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Spot: Montauk, NY
Places to stay
This place is tough in the summer, as the huddled masses of New York City flock to the east end to beat the heat. Summer homes rent for more money than you can imagine
There is tent camping and RV parking at Hither Hills State Park but you can imagine those sites are booked weeks, months even years in advance by regular visitors who know how the place works. Hither Hills is on the west end of Montauk and has access to miles and miles of nice beaches. Very popular with fishermen, but you might get some surf, too. For reservations call (800) 456-2267
There is also camping for contained campers at Theodore Roosevelt County Park, which is on the sight of America’s first cattle ranch – because the different bodies of water provided natural fencing. This also the place where the Rough Riders took some R and R after charging San Juan Hill and winning the Spanish-American war. For camping reservations call (631) 852-7879.
If you don’t have a friend who lives out there, and you don’t have $50,000 to $100,000 a month to rent a beach house, hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts are an option. Bit if you’re planning to go out there, plan ahead.
According to the www.onmontauk.com website: “Montauk has more hotels and motels than any other Suffolk County destination. Some are small family owned establishments, others luxury resorts. Montauk’s season is generally defined as the last weekend in June to Labor Day weekend. However, most businesses begin to open in April and May, and many do not close until November or December. Most hotels and motels offer off-season rates, but the timing of the off-season varies from one hotel to another. It is best to check with each establishment regarding their policy. Fall is our second busiest season. Surfcasters and fishermen come for the abundant striped bass and blues off our shores. The weather is warm and the sea is usually warm enough to swim until mid-October. The locals will tell you “Fall is the best time.” Winter is our quiet season, but some businesses are open year-round.”
To get the scoop on Montauk Lodging, click here.
Food
Most small towns are dull and lacking in sophistication, but that is not a problem around Montauk. One of the positive things about having lots of rich, sophisticated folks in the ‘hood, is that the stores and restaurants are stocked with quality things to eat and drink. Montauk is a prime example of that. You can get anything you want in the small markets and delis of Montauk, from the jelly croissants at Montauk Bake Shoppe, to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop (not part of the chain) to the fried chicken at Herb’s Montauk Market.
The local restaurants feature fresh seafood straight outta Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. For a list of everything and a map of how to get there, click here.
Parking, access and directions
If you’re taking daddy’s helicopter or private jet, Montauk Airport requires prior permission to land private jets, so call 631-668-3738. Montauk Harbor is home to one of the largest commercial and sport fishing fleets in New York, and it can handle whatever luxury yacht you want to pull in there.
For the proletariat, Montauk is accessible by car on the Long Island Expressway. Take exit 70 and go south on Manorville road for about five miles then hook into Route 27 East. Keep going until you see perfect, offshore a frames for miles and miles and miles….
The Long Island Railroad has regular service out to the tip which takes about three hours – and you don’t have to worry about traffic.
There is also bus service on the Hampton Jitney, which takes about three and a half hours – traffic permitting.
If you’re coming from New England, the Cross Sound Ferry takes cars to Orient Point and it’s a nice drive to Montauk. There is also passenger-only ferry service from New Haven, Connecticut on the Viking Fleet.
For detailed directions from all over, check out “Directions to Montauk” on www.montauk-online by clicking here.
For a real time traffic report, check out http://www.MontaukTrafficReport.com
The truth is, your daddy’s helicopter, private jet or yacht are the best way to get out there though, because the Long Island Expressway is called “The world’s longest parking lot” by anyone who has been stuck in it for hours.
Once you get out to Montauk, parking is a worry in season, because every legal spot is usually taken, and the cops are ticket happy.
To drive on the beach, non-residents of East Hampton must pay an annual fee, and show a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to the Town Clerk.
Surf Shops
Only a couple, which is all you really need:
Woody’s Surf Shop is in Shirley, which is about 40 miles from Montauk, on the way out. Take exit 68. Click here for directions.
Air and Speed Surf Shop is so low key, they don’t even have a website but you can find them at No. 7 The Plaza in Montauk, or call 631-668-0356.
Attractions
Montauk is world famous for fishing from everything from striped bass to great white sharks. Surf fishing is popular from one end to the other, and there are commercial charters leaving from Montauk Harbor. There is also horseback riding, sailboarding, kite surfing, history walks in the State Parks and at the Lighthouse.
Also celebrity spotting and pelting the paparazzi.
For a different kind of hunting, the nightlife in the summer is pretty jumping, and the bars are populated by models and rock stars and others. The Memory Motel is the place immortalized by the Rolling Stones in their 1976 hit from the Black and Blue album: She got a mind of her own/and she use it well. The Memory Motel has rooms but also a bar which lives up to its place in rock and roll history. This is as good a place as any to start your investigations into Montauk nightlife.
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