What does a post-lockdown Hamptons look like?

Meredith Lepore talks to restaurant owners and business founders about what the Hamptons are like in 2020 

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Meredith Lepore2 September 2020

Despite being a resident of New York City for the past decade, I've never been much of a Hamptons girl. I had been to the incredibly lovely Quogue a few times (although my friend, a lifelong Amagansett dweller, informed me that Quogue is not the Hamptons - and believe me, Hamptonites take the town borders seriously.)

For many New Yorkers, the Hamptons provides the ultimate home away from home and when New York very speedily and horrifyingly became the Coronavirus epicenter of the world, anyone who had a Hamptons house or could escape to one, definitely did. Plenty of celebrities joined them, including Rihanna, who has been renting a $415,000/month house since June and Beyonce, who has been spotted with Jay-Z boating.

Though the beautiful houses that offered bountiful yards full of peonies were envy-inducing on Instagram for the rest of us (to a point where it got some influencers in trouble), we also knew that just like the city, much of what makes the Hamptons "the Hamptons"the restaurants, the shops, the beaches, the energy of the peoplewere also shut down. Would the Hamptons have a regular summer? Only time would tell.

UnSplash

When I decided to take a last-minute trip in early June with a small group of friends, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was how desperately I needed to get out of the city, as running over to the Hudson every day just wasn’t cutting it as a getaway. But what were hotels going to be like? Covered in plastic? Empty? Or even worse, overcrowded?

Here's what to know if you're considering a late summer visit.

Hotels

To my delight and surprise, it actually felt normal when we arrived at the picturesque Baron's Cove in Sag Harbor, about 100 miles east of New York City. The pool was open, kids were jovial, grownups were relaxed and the world at once seemed normal again for just a few minutes. Of course, there were masks all around (the protocol around masks and being water adjacent is still very nebulous) and social distance stickers, but it still felt like a lovely hotel that made social distancing quite easy. The majority of rooms have their own outdoor area and don’t require you to go through a hallway to get there.

Baron’s Cove just launched a promotion with the option to book your own private hotel room or suite for a six-month period to come and go as you please. This new offer is available October through March with rates starting at $10,000 for a 6-month stay.

The Restaurants

While outdoor dining only recently started up again in New York City, it has been going strong in the Hamptons this summer.

Hot spot Calissa, with its phenomenal outdoor area, offers trendy cocktails and the simple pleasure of just eating at a restaurant with other people.

The next night at Moby’s, an East Hampton establishment, felt as normal as possible.

Moby's co-owner, Nick Hatsatouris, explained what it is like to run a restaurant during this extremely strange time. “It’s definitely been challenging navigating the ever-changing operating conditions. Every restaurant is going through that. We started with a small take-out team in May. When outdoor seating was approved in mid-June, we quickly had to bring on more people. Fortunately, we have a big garden and a central location. I’m finding that people are just really happy to be able to dine outside, and we’re able to offer a really well-spaced set-up thanks to the amount of property we have, which guests appreciate. The overall mood has been really good.”

Sofia Crokos, owner of Elaia Estiatorio in Bridgehampton, shared a similar sentiment. “The summer has been going well. We are very grateful to still be in business - our community, friends, old and new summer visitors alike have been coming to support our restaurant. We feel fortunate to be bustling along during these crazy and uncertain times, feeling the support from our Bridgehampton community.” But of course, everything is still a bit different as new safety precautions have to be taken. “It took some time for us to really get into our stride and see what works best, but we feel we have found that now.”

Kit Still, General Manager of Main Street Tavern, a new Amagansett restaurant, was able to factor in COVID-19 into the launch and design. Still said, “It's actually been an inspirational summer. We have come together to offer new options for our community and the response has been wonderful. Main Street Tavern was built in light of the pandemic, so our systems and safety have been at the forefront of design from the start, and I think that has reassured our diners into knowing they are 100% safe and welcome.

In June, the crowds were definitely quieter than previous summers, but when I went back in July, most of the restaurants felt like they were almost at full capacity.

People who have gone there every summer and rented houses this year said it often felt more crowded than before, as more people were staying and not returning to New York City to go back to the office. Lines were still out the door for Jack’s Coffee, beaches were still full, stores are still selling over-priced clothing and celebrities like Hugh Jackman, Kelly Ripa, Scarlett Johannson and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been spotted throughout the summer.

And the nightlife is still happening, as everyone saw with the recent Chainsmokers concert fiasco, which was called the Fyre Fest of the coronavirus-era for its lack of social distancing.

However, for the most part, people are following the rules while still taking advantage of the beautiful scenery and offerings.

Kristina Camia of The Backal Hospitality Group launched the new catering company Hampton Road Trip, which launched in July. In collaboration with Minuty Rosé and Montauk Brewing Co., they bring the dining experience to you, whether at the beach, on a boat, in a pool, or anywhere you can make a party happen right now in a safe, socially distanced way.

The idea started out as something else but, of course, had to pivot but so far, the response has been quite strong. And with so many people staying past Labor Day, outdoor eating becoming the only acceptable way to socialize, and their highly Instagrammable packages (each one named for a road trip song), this could be one of the most genius companies to launch this summer.

In other words, nothing is normal right now, but The Hamptons, though far different than previous summers, is still thriving.

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