Bridgehampton
Bridgehampton is one of the quieter Hamptons communities, a place to get away from the hurly-burly of the better known places and set your own pace. Antique shops, art galleries and restaurants dot the quaint village named for the bridge built by Ezekiel Sandford in 1686 that connected Sagaponack with Mecox.
During the summer and fall, farm stands galore display their bountiful harvests. There are also tennis, golf and horseback riding for those seeking recreation, as well as local beaches and some of Long Island’s finest wineries.
History buffs are drawn to the simple workings of Long Island’s oldest operating water mill in a community appropriately called Water Mill. The mill, ever the focal point of the community, was built in 1644, and was initially used to grind grain into flour for the settlers and feed for the livestock. Later it was used to spin yarn, weave cloth and manufacture paper. At other points in its history it was an ice cream factory, a tea room, a post office and an outlet shop. Today, visitors to the Old Water Mill Museum can work the lathe and learn the art of quilting and weaving at the fully operational mill.
