restaurants that have secondary locations in The Hamptons. Some of these restaurants do a pop-up location for a couple of seasons, while others have made a permanent home there.
East Hampton cant hold a torch to Newport or The Cape/Islands, not even in the same level as Portland ME, Savannah GA, some Jersey Shore Points and some coastal New England towns. I was severely disappointed with East Hampton NY. Each time I go, I am underwhelmed.
The aesthetic in Nantucket and Savannah are unmatched on this poll. Savannah wins out for size, and year around vibrancy. Both oozing with charm. I can absolutely see why Savannah and Portland are leading.
For me, there are very few places I'd rather spend my time than Nantucket. Food is awesome. The beaches are beautiful. The island's bike paths serve as arguably the main form of transportation. The downtown is really expansive for such a small island. And, Cisco Brewery in season should be on everyone's bucket list.
East Hampton cant hold a torch to Newport or The Cape/Islands, not even in the same level as Portland ME, Savannah GA, some Jersey Shore Points and some coastal New England towns. I was severely disappointed with East Hampton NY. Each time I go, I am underwhelmed.
I don’t know why this has to be a pissing match. There are a lot of beautiful places in the world to talk about, without having to disparage any of them. But, as long as we are going down that road, I have spent time in all those places you mentioned, and they are not even in the same league, except for maybe Nantucket, and even that is questionable, just due to it’s remoteness. “Some Jersey Shore Points”? Seriously? I have spent my entire childhood going to the Jersey Shore. I have spent a lot of time, everywhere from Long Branch to Cape May and everywhere in between. Sure, there are nice parts, but nothing remotely as nice as East Hampton. All of the dunes areas there have long since been dismantled, to make way for homes that are only a couple of feet away from each other. I’ll take the place with homes on 2, 5, 10 acres of untouched land. The homes are often separated from the beach by a street, and often a boardwalk as well. The beauty has been replaced by easy tourist access. The Jersey Shore has been designed to draw people in, while the Hamptons has been designed to keep people out.
East Hampton is not meant to be a “tourist destination“, and I think that is the problem some one/two timers, like you, have when they go. It is a place where people “summer”. Since they only spend a short period of time there, they don't know where to go or what to do. They are not invited to clam bakes on a remote private beach. They don’t have access to the best restaurants. They don’t know the most beautiful areas to go, and if they did, they would have no place that they would be permitted to park in order to get out and enjoy it.
It is a much different experience if you are on the inside rather than on the outside, but even an outsider can drive down Lilly Pond Lane or Further Lane, and see the absolute charm and beauty that attracts people from Los Angeles, Palm Beach, and various European countries, to spend their summers there. Half of my neighbors are second homeowners from France, Italy, London, etc. The family next door to me is a wealthy tech guy who lives the rest of the year in Seattle. There are several A-list Hollywood actors in my little neighborhood. There is a reason why so many people with the means to spend their summers anywhere on the planet, spend their summers there. Even the Wall Street weekenders from NYC, fly there, and it is just as easy for them to fly to any of those other places you have mentioned. Yet most of them choose The Hamptons over those places. The reason is that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. There is a reason why people feel the need to compare their favorite places to The Hamptons, and not Savannah GA or the Jersey Shore. I always find it a form of flattery when someone says “It is like The Hamptons without the attitude.” Or “without the crazy prices.” Or “Such-in-such a place is better than The Hamptons”, because while they may mean it as a negative, it tells me that the Hamptons are the benchmark. The place other places aspire to be like. After all, it’s not like people in The Hamptons go around comparing it to other places.
I don’t know why this has to be a pissing match. There are a lot of beautiful places in the world to talk about, without having to disparage any of them. But, as long as we are going down that road, I have spent time in all those places you mentioned, and they are not even in the same league, except for maybe Nantucket, and even that is questionable, just due to it’s remoteness. “Some Jersey Shore Points”? Seriously? I have spent my entire childhood going to the Jersey Shore. I have spent a lot of time, everywhere from Long Branch to Cape May and everywhere in between. Sure, there are nice parts, but nothing remotely as nice as East Hampton. All of the dunes areas there have long since been dismantled, to make way for homes that are only a couple of feet away from each other. I’ll take the place with homes on 2, 5, 10 acres of untouched land. The homes are often separated from the beach by a street, and often a boardwalk as well. The beauty has been replaced by easy tourist access. The Jersey Shore has been designed to draw people in, while the Hamptons has been designed to keep people out.
East Hampton is not meant to be a “tourist destination“, and I think that is the problem some one/two timers, like you, have when they go. It is a place where people “summer”. Since they only spend a short period of time there, they don't know where to go or what to do. They are not invited to clam bakes on a remote private beach. They don’t have access to the best restaurants. They don’t know the most beautiful areas to go, and if they did, they would have no place that they would be permitted to park in order to get out and enjoy it.
It is a much different experience if you are on the inside rather than on the outside, but even an outsider can drive down Lilly Pond Lane or Further Lane, and see the absolute charm and beauty that attracts people from Los Angeles, Palm Beach, and various European countries, to spend their summers there. Half of my neighbors are second homeowners from France, Italy, London, etc. The family next door to me is a wealthy tech guy who lives the rest of the year in Seattle. There are several A-list Hollywood actors in my little neighborhood. There is a reason why so many people with the means to spend their summers anywhere on the planet, spend their summers there. Even the Wall Street weekenders from NYC, fly there, and it is just as easy for them to fly to any of those other places you have mentioned. Yet most of them choose The Hamptons over those places. The reason is that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. There is a reason why people feel the need to compare their favorite places to The Hamptons, and not Savannah GA or the Jersey Shore. I always find it a form of flattery when someone says “It is like The Hamptons without the attitude.” Or “without the crazy prices.” Or “Such-in-such a place is better than The Hamptons”, because while they may mean it as a negative, it tells me that the Hamptons are the benchmark. The place other places aspire to be like. After all, it’s not like people in The Hamptons go around comparing it to other places.
I get what you're saying. I have really enjoyed my time in all of Eastern Suffolk, and East Hampton is no exception.
I would say The Hamptons may be the benchmark when it comes to affluence in the area. Would argue that it's not the benchmark for much more than that. I would argue Montauk is actually the preferred destination town in Long Island more recently. Maybe Sag Harbor.
For me, the biggest hindrance for that general area of LI is that it seems to be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Certainly nice coast line. Nice little towns. Beautiful homes. But do you feel like it has the same aesthetic, look, feel, and commercial activity to distance itself from other high end East Coast towns?
For that reason, I think many folks would choose Newport, or Savannah, or Nantucket.
But, East Hampton is/has always done something right. To your point, it's absolutely a destination.
I get what you're saying. I have really enjoyed my time in all of Eastern Suffolk, and East Hampton is no exception.
I would say The Hamptons may be the benchmark when it comes to affluence in the area. Would argue that it's not the benchmark for much more than that. I would argue Montauk is actually the preferred destination town in Long Island more recently. Maybe Sag Harbor.
For me, the biggest hindrance for that general area of LI is that it seems to be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Certainly nice coast line. Nice little towns. Beautiful homes. But do you feel like it has the same aesthetic, look, feel, and commercial activity to distance itself from other high end East Coast towns?
For that reason, I think many folks would choose Newport, or Savannah, or Nantucket.
But, East Hampton is/has always done something right. To your point, it's absolutely a destination.
Montauk has certainly transformed itself from the sleepy fishing town that it was when I first bought my home, to the destination that it is now. It is mostly a younger crowd, with all of the nightclubs that have popped up there, and the relatively inexpensive motels that the other towns are lacking. And by relatively inexpensive, I mean $250 a night for something that looks no nicer than a Motel 6. The once modest Gurney’s, has transformed itself into a beautiful resort with a night club and Scarpetta’s restaurant, with a great view, high up above the beach. They have some really great restaurants all over Montauk now. We go there often, for the food and scenery.
Sag Harbor hasn’t really changed much over the years. It has always been a quaint little town on the bay, and there is nothing quite like having drinks on the front porch of the American Hotel, people watching as people walk by on Main St. There are more year round residents in Sag Harbor than in the other Hamptons towns, and I think that keeps the rental prices down. Not cheap, but definitely more reasonable than all the other hamlets that are east of the Shinnecock Canal.
What I think distances it from other high end east coast towns, is the harsh zoning laws that have kept the natural beauty of the area. My home is on 2 acres of untouched dune, and I was only allowed to build on 17% of the land. I am not allowed to alter the land in any way, without approval, and they never give approval. Other areas near the ocean are zoned for 5 or 10 acres, with the same restrictions. There are no roads along the beach. No boardwalks, or anything else to take away from the natural beauty. To get there, I drive past farms, and horse ranches that Will never be housing developments. Plus, as I mentioned, the towns there are some of the first English settlements in the country, with a lot of historical landmarks that you don't typically see in newer parts of the country. It is similar to parts of New England in that way. I really like Nantucket for a lot of the same reasons I like the Hamptons, but again, it being an Island has it’s drawbacks.
Last edited by AnesthesiaMD; 06-03-2020 at 01:00 PM..
I don’t know why this has to be a pissing match. There are a lot of beautiful places in the world to talk about, without having to disparage any of them. But, as long as we are going down that road, I have spent time in all those places you mentioned, and they are not even in the same league, except for maybe Nantucket, and even that is questionable, just due to it’s remoteness.
Nantucket doesn't get many day trippers. The fast ferry from Hyannis is $77 plus another $14 for a bicycle. The much cheaper slow ferry is 2 hours 15 minutes. Generally, the people walking around town are paying for hotels there. A Newport or a Portsmouth or a Portland has pretty low barrier of entry. A full tank of gas and some spending money. It's a very different clientele and the businesses cater to extracting that pocket money.
Montauk has certainly transformed itself from the sleepy fishing town that it was when I first bought my home, to the destination that it is now. It is mostly a younger crowd, with all of the nightclubs that have popped up there, and the relatively inexpensive motels that the other towns are lacking. And by relatively inexpensive, I mean $250 a night for something that looks no nicer than a Motel 6. The once modest Gurney’s, has transformed itself into a beautiful resort with a night club and Scarpetta’s restaurant, with a great view, high up above the beach. They have some really great restaurants all over Montauk now. We go there often, for the food and scenery.
Sag Harbor hasn’t really changed much over the years. It has always been a quaint little town on the bay, and there is nothing quite like having drinks on the front porch of the American Hotel, people watching as people walk by on Main St. There are more year round residents in Sag Harbor than in the other Hamptons towns, and I think that keeps the rental prices down. Not cheap, but definitely more reasonable than all the other hamlets that are east of the Shinnecock Canal.
What I think distances it from other high end east coast towns, is the harsh zoning laws that have kept the natural beauty of the area. My home is on 2 acres of untouched dune, and I was only allowed to build on 17% of the land. I am not allowed to alter the land in any way, without approval, and they never give approval. Other areas near the ocean are zoned for 5 or 10 acres, with the same restrictions. There are no roads along the beach. No boardwalks, or anything else to take away from the natural beauty. To get there, I drive past farms, and horse ranches that Will never be housing developments. Plus, as I mentioned, the towns there are some of the first English settlements in the country, with a lot of historical landmarks that you don't typically see in newer parts of the country. It is similar to parts of New England in that way. I really like Nantucket for a lot of the same reasons I like the Hamptons, but again, it being an Island has it’s drawbacks.
Yup, totally get it. There's a reason, after all, it's The Hamptons. We have been talking about heading down there again for the weekend this summer. It's been a few years.
For a second home/vacation, being in Eastern MA, Nantucket is my personal favorite in New England. To your point, it flat out stinks getting there unless you take a pond hopper out of Logan or you go down in off hours. On the flip side, its remoteness only enhances the charm for me. Taking the ferry through open water, and when you arrive, you see Brandt Lighthouse before you take the corner and see the harbor open up into downtown.. The steeples, the brick, the yachts, the sail boats. I have a tough time talking about Nantucket without sounding overly romantic. Part of it is nostalgia, part of it is real.
But, more importantly, it's the variety on the island that secures it as my choice place to frequent in coastal New England. Wranglers on the white sand beaches of the Refuge, watching the seals hang out. The day "parties" and live music at Cisco. Madaket Beach for sunset. Steps beach for the views and the action. And, a ton of good restaurants downtown (thank you, NYC and Boston executive chefs).
Portsmouth and Newport would be next in line. Something about Portsmouth that I like more than Newport, though Newport is probably more interesting to the outside world.
As it pertains to this thread, as most have geared it to year around living.. Savannah and Portland are definitely logical choices.
Nantucket doesn't get many day trippers. The fast ferry from Hyannis is $77 plus another $14 for a bicycle. The much cheaper slow ferry is 2 hours 15 minutes. Generally, the people walking around town are paying for hotels there. A Newport or a Portsmouth or a Portland has pretty low barrier of entry. A full tank of gas and some spending money. It's a very different clientele and the businesses cater to extracting that pocket money.
When I was younger, I spent a summer on Cape Cod. That was the only time I went to Nantucket by boat. From my home, it only makes sense to fly, unless you are going for at least a couple of weeks. It’s a long drive just to get to the ferry. When we have gone, it has only been for long weekends so we flew. The flight to Nantucket isn’t much longer than the flight to East Hampton. Maybe an extra 10 or 15 minutes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
