Welcome to the definitive Hamptons Guide, your all-access pass to the world-class lifestyle and luxury real estate of the East End.
Discover an endless array of things to do in the Hamptons, from the prestigious Polo Hamptons 2026 matches in Bridgehampton to sunset wine tastings at the iconic Wölffer Estate Vineyard. Spend your mornings on the pristine white sands of Cooper’s Beach in Southampton or catching the legendary surf at Ditch Plains in Montauk. Our guide takes you beyond the hedges, offering insider recommendations for luxury dining at 75 Main and Sant Ambroeus, high-end shopping on Jobs Lane, and cultural excursions to the Parrish Art Museum.
Whether you are scouting the Southampton Village real estate market for an oceanfront estate or exploring the historic charm of Sag Harbor, Tim Davis provides the local intelligence and global reach necessary to navigate the most exclusive zip codes in the world. Start your journey into the quintessential Hamptons lifestyle here.
Featured Neighborhoods
Get to know Amagansett
No other Long Island municipality wears its mystique better than the 6.6 square miles that make up Amagansett. An address in Amagansett is much-coveted, as the area straddles a line between rustic hamlet and Hamptons hotspot with stunning aplomb. The Atlantic splashes onto the southern shore as the Napeague Bay calmly dips into the northeast coast. Meanwhile, the beachfront is populated with jaw-dropping residences — including on renowned Further Lane — with the hamlet’s interior home to timeless shingled homes on quiet tree-lined streets. It’s no wonder that countless have gotten swept up in Amagansett’s majesty. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller famously summered in a converted windmill home on Deep Lane in 1957, and plenty more since have also felt the draw of this singular environment out east.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
East Hampton, Montauk, Sagaponack
The Essence of Bridgehampton
Within the Town of Southampton, the hamlet of Bridgehampton has evolved from a 17th-century, English settlement and rural community to a playground for the elite in search of prime water views and large acreage to create their dream properties. Potato fields have given way to organic farms, wineries and horse farms. (The Hampton Classic Horse Show is an annual rite of summer here). Residents also appreciate its central location where country roads avoid NY 27-Montauk Highway, as well as convenient access to a downtown commercial area, health care, and excellent education, including Hayground School and Ross School. To steer the future during this time of demand and growth, the hamlet established a Chamber of Commerce and designated its historic district to preserve the integrity and quality of life for the inviting locale.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Water Mill, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack
The Essence of East Hampton
One of the prized jewels of the Town of East Hampton, the Village of East Hampton remains much as it did when English settlers modeled it after their homeland’s countryside in 1648. Their agrarian society lives on through romantic windmills, family farms and ponds, with a string of beaches along the Atlantic capping off the picture-perfect setting. Beyond natural beauty, many people relate the Village to luxury shopping and gray cedar-shingled homes epitomized by legendary residence Grey Gardens. The grand estates propagated when society arrived in the 19th century, followed by artists and writers who buoyed a vibrant cultural scene that exists to this day. Despite famous faces at café tables and boutiques around town, residents value respected traditions and community spirit. This rare balance has resulted in an everlasting demand for a home here.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Sagaponack, Sag Harbor, Amagansett, Bridgehampton
Get to know East Quogue
If the question is how one secures a Hamptons zip code without getting overwhelmed by the Hamptons hustle, the answer is East Quogue. Undoubtedly a place where you can gaze out on stunning waterside vistas, the scene leans more toward backyard barbecue than it does benefit gala — it’s a neighborhood to spend the summer kicking back rather than rubbing elbows. While there’s plenty of room for activities on Shinnecock Bay and smaller bodies like the Weesuck Creek, there is also the delightfully named Hot Dog Beach across the bay on the ever-sandy Dune Road. Also known by the slightly less appetizing name Triton Lane, Hot Dog Beach used to be quite the party spot. But while the atmosphere has calmed, the beach remains a white sand paradise befitting its Hamptons location.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Quogue, Hampton Bays, Westhampton, Westhampton Beach
The Essence of Montauk
As the Town of East Hampton’s easternmost hamlet, Montauk has earned its longtime nickname “The End.” The peninsula’s unparalleled vistas overlook the Atlantic Ocean, Block Island Sound and a series of bays for breathtaking sunsets. From its earliest settlers, the Montauketts, Montauk has evolved throughout the centuries as a military base, Tudor-inspired luxury resort, creative retreat, surfers’ paradise and fishing village. It continues to cater to diverse demographics from celebrities to tourists for tony resorts and boutique hotels, waterside dining, a vibrant music and nightlife scene, and local attractions including Montauk Point Lighthouse, Gosman’s Dock and Ditch Plains beach and surf break. Community activity extends to annual events hosted during every season, as Montauk takes pride in being a year-round community with down-to-earth residents who coexist with seasonal homeowners. Some people skip the drive by landing at the private Montauk Airport. Within minutes, they can be catching a wave and eating oysters and lobster rolls.
Nearby Neighborhoods: Amagansett, East Hampton
Get to know Quogue
Though the number of residents hovers around a mere 1,000 in Quogue’s five square miles, this shoreside village is among the more esteemed spots on the South Fork. Surfers, literary folks, and lovers of historic homes will find much to enjoy among the endless dunes and tall grasses. More than anything, however, Quogue offers what can sometimes be fleeting among the Hamptons’ bustle: peace and quiet. Quogue has remained subdued even after rapidly accelerating to summer resort status in the mid-to-late 19th century. It is “the Hampton that time forgot,” as Tony-winning playwright, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and longtime resident Arthur Laurents once put it. There is perhaps no better location on the East End to take a notepad out to the dunes and start crafting the Great American Novel. Just remember to strip off your wetsuit first.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
East Quogue, Westhampton, Westhampton Beach, Hampton Bays
The Essence of Sag Harbor
From architecture to industry, a history of the East End unfolds in Sag Harbor. The unincorporated village isn’t as old as the towns of East Hampton and Southampton that share it, yet its significant events and contributions are still felt today along its rambling coastline and well-preserved commercial district. American colonists fighting to win their independence from the British empire, sea captains and whalers making a living from a premier port and network of waterways, and a steady flow of creatives and tourists have left their mark over the years. Stately buildings and homes serve as prime examples of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian styles, and people appreciate its small-town quaintness that remains intact. Extensive beaches, green spaces and waterfront properties also drive up the desire to live here.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Bridgehampton, Shelter Island, North Sea, Southampton, East Hampton
The Essence of Sagaponack
At the Town of Southampton’s easternmost edge, Sagaponack packs a punch for its size and quiet country roads compared to the hustle and bustle of neighboring hamlets. The village consistently ranks in the top wealthiest zip codes in the U.S., with less than five square miles holding limited residential inventory. Listings don’t last long, as buyers snap up properties for boundless advantages including ocean views, exclusive beaches, privacy and centuries-old farming culture that continues in the 21st century. Some farms have been transformed into elite equestrian facilities, vineyards and residential enclaves, while many have remained in the same families for generations. Lining Sagg Main Street, historic structures dating as far back as to the colonial period include the one-room Sagaponack School that still offers primary education. Visitors can experience the area through the Sagaponack inn and bungalows.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Bridgehampton. Wainscott, Sag Harbor
The Essence of Southampton
Somewhere along its centuries-long timeline, the Village of Southampton became the cream of the crop for summer resort living. The most exclusive of the Town of Southampton’s seven incorporated villages, its coveted beaches and oceanfront, estate-lined lanes such as Meadow and Gin further secure its spot among premier properties worldwide, generation after generation. New York’s first permanent English settlement dating to 1640 has a sense of place that extends beyond its many historic sites; its storied past emanates from private clubs, monikered manses and annual traditions that never cease to charm and captivate. Southampton forever remains a subject of headlines and fantasy, as well as a destination for downtime, socializing, culture and commerce. But…
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Bridgehampton, North Sea, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Water Mill
Get to know Wainscott
No place else captures the bucolic yet bombastic duality of the Hamptons quite like Wainscott. This hamlet in the Town of East Hampton is where the farm-centric past and trendy present merge, which might explain why the styles of homes here range from humble farmhouse retreats to some of the boldest designs on the East End. To Wainscott’s south and east, the Atlantic Ocean and prestigious Georgica Pond neighbor coveted waterfront real estate; the latter is where you’ll spot some of the most eye-catching estates in the area. Beaches along the ocean are beautiful if unimaginatively named — Wainscott Beach, most obviously, and Town Line Beach, which falls on the border of East Hampton and Southampton, being the largest. Further north, the setting feels vastly more unclaimed. The residences in this rural and woodland environment almost hide among the trees, though sand and surf are never far.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
East Hampton, Sagaponack, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor
The Essense of Water Mill
A tiny hamlet in the Town of Southampton, Water Mill takes its name from the water-powered grist mill that jumpstarted its settlement in the 1640s. Today, Water Mill Museum acts as the steward for the iconic relic that remarkably still works. Part of the farming community remains as well, with grain giving way to organic produce, apple orchards and vineyards; more large acreage has been transformed into premier equestrian properties, tree and garden nurseries, and even a private residence’s Rees Jones-designed, 18-hole golf course. Its central location within the East End and exquisite water views of the Atlantic Ocean and Mecox Bay lend to its enduring appeal. It’s no wonder that Water Mill consistently ranks among the most expensive zip codes in the U.S.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Bridgehampton, North Sea, Sag Harbor, Southampton
Get to know Westhampton
Owing to the charming vagaries of Hamptons nomenclature, Westhampton is paradoxically located within the town of Southampton. Thankfully, the physical East End space Westhampton occupies completely jives with its moniker. Many regard Westhampton as the western start of the Hamptons, making the hamlet’s name quite literal. Communities left of the Shinnecock Canal tend to skew more residential and reserved than those on the other side, and Westhampton is no exception. Eclectic house styles blanket the area — ranches, estates, post-moderns, and more — offering different kinds of homes to fit different types of homeowners’ needs. For all the beauty of the greater area with none of the perhaps superfluous flair, Westhampton is ideal. Even if you road trip down Sunrise Highway, ride the Long Island Rail Road to the end, or jet-set from Francis S. Gabreski Airport — all easily accessible — Westhampton will always be waiting with the comforting atmosphere of home.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Westhampton Beach, Quogue, Remsenburg, East Moriches
The Essence of Westhampton Beach
Desirable for its proximity to New York, Westhampton Beach welcomes locals and visitors alike to the East End. In fact, its initials also signify “Where Hamptons Begin.” Tucked between Moriches Bay and Quantuck Bay in the Town of Southampton, the village serves as the bustling business district and cultural epicenter for its barrier island with Westhampton Dunes as well as surrounding hamlets like Westhampton and Quiogue. Its many evolutions come forth in Colonial and Colonial-Revival architecture and restoration projects such as Main Street, the Westhampton Beach Windmill and historic theaters resurrected for new generations of audiences. When not driving to the shore, many people benefit from its Francis S. Gabreski Airport. The aviation facility’s multimillion-dollar expansion and upgrades premiere in 2026 to accommodate demand. They include over 60,000 square feet of hangar space, a 5,600-square-foot, private terminal, fueling station, lounge, café and retail.
Nearby Neighborhoods:
Westhampton, Quogue, Remsenburg, East Moriches
