Hamptons chic spreads east to Montauk

The Hamptons’ posh tentacles are stretching eastward, according to the Wall Street Journal, as once low-key Montauk is seeing continued growth in bars and night life. More than a dozen businesses have changed hands since last summer, as new owners look to revamp properties into destinations for the type of clientele typical of the Hamptons. It’s analogous to Manhattan’s gentrification spreading to the far reaches of the five boroughs.

While some of the new night life business are opening in the downtown area, including hotelier Sean MacPherson’s Crow’s Nest Inn and the Sloppy Tuna, many are opening in residential areas, irking longtime residents. The Surf Lodge, Ruschmeyer’s and Sole East are drawing complaints for traffic, music volume and parking in previously quiet enclaves of the Montauk.

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As a result, the East Hampton Town Board is considering legislation to place restrictions on restaurants and bars in the area next week.

“Montauk’s always viewed itself as the wild east of the Hamptons, and it’s not as wild as it used to be, not as undiscovered as everybody thought it was,” said Julia Prince, a former East Hampton council member who is opening her own diner, La Bodega, in Montauk this summer. [WSJ]