Monday, July 6, 2009

A Trip to Southampton



My brother Thom recently bought a home in Southampton, the summer resort town on the eastern end of Long Island. Over the Fourth, TD and I went to visit him, his wife Karen, and sons Brian and Aaron. The house has a great location and getting around on bicycles is easy since it's less than a mile from town and a little more than a mile to the Atlantic ocean. It's a beautiful new house, with spacious proportions and a pool in the backyard.
We settled into the guest room.


My nephew Aaron took me on a bicycle tour of the town. It's a very pretty village with lots of stores for shopping.


We went into Hildreth's which Aaron said is the oldest department store in the country.


Aaron has a part time job which he loves at The Elegant Setting on Main Street, a charming shop stocked with William Yeoward china, monogramed tote bags, and stationary from The Printery. Here is the lad in his element.


Outside the Parrish Art Museum is a striking exhibition of ancient Caesar busts. It smelled wonderful here due to the blooming honeysuckle.


The Topiaire Flower Shop on Jobs Lane had colorful country flowers.


Corals and shells were piled high at Privet Cove.


Then it was time for a trip to the beach.


A seaside manse.


Back at the house we had a refreshing swim in the pool.


Poolside view from my chaise.


The living room has doors out to the pool.


On the Fourth of July we went to the village parade. Bagpipers performed an elegiac tune in a circle.


In Southampton, they plant white impatiens in the traffic meridian which I think is very chic.


In the middle of the town is the still Agawan Lake.


We headed to Coopers Beach.


The runners are off; here are TD, Karen and Thom leaving the house.


At sunset, we went down to the beach for a walk.


And enjoyed a moon over Southampton.


It was a great weekend, and there were many wonderful things to eat and drink. I loved all the tall trees around and the quiet streets. And it was a treat to be at the beach. The weather cooperated beautifully; bright, sunny days but not too hot – the very best of summer.

4 comments:

Paul Pincus said...

what a gorgeous, gorgeous post! we're in sagaponack. the light out here/there is extraordinary. i think the beaches (gibson, especially) are the most beautiful in the world.

ps i hope you didn't mind me using one of your photographs for my recent crush post. couldn't resist!

CashmereLibrarian said...

What a nice weekend! I've never been to the Hamptons--would love to visit, especially Montauk!

I love reading about your family; they must be lovely!

An Aesthete's Lament said...

I love the headboard fabric. The beach is nice, but I hate sand in my clothes and toes. So I'm focussing on the headboard.

Errant Aesthete said...

Bart,

I always love your excursions to the most fashionable of places, the Hamptons being one. If you can't live there yourself, how perfectly wonderful to have a relative, and a close one at that, to share in their prosperity. It looks so idyllic. Each frame infused with calm and serenity. A generous slice of the good life.

I so miss that coast.