Sixty-Something: It’s “Prime Time” in the Hamptons

It’s “Prime Time” in the Hamptons. This is what east end summer is all about. We are now at the stage of the summer season when folks are willing to pay premium prices to rent homes.

Even as summer parking spaces in town and seats at popular restaurants become tough to come by, folks insist on vacationing in August.

Suddenly beach parking lots start filling to capacity on weekends and even lines form at the restrooms. It seems everyone is here. All over the east end almost all the homes are lit up at night.

It usually gets really hot too! I love this time of year despite all of the above. Locals hate this time of year but I have never really been a local, just a guest. I love the energy, the diversity of the crowds and the excitement of those who only have these few days to enjoy the east end magic.

Boy this time of year do I love the air conditioning in our home. My wife, Cindi, is in charge of all climate situations and does the job royally. She can sense when the a/c needs to be raised or lowered or even when it’s time to open the windows.

I remember the days when air conditioning was a premium and perhaps only one room in the home had it. Back as a small kid I remember those brutal summer nights when our whole family huddled in an air-conditioned room in the house to sleep. Going out of that space to go to the bathroom was like going into the Sahara.

I couldn’t believe the number of boats in Three-Mile-Harbor for the fireworks last weekend. As I sailed out Friday night, I passed a long line of vessels filing in for last Saturday night’s fireworks show. There were boats of all sizes from Rhode Island, Connecticut, up-island and from Montauk. By Monday they were all gone.

During “Prime Time,” Sag Harbor has its share of magnificent yachts parked on “Millionaire’s Row.” This is where the great Johnny Carson spent the last few years of his life tied up on his yacht in the summer. Even Tiger Woods docked his yacht “Privacy” there during the last U.S. Open held at Shinnecock. However, missing so far are the visits of the super mega yachts like David Geffen’s 453’ “Rising Sun,” or the 288’ “Fountainhead,” that sometimes Mark Cuban leases. I enjoy sailing around them.

Then there are events like the Hampton Classic along with the parties afterwards, not to mention the private south of the highway parties with just a few hundred guests.

I for one love the energy and people watching, but of course I really don’t enjoy the traffic and overcrowded situations. Years back I would be assigned to attend one, sometimes two events per Saturday, instructed to take photos and get names. It was quite a whirlwind. These days the younger folks are doing it and quite frankly, I do miss that craziness.

I miss the old places like O’Malley’s, Salivar’s, World Pie, and Cittanuova that served full meals right up to midnight or beyond all week. Now it’s tough to order food anywhere after 10pm. Too often one hears, “We can’t find the help!” It is actually a problem almost everywhere. Hopefully someday folks in the Hamptons will be able to get quality meals after 10 pm.

I not sure how many places remain open to 2 a.m. or if it’s even legal. Being sixty-something and very married I am not really hunting for them anymore. I can’t even remember going to my last after-party that used to last to sunrise or time to go to work, or both.

That’s how it is in the Hamptons – one day everyone is around and then suddenly come Labor Day they are all gone.