East Hampton vs. South Hampton?
 

My husband and I are planning a weekend getaway and have never been to the Hamptons. Can anyone tell me the difference between staying in East vs. South Hampton? What has cuter town, better beaches, what is the vibe in each, etc.
How far are they from one another driving/traffic?
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

My all time favorite is East Hampton.
I might be completely wrong but it feels like East is younger and more fun, South is older and more serious..although both are very beautiful and have great shopping and restaurants.
We had a house in Montauk so EHampton was close and where we spent the most time..Traffic used to be horrible, doubt that has changed :)

Thanks Scarlett. Is there a particular beach you like there? How do the beaches work? Can anyone go?

i love east hampton. i'd say it has more taste. south hampton is nice, but more trendy/young in my experience. sad to say, the traffic is tough for both and the whole area out there, as it's only the one road, 27 that gets you in and out.

That's 2 for East! Is the traffic bad all weekend long or just Friday & Sunday (going in and out)?

JES, the beach we used was near our house, Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk.

Beaches in the Hamptons - with the exception of state parks (Hither Hills or Montauk Lighthouse) are either privately owned or town beaches. Obviously you cannot use the former unless you're an invited guest.

If you stay in a B&B or motel in one of the towns they will give you a sticker for your car for that town. You can;t use other towns beaches (people will complain and you can be towed). Many locals are VERY wealthy and don;t want beaches clogged with strangers - so this control is strict.

East Hampton is more New Englandy and artsy/craftsy, lots of writers etc. Southhampton is more high fashion/movie/theater stars. Both are VERY wealthy and VERY expensive.

Traffic is awful on weekends and not so bad during the week (assuming you're talking about the summer). You can do East to South (about 10 miles) in 30 minutes - if you;re lucky - or an hour if something's going on.

Beaches are similar: dunes, sand and water. But if you're not used to it do remember that this is the North Atlantic - will be chilly and can be VERY rough with undertows. Don;t swim out unless you're an expert.

nytraveler--thanks for the rundown. That's very helpful.
Any great recommendations for a b&b that will give us a sticker for a good beach that is reasonably priced and where we won't have to drive too much (in that traffic;)

Oops, meant for the last line to be a question.

There are a couple of nice little places along the Old Montauk Highway that are just a walk across the street and down a path to the Beach.
Lenhardts ( spelling is probably off)
Burcliff by the Sea...we stayed there years ago, every year, cottages with fireplaces, charming, great location.
There are more but alas, my memory has failed :)

Thanks Scarlett!

Here's my take; East Hampton as a village is busier (parking is awful), younger, trendier, more restaurant options, better movie theater, more "new" money.

Southampton has some trendy stores too (Intermix has opened there), but more old money/society. Ironically though, Southampton gets more "day trippers" b/c it's closer. Both are very nice and I'd pick whichever has a b & b or inn that's available at a decent price (which will be hard before Labor Day). I also wouldn't limit yourself to just those 2 villages. While they're the major shopping villages, Bridgehampton and Wainscott may have some more affordable motel options and are not far. The Enclave Inn is a group of motels that might be more affordable.

There are also some motels in East Hampton and Amagansett on the ocean so you wouldn't have to drive at all.

The beaches in all the towns are more or less the same in terms of nice sand. Major differences have more to do with size of parking lots and whether or not the beach has a pond as well as the ocean (those with ponds attract families with kids) <b>Any of the beaches are open to the public.</b> This is law. The issue is parking. So if you took a taxi or bicycled to the beach, there's no problem at any of them. If your inn doesn't have beach passes, you can pay for day parking for non-residents at some of the beaches , but not usually on weekends in season.

The nicest inn is supposed to be A Butler's Manor which happens to be in Southampton. In Easthampton, the Maidstone Arms, 1770 House and Mill Hill Inn in Easthampton are in the center of town.

The places Scarlett mentions are in Montauk and nice b/c they're across from the ocean, but a different experience to towns in the Hamptons.

You're correct - technically the beaches are open to the public - you just can;t get to them without a car - which must have a sticker. Difference in technicality - but the same in effect - since in South and East Hampton the B&amp;Bs aren;t on - or near - the beach. They're in the town and you need a car - or a REALLY long walk.

Other of the towns do have places to stay nearer the beach - so you can walk. For a budget you might want to check out some of the Condo colonies between Montak and Amaganssett. Many have sizeable kitches so you can do your own breakfast - and even casuale lunches or order in dinner to save money. (Most will want to rent only by the week - but there are a bunch and you might catch a cancellation.)

But finding anything for a reasonable price (you don;t say what that is) before Labor Day is a real task.

Thanks for the advice--so you are saying the beaches are public if you can walk, but you need a sticker to park--and I'm assuming that means a non-resident cannot pay to park? I was a little confused there. Is there just limited parking or NO parking for out of towners?
Thanks again!

With a very few exceptions, all beaches in the US are public from the mean high tide line.

It is the access to the beaches that is private.

Parking passes for non-residents are prohibitively expensive -- by design.

I prefer East Hampton &amp; Amagansett. I just like the &quot;feel&quot; better. Sag Harbor is also great.

In terms of beaches, the Atlantic is COLD and can be very rough. Consider activities in the Sound (and its associated bays) like kayaking etc.

Enjoy!

There are a few beaches that allow daily parking (for a fee of ~$15) for non-residents, but only on <i>weekdays</i> during high season which through Sept.

If you bike to the beach or get driven (by taxi or a friend), you can walk onto <i>any</i> beach. There's no one standing there looking for beach passes for people on foot. You just need a sticker to park.

Here's an article I found from the NY Times that sort of explains the situation in East Hampton. It becomes a bit more confusing b/c there are village beaches and town beaches.
http://tinyurl.com/ejhtk

But bottom line, as you look for a place to stay, you might ask if they have beach passes. ;)

The design - as much as possible - is to keep anyone except locals and those staying at official inns or motels in the town off the beach. You can get on them but it is very difficult, time-consuming and a major pain in the butt. (Long bike ride, cab both ways - and in the summer in the Hamptons cabs book up early - or someone to drop you off and pick you up.) And like many wealthier areas of Long Island random parking on roads is not allowed in many places (residents have to keep cars in their garages, driveways or forecourts).

And my understanding is that access applies only to town beaches. Actual private beaches (those attached to people's houses) ARE private property - there was a ruling that you can walk along in the water if you want - but not up onto the beach - which they have spent millions of dollars to buy.

And - this is not limited to the Hamptons. Many areas have public beaches/parks - North Hempstead for instance - that can be entered only with a town sticker - to keep local tax payers - who have paid for the facilities - from being pushed out by tens of thousands of non-payers from the City - or less affluent towns.

<i>&quot;The design - as much as possible - is to keep anyone except locals and those staying at official inns or motels in the town off the beach.&quot;</i>

This is just not true. The design is to make it easy for people who own homes in the area and pay taxes to park their cars and get first priority to do so.

I think we may have to agree to disagree on this, nytraveler. You make beach access in the Hamptons sound more difficult than it is. It's true there are some areas in other places on Long Island where you must be a resident to get ON the beach by showing a sticker just to <i>walk</i> onto the beach, but that's just not true in the Hamptons.