Don’t call it the Hamptons!
The sleepy fishing town of Montauk may be part of the affluent summer hotspot geographically — but culturally it’s a world away from the “bougie, sell-out” area, locals and visitors said ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
As New Yorkers flocked to Long Island’s beach towns for the holiday, Montauk devotees insisted the end-of-the-line enclave is more charming and “down to earth” than the Hamptons, which has become a ritzy playground for the super wealthy, dotted with high-end shops and clubs.
“It’s a different genre of person out here, 100%,” said Allison Affenita, 24, a fashion designer from Bayport, LI, who has been visiting Montauk since she was a kid. “These people are out here just to relax, hear the birds, go fishing, talk to the same person at the bar they’ve been talking to for the past 20 years.
“[It’s] absolutely not the Hamptons,” she said. “The Hamptons is very much photos and shopping.”
To anyone who disagrees, she said, “Well, you’re clearly not from here, my friend. But thanks for stopping by.”
In recent years, some static has started crackling among Montauk locals who say the tiny seaside town isn’t really the Hamptons, where stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone and Alec Baldwin reportedly summer in swanky multimillion-dollar homes.
Officially, Montauk is the easternmost point of the Hamptons, located within the Town of East Hampton — but don’t tell that to its residents.
“Walk around [East Hampton], and what do you see? Gucci, Prada — they sold out,” said John Fierro, who owns Fierro Pizza shops in both East Hampton and Montauk. “This town became bougie. East Hampton is a lot of money.”
By contrast, he said, Montauk has a “hometown feel” with “mom and pop” stores and hardworking folks with humble roots.
“It still has the old values of an old-school town,” he said.
As evidence, look no further than a kids’ sport game, he said.
“My kids grew up in [East Hampton], and when you played Montauk, they were the toughest kids and the toughest girls,” he said. “Every time they played Montauk, [Montauk] kicked our asses.
“Their fathers were fishermen. … They learned how to work,” he said.
People come to the Hamptons to escape the city — and to Montauk to escape the Hamptons, said Peter Moore, 69, who has lived in Montauk for 17 years.
“Now we are Hamptons-esque,” he said, adding a surge of young people now flock to the Surf Lodge hotel, which has outdoor concerts. “It’s more of a happening place.”
East Hampton has a population of roughly 28,000, according to census data, which has been estimated to quadruple in the summer months.
Montauk, in comparison, has a population of roughly 4,000 and doesn’t attract as many visitors.
Despite East Hampton’s strip of luxury clothing shops — including outposts of Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Gucci — Affenita said she prefers the laid-back, casual style of Montauk.
“The people here have cooler style, they’re much more down to earth,” she said.
Nicole Meehan, 41, who owns the ice-cream shop Sundae Fundae in Montauk, said, “If people want to call it the Hamptons, let them.
“Personally, I don’t think it is.”
“The vibe is very different. We are a fishing community,” she said. “It’s casual.”
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