The Hamptons Starter Pack

It’s peak Surf Lodge season. Attendance is mandatory, regardless of age, relationship status, or whether you actually know who’s performing there. BFA photographers are everywhere. Someone is pretending not to notice they’re being photographed. And everyone is wearing sunglasses long after sunset. Plus, there’s a fab new Popeyes collab; if the viral chicken sandwich isn’t enough to entice you, then the exclusive Chicken Tender Tower just might.

You know better than to drive. The real move? Taking the train from Hunter’s Point because IYKYK. It shaves off time, avoids the traffic meltdown, and somehow always attracts the chicest crowd. Of course, there’s always Blade if you’re leaning more billionaire-adjacent this weekend.

Your July 4th reservation at Le Bilboquet has been secured—and it was at least two weeks ago, thanks to a very specific phone number passed around like a family heirloom. The outdoor tables are essentially reserved for the one percent, but if luck is on your side, you’ll score a window seat inside with just enough of the fireworks peeking through your espresso martini haze.

You somehow end up upstairs at the Rolex boutique in East Hampton. This is the secret lounge situation that nobody publicly talks about but everybody knows about. There are snacks, iced coffee, impossibly polished people, and exactly a 0.2 percent chance you’ll actually leave with a watch.

A true Hamptonite stays in town on July 5th. The tourists flee, the roads clear, and suddenly the Hamptons feels like itself again. That means a barbecue at home, ordering lobster rolls from the Clamman, or escaping entirely to Shelter Island for cocktails at Dante followed by dinner at Sunset Beach—for those times when you simply cannot spend one more second with your share house roommates, extended family, or both.