What to Do On A Day In Westhampton, Long Island

Quieter than it’s neighboring towns of Montauk and Easthampton, Westhampton offers a more local feel for those looking to escape to the Hamptons this summer.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROPERTY OF SVADORE

Many flock to Montauk and East Hampton during the summer and fly past the more quiet towns of Westhampton and Southampton. To be quite honest, I prefer to avoid the 3 hour traffic jams all the way out East and make my commute shorter by stopping in the neighboring and closer towns of Westhampton and Quogue. Some “NY tourists,” as I like to call them, that go to LI from New York in the summer don’t consider Westhampton a part of the real “Hamptons experience.” But if you know any better, that’s far from true. Its year-round residents give the village a little bit more of a sense of community than some of the other towns far east that are only used as summer homes, making it actually more of an authentic Hamptons experience than almost any other hotspot out East. 

Not everyone is from the East Coast, so I feel the need to preface this post with a quick introduction to Long Island. Long Island is in New York state and is the largest island on the East Coast, stretching about 120 miles, right off of New York City. The eastern end of the island is where most people go-to from Spring to Fall. The end diverges into two arms called North and South Forks. The North is known for its vineyards and quiet villages while the South is home to the famous Hamptons, which are divided into two main townships, the most famous ones being as Westhampton, Southampton, Easthampton, Bridgehampton and Montauk. 

We made our way out there “early” on a sunny Friday morning in August. And by early I mean 10AM, but the streets were still clear and getting to Westhampton was super easy. Quick tip: if possible get out there after August 15th, that’s when all the college kids go back to school and you’ll truly have the beach to yourself in the AM! It’s still less packed on a weekday then a weekend for sure, if you go prior to August 15th, but there are just a lot more kids lounging around as the day progresses.

Since we were out there early, we decided to head to the Cupsogue beach for some well deserved vitamin sea (and C!). Cupsogue Beach is public, but feels a lot more intimate due to the limited parking space. That’s why it is important for you to get out here by 10:15AM, because if you arrive any later, you might not be able to enter the beach! Parking for non-residents cost $18 and for Suffolk County residents with Green Key Cards $9. You can’t buy passes in advance and can only buy them once there, which is another reason to get out there early! Is this a bit of hassle? Maybe. But with it’s vicinity to the city, this quiet and pristine long stretch of soft white sand filled with undulating dunes and crashing waves is 100% worth it. 

Cupsogue Beach is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat at the crab shack/beach bar, take a walk on the boardwalk, go scuba diving, surfing or even bass fishing. There is something to do for everyone. The Beach Hut even has live music performances on some nights from 4PM to 6PM adding to a perfect sunset experience. If you want to make a day out of it, the beach even has showers and changing rooms so you can transition from beach mode to night mode.

If you weren’t able to grab a parking spot during peak season, not to worry. After 5:30pm beach admission is free, so you can check out the impressive sunset and enjoy live music and beer on the boardwalk. 

It hit 2:30PM and Pat and I had gotten a nice 2-3 hours of sun, but we were starting to get hungry. We didn’t want to eat at the Beach Hut so decided to make our way down the dune in search of a small and local restaurant. Just a 10-minute drive from Cupsogue Beach we ran into John Scott’s Surf Shack. 

The food wasn’t anything to blow your mind, in fact it was pretty standard, but the vibes that the place emitted were spot on summery. I felt like it was right out of the pages of 1980s California beach catalog. The locale is anything but pretentious, in fact if you don’t come in your bathing suits in slacks, you might feel a bit out of sorts. You can choose to dine indoors where the walls and ceilings are adorned with fishnets, surf boards and buoys or choose to eat outside on the patio overlooking the ocean. We chose to dine indoors and sat across from what I thought was super adorable and vintage, I couldn’t stop obsessing over the small details. Across from our table at the entrance was an old school vintage cigarette dispenser (something I feel like my Italian grandmother would’ve used back in her days!) and an arcade game. Love, love, LOVED the details. 

Seafood was rich on the menu from lobster rolls to crab cakes, to bucket of steamers, , but Pat and I ordered something a bit on the lighter side since it was already 3:30PM. I ordered the grilled chicken caesar wrap and Pat ordered the short rib tacos (so much for a light lunch!). If you get the chance, I recommend you stop by here for dinner or drinks when live music takes place. And if you are lucky enough to be in the area on a Monday night, their 20 cent wing nights starting at 5PM are a can’t miss. I know Patrick would be all over that!

Following our fun-filled afternoon, we decided it was time to head back home, but not without stopping by Westhamptons’ town and Main Street for a quick walk. A walked by the famous Beach Bakery is a must, which after 3 decades of being owned by Simon Jorna and his family, is finally closing it’s doors this Christmas 2018. So if you get the chance stop by and indulge in their baked goods once more before it closes. We also stopped by my favorite little alleyway that has an adorable ice cream shop called Shock Ice Cream. Here you can grab an ice cream that is truly Instagram worthy.  The latest craze is their carnival cone, which is a brand new ice cream-cotton candy combo that looks like a scoop resting on a cloud. Top it off with sprinkles, gummy worms, and marshmallows and you got yourself the ultimate and customized Insta-worthy dessert. It was a bit too much for me to try, I am more of a simple girl myself, but after a gorgeous day in Westhampton at the beach and enjoying a lunch in a laid back surf shack, I’m sure it would have you feeling like you were walking on a cloud (of cotton candy that is). 

Get insider travel tips and lifestyle content on the world’s most exceptional destinations, experiences and products directly to your inbox. Don’t miss out–sign up for travel blog SVADORE on the right hand side to stay up-to-date on where to go, what to do, what to see, where to stay, and where to eat around the globe.

Follow Svadore on Instagram: @SVADORE and @SVADORE_eats

Follow Svadore on Twitter: @SvadoreTravels

Follow Svadore on Pinterest: SVADORE

Follow Svadore on Facebook: SVADORE