The Hamptons: Towns

Westhampton Beach Come for beaches, trendy Main Street shopping, casual restaurants and nightlife at a leading performing arts center. The Hamptons’ only ocean-view hotels until Montauk are found along Dune Road.

Quogue and East Quogue Drive through Quogue to see its stately, 19th-century Victorian mansions and contemporary residences. Next door, unpretentious East Quogue’s public beach clubs draw hot, young bodies.

Hampton Bays The second largest commercial fishing fleet in New York takes up residence here, drawing fisherman and sailors. Hard-working families and buff volleyball players come for the seashore and fish joints.

Southampton Landed society merges with Wall Street tycoons in the summer colony that New York’s wealthiest families established in the 1880s. Expect imposing oceanfront estates, a top-rated beach, and upscale shopping and dining options.

Bridgehampton Emerald farmland, vineyards, horse farms, and a polo field make up one of the quietest, most countrified Hamptons villages. Antique shops, restaurants, and a history museum line the one-street hamlet.

Sag Harbor Artsy locals commingle with visitors in this old whaling port with its restored Victorian houses, mom-and-pop stores, stylish shops, and art galleries. Mega-yachts dock in the village’s deep-water port.

East Hampton Designer boutiques, trendy restaurants, and one of the country’s most beautiful beaches make this a mecca for celebutantes and art-world powers. Along tree-lined Main Street, gracious old homes abound.

Amagansett A farmer’s-market-cum-social-gathering-place anchors this quiet B&B-filled hamlet by the ocean. Locals (like, ahem, Sir Paul McCartney) jam at the marquee club here.

Montauk There’s some debate about whether Montauk is a true “Hampton,” but this easygoing resort town is worth mentioning for its picturesque cliffs and ocean and sound beaches – favorites among sportfishers and surfers.