What's missing at the beach in the Hamptons

One of the things that sets the Hamptons' ocean beaches apart is the fact that, from Southampton to Amagansett, there is nothing commercial on or adjacent to them. No on-the-pier oceanfront restaurants where the waves splash against the pylons (sigh). No t-shirt shops. Nowhere to purchase suntan lotion or a hat or flip flops or sand toys. No free-standing burger joints with sand on the floor, no to-go windows to grab a slice of pizza, no place to pick up a six pack of beer.

This gives our beaches a different feel from those further west on Long Island, or the Jersey Shore, or for that matter, the Southern Californian beaches of my youth. It also tends to keep them cleaner, because unless you pre-planned your sundry and culinary needs prior to your beach excursion (perhaps grabbing a sandwich at Schmidt's Market, or the Village Cheese Shop, or the Golden Pear), your only dining option is the snack bar at Southampton's Coopers Beach or East Hampton's Main Beach, and there are plenty of trash cans nearby them.

Instead, you get lots of this:

 (The owners of that "cottage" would REALLY like you to believe that it's their private beach...but it's not. ALL the beach is public. Yay!)

 And, if you walk a few hundred feet down from the main public beach, maybe even this:

Now that's what I call a pristine beach.

And this is what I call a relaxing summers' day at the beach.

So, what's missing: the trash, the traffic, the hecticness of a continual line of vehicles driving past (hey, they're all on Montauk Highway), the tiki bar with what sounds like a frat party being enacted around it...

Doesn't that sound like a loss you can live with?

What else is missing? You.

Wanna come join us?

Quote of the Day:  Beach Rules: Soak up the sun. Ride the waves. Breathe the salty air. Feel the breeze. Build sandcastles. Rest, relax, reflect. Collect seashells. Bare feet required.