subscribe to style file blog via RSSBlasblog From The Hamptons: The Summer Migration Begins
May 26, 2009 2:32 pm
I’ll admit it: I’m a Hamptons Hypocrite. After years of saying that the scene out east is over—more boring than Manhattan, but just as gluttonous and greedy—I was there the very first weekend of the “season.” But I wasn’t partying; R&R and even a little bit of exercise were on my agenda, and I wasn’t alone. I spotted Jessica Stam at the Round Swamp’s grocery store (apparently the best chicken salad on the island) and Renée Zellweger gabbing with friends outside a Starbucks, and I was joined by an editor in chief, television celebrity, and even the brother of the president of France at a 9:30 a.m. spinning class at Soul Cycle in East Hampton. I’m happy to report that—perhaps in the wake of this sponsor-crushing recession—the shanty socialite scene has taken a real hit. Sure, there were a few parties, but not like in summers past. Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center had a cute cocktail at the Maidstone Inn in East Hampton (whoever decided to refurbish that place, turning it from a quaint lodge into a bright 1980’s rec center, had to have been on acid). Other than that, though, it was pretty dismal. I’m talking about invites to an old supermodel’s birthday party, cocktails for those magazines they give away for free in supermarkets, and even a launch party for condoms. (Tempting, but I passed on all.) So where did everybody else go? Talk now is whether or not Montauk is the town to take the B-list beating. For decades the tip of Long Island has been a magnet for surfers, artists, and photographers (and when Warhol and Peter Beard took over, rock stars like Mick Jagger). But as new lounges like the Surf Lodge open and old places like the Montauk Yacht Club receive a facelift, drawing more scenesters, many wonder how they’ll affect the chilled-out vibe. Is Montauk the next Hamptons? Only summer will tell.
tags: Jessica Stam, Mick Jagger, Renee Zellweger
