AshbyDodd

How Did The Hamptons Become THE Hamptons?!

In my early twenties, I was asked for the first time if I “summered in the Hamptons.” (The Hamptons is a vacation spot outside of New York City.) Even though, at the time, I was working for a television network in Manhattan, it was an unexpected question. I was struggling to make ends meet at the time, so spending the summer in one of the East Coast’s most affluent and exclusive regions was out of the question. When I was asked about my social connections, I laughed. My connections were cocktail waiters, bartenders, and musicians – they were the hired help. I wasn’t looking to cater an event just to get in the door. There were no upcoming Jitney rides in my future. So I wondered: how did the sleepy beach town become a destination for the rich and famous?

I’ve been lucky enough to go to the Hamptons several times since then, and as much as I hate to admit it, it’s totally worth the hype! In the video below, find out how The Hamptons grew from a small community to a playground for the wealthy:

The Hamptons, a succession of coastal hamlets and villages on Long Island’s South Fork, embodies a dual-sided historical significance. In its early days, the region bore witness to the growing spirit of American democracy through the 1640 settlement of Southampton, which established a self-governing community. As time progressed, it evolved into an exclusive retreat for the nation’s elite, thus epitomizing the stratification of wealth and power.