If you think of New York as a bustling city, just a short drive away is The Hamptons, a set of two towns (Southampton and East Hampton) along with many beautiful villages. It’s known as the East End, but it’s far different to our version!
Known for being the home of swanky millionaire houses (one popular resident is TV chef Ina Garten, who says her recipes work due to her scientific background in nuclear physics). Obviously most people could never afford to live here. But it’s worth taking a trip to our American namesake town, as it has some inspiring ideas:
Clean Beaches Make for Happy Memories
The Hamptons takes pride in clean, sandy beaches. You see locals and visitors treating the coast with respect, clearing up after picnics and keeping litter at bay. Community beach cleans happen regularly.
Simple habits like bringing reusable bags and avoiding single-use plastics keep the seafront a welcoming place. The crystal sand and sea are a draw for families, weekenders, and anyone who loves nature left as they found it.
Read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Sustainable Surfing: Protecting Waves
You can spot committed surfers braving the waters, but with a difference: many follow sustainable surfing practices. Eco-friendly wax, biodegradable boards, and ocean-safe sunscreen prove popular at surf shops.
You’ll often see community groups hosting lessons that include tips on ocean care, making sure the next wave of surfers respects the sea as those before them have.
Natural sunscreen contains zinc or titanium oxide that are pet-toxic, so always wash off before pets kiss you! Never use human sunscreen on pets.
Independent Shops With a Unique Heart
The shopping streets of Southampton (in The Hamptons) haven’t gone corporate. Rows of independent shops, from book nooks to clothing boutiques, bring a personal touch you won’t find in chain stores.
The Hamptons is a haven for independent shops, likely because people don’t have limited budgets, to have time to browse and buy what they want, rather than worrying about cost. The Shopkeepers is a site that promotes independent shopkeepers worldwide, with a lovely gallery of pretty Hamptons shops, to inspire.
Farm Shops Full of Local Flavours
Southampton’s farm shops deliver fresh produce just a short drive from the city. Inside, you’ll find straight-from-the-field vegetables, homemade jams, and local bread.
Chatty staff offer recipes and stories tied to the land. By shopping here, you support local farmers and taste the difference in quality. It’s about knowing where your food comes from, which brings a sense of trust and connection.
Organic Farms and a Taste of Home
Several organic farms open their gates to visitors keen on natural food and clean farming methods. You can pick your own strawberries or learn from farmers who use old-school crop rotation and no pesticides. Meals made with this kind of care taste better, and you’ll taste the seasons in every bite.
A Non-Profit Organic Farm Shop
Prices can be higher for local food, but overall the farm shops here tend to pay their staff higher than average, for good life/work balance. And remember this is in a country with no NHS (if you get sick and have no insurance, you’re toast).
Amber Waves Farm is a non-profit teaching farm (which has graduated over 60 farmers on its apprentice program). It grows 500 varieties of 60 organic crops on 30 acres of land – from salad greens and tomatoes to cucumbers and courgettes, along with root veggies and fresh herbs. It also grows winter grains, and sells produce wholesale to local restaurants, to keep money circulating in communities.
Art Galleries That Inspire
The arts scene in Southampton has long flown under the radar. Independent galleries show off a steady rotation of local talent. You’ll find everything from modern sculpture to seascape paintings, craft shows, and open studios. Walk into one and you might meet an artist hanging work or get swept into a weekend class.
Beautiful Houses: Old and New Charm
Southampton’s mix of Georgian townhouses, Edwardian villas, and crisp new builds offers a crash course in beautiful architecture. Each neighbourhood has its own look and personality, blending the old with the new.
Residents take real pride in their homes, often tending their gardens and painting front doors vibrant colours. A leafy walk through these streets feels like stepping through a living history book.
Protecting the Sand Dunes
Along parts of the coast, stretches of fragile sand dunes act as natural barriers. Locals step up to protect these delicate ecosystems by staying on marked paths and supporting conservation work. Community signs and simple fences remind everyone how vital these dunes are for wildlife and the beach’s long-term health.
Southampton’s Enduring Town Charm
At its core, Southampton brings together all these lessons with a relaxed, open-air feeling. The town pulses with a friendly, easy-going rhythm. Saturday markets, park concerts, and coastal walks invite locals and newcomers alike.
Whether you call it home or just pass through, it sticks with you—a reminder that little choices and simple beauties make the biggest difference.
A Bookshop With a Difference
Bookhampton is a bookshop with a difference. When it was due to close, the locals feared it would be shut for good, or bought up for development. But in stepped in – the world’s most known art dealer! Rather than buy a skyscraper, he bought the local bookshop, to save it for locals to use.
Larry Gagosian also organised an exhibition by artists, to raise money to restore the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral in France. He told an interviewer that as a consistent readers, he thinks it’s essential to retain ‘browsing independent bookstores’.
Bookstores are genuinely useful to me. I like picking things up, reading the dust jackets. The great thing about a bookstore, is that you’ll go in looking for one thing, and come out with five. Larry Gagosian
