Located in the southeastern area of Suffolk County, Southampton is one of the most desirable places in the Hamptons, whether one is looking for a summer home, a weekend getaway from the hectic life of New York City, or a year-round domicile. One of Suffolk County’s ten towns, Southampton is the most populated and largest, surrounded by Riverhead Great and Little Peconic Bays to the north, Brookhaven to the west, East Hampton to the east, and the bays of Shinnecock, Moriches, Mecox, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. 55,210 people live in Southampton year-round, and during the summer, the number can reach double that amount.
Southampton is best known for its famous estate section, sandy beaches and a downtown filled with name brand retailers as well as local boutiques. Southampton Village lies at the heart of Southampton Town. The village is dedicated to its culture and history and is host to The Parrish Art Museum, Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton Cultural Center, Southampton Historical Museum and a fun-filled 4th of July parade.
The first English settlement in New York, Southampton was settled in 1640 by twelve families from Lynn, Massachusetts on land known as Old Town, with the help of the native Shinnecock Indians, who still exist in the area on a 750-acre reservation housing 375 people. Over the course of the next few years, an additional forty-three families moved to the area. The Southampton Hospital is, in fact, built on the location of Southampton’s original meetinghouse. The Halsey House—the home of one of the original families—is still the oldest remaining house in the area. A place rich in history, Southampton has forty-seven cemeteries. The region was later named Southampton after the English home of many settlers. It remained mostly a quiet farming village until the late 19th century when the Long Island Rail Road was extended to Sag Harbor and affluent New Yorkers began making the East End their summer destination.
Southampton has many ocean beaches. Coopers Beach, located just off Meadow Lane, is regarded as one of the best beaches in the country. Meanwhile, Southampton beach stretches for 11 miles from Shinneock Inlet to Sagaponack Pond and has beautiful, high dunes, large summer homes, smaller, guarded beaches, and ponds. Southampton hosts some of the most desired oceanfront homes in the world. The heart of the resort area, the Shinnecock Canal which boasts Long Island’s sole operational lock system, connects the Great Peconic Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. Without it, boats in the south would have to make a far wider trip around Montauk Point to the east before redirecting north.
The town of Southampton comprises a number of incorporated villages and unincorporated hamlets, including the aforementioned Village of Southampton, along with North Haven, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Westhampton Beach, Bridgehampton, Eastport, East Quogue, Flanders, Hampton Bays, Northampton, North Sea, Noyack, Quiogue, Remensburg, Riverside, Shinnecock Hills, Speonk, Tuckahoe, Water Mill, and Westhampton.
Some of Southampton’s most famous restaurants include Cabana, Dragon Garden, Enranmada Restaurant, La Hacienda, Savanna’s, Southampton Princess Diner, Tamy’s Corp, Tugboat’s North Sea House, Wild Thyme Restaurant, and Southampton Publick House, an historic restaurant that boasts Southampton Pumpkin Ale. The Publick House has been making beer since the 1800s and has survived through the years in a number of different incarnations. During Prohibition, the owners of the Publick House ran a restaurant with a speakeasy hidden in the back that attracted such famous people as Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, and Babe Ruth. Southampton also features a number of popular nightclubs, such as Pink Elephant at Cabana, and Tavern.
Tourists who want to visit the area can stay at such lavish bed and breakfasts as Box Farm in Southampton and The Mainstay Inn in Southampton.
Students in the area attend a number of schools, including Southampton Elementary, Intermediate, and High Schools as well as the Tuckahoe School and Southampton Montessori School.
Restaurants
Cabana 281 County Road 39a, Southampton, NY 11968 631-287-9888
Dragon Garden 720 N Sea Rd, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-7703
Enramada Restaurant 450 County Road 39a, Southampton, NY 11968 631-259-8999
La Hacienda 48 Jagger Ln, Southampton, NY 11968 631-287-6814
Oso At Southampton Inn 91 Hill St, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-1166
Savanna's 268 Elm St, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-0202
Southampton Princess Diner 32 Montauk Hwy, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-4255
Southampton Publick House 52 N Sea Rd, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-2800
Tamy's Corp 235 N Sea Rd, Southampton, NY 11968 631-204-0981
Tugboats North Sea House 1271 N Sea Rd, Southampton, NY 11968 631-283-9347
Wild Thyme Restaurant 129 Noyack Rd, Southampton, NY 11968 631-204-0007
For more information:
http://www.town.southampton.ny.us/
http://www.hamptons.com/
http://www.eqny.com/
http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/
http://www.whbcc.org/
http://www.hamptonbayschamber.com/
http://www.SouthamptonChamber.com/
