I often thought of Greenport, Long Island, as the Hamptons’ challenged stepsister. During the drive for a quick getaway to investigate the area I adjusted my stance. The North Fork is the one who gets it but has no interest in letting too many in on the secret for fear of spoiling its inherent nature.
Greenport’s pier is the site of the North Ferry to Shelter Island.
The North Fork has been lauded for its agricultural bounties, dense with farms, vineyards, lavender and seafood operators, though characteristics of its tony neighbor across the bay have steadily been encroaching.
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- From yachts to dinghies, boats from all over the world dock in Greenport.
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- Barba Bianca, a finer coastal dining alternative over neighboring take-a-number restaurants.
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- Antique finds in town.
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- Little Creek Oysters offers fresh seafood to go.
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- If you rather catch your own dinner.
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- Authentic flavor.
There are Hampton styled cottages that are softly updated aside homes that could benefit from a visit to the Home Depot just three town aways. I saw such a ramshackle home on the drive to the hotel. Aside a cheerful sunflower patch was an antique farmhouse with no trespassing signs nailed to its side. A crusty character sat on the porch who would not appear out of place holding a shot gun and wearing long johns held up with suspenders, perhaps guarding his moonshine.
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- Porch style.
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- Charms of a town square.
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- A stately though unpretentious home close to town.
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- A historic relic.
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- Old-fashioned soda fountain.
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- Selling the basics.
In the hub of Greenport’s town consignment shops may outnumber organic lifestyle retailers, which works with me as I returned home with a set of china not made in China, fuchsia slip dress and gilded picture frames. The stores were decorated with vintage flair, a gratuitous use of patriotic emblems, which reminded me of Southampton in the bicentennial year. In fact Greenport may be Southampton in the 70s but it’s in a conflicted pace to catch up.
The 67 Steps that give the beach its namesake.
The region offers a mix of activities. You can tour wineries, stock up on just picked produce from the farm stands or swim along hidden beaches that offer stunning views of the bay and coast.
A private watering spot to help you forget.
We stayed at American Beech, a hip boutique hotel that could be the country version of a SoHo counterpart. Proprietor Brent Pelton is suitably qualified in acknowledging Greenport’s innate charm while giving the town a nudge into its deserved haute destination category, using his background in hospitality and law to create a lifestyle resort plotted within town. The compound includes a check in bungalow with a well edited shop, restaurants, bar and five tasteful suites with those details travelers adore like crispy white linens and bottles of Fred water for a charge.
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- The courtyard of American Beech has a resort feel.
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- American Beech restaurant if you want to dine within the hotel’s compound.
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- Check in also offers a boutique to browse clothes and home accents.
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- Suites with an attention to modern style.
In walking distance is shopping, restaurants, IGA market (another relic from a past decade) and pier with a quaint carousel. The Monday evening we visited the town hosted a band with dancing where you will fraternize with New Yorkers capitalizing on a three day weekend along with locals who have the we’ve-been-here-first elitism. I’ve always found that a devoted supporter to a town’s native essence allows a gem’s preservation to be thoughtfully handled.
Local band with dancing along the pier.
The pull between local and upscale is evident in everything from the boutiques to service the urban crowd like Calypso, or restaurants such as The Frisky Oyster if you have a hankering for duck confit spring rolls.
Wandering the town and you will find personalized authenticity in the seaside storefronts.
Autumn is another known commodity known to true North Forkers, its golden season is when you sieve out the ladies-drink-free and families with Thules clasped on to their SUVs crowd. The agricultural bounties kick in, with farm stands bursting with harvested crops and corresponding activities like hay rides and fundraisers. There are events aplenty, which include an Oyster Festival and East End Maritime Festival to showcase the area’s rich nautical history.
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- Farmer’s selects.
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- Sunflower patches abound.
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- Best souvenirs to take home from this farm community.
Even the locals have more of an edge to them versus the typical coastal native profile who speak with heavy accents that can be sourced to the colonial days and eat lobster for breakfast. This is Long Island.
http://www.greenportvillage.com/category/lodging/hotels-and-motels/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g47827-Greenport_North_Fork_Long_Island_New_York.html
