Sometimes, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Brooklyn and the Hamptons both exist on Long Island; so close, and yet practically worlds apart. Keep driving up to the north and to the west, and you’ll find what is arguably the true treasure of Long Island: a tiny seaside town where nautical stripes, beards, and sommeliers are all welcome; where if you’re a local, everybody knows your name, but if you’re not, you can remain deliciously anonymous.
What better way to spend a summer weekend than at a seaside motel? My boyfriend and I took a long weekend (a rare chance for a road trip) to the brand new Sound View Hotel in Greenport, Long Island, I couldn’t wait to get up there and give it a try.
To be accurate, the Sound View isn’t technically brand new. The waterfront property was built in 1953 and underwent a complete renovation last winter, with 45 luxury suites created in the process. Besides comfort, the Sound View was committed to improving the sustainability of the hotel, as well as to protecting the local wildlife during the renovations. They updated the existing structure with improved insulation in the walls, recycled flooring, and more efficient water heaters, and even installed solar panels to fuel their electricity (and to think, all I noticed during my stay were the bath and body products by eco-friendly Malin and Goetz).
Driving through small towns and miles of farmland, we eventually reached the modest building, perched upon a rocky beach, just as the sun began sinking down the horizon; we felt as though we’d arrived at the end of the earth rather than the end of Long Island. It’s a short walk over to The Halyard, where we were in for a feast.
The nautically-themed dining room decorated with giant windows makes an order of oysters and rosé a no-brainer. We got Oysters Rockefeller, plus a bluefish salad; we simply couldn’t resist the local seafood The Halyard is well-known for. And in the spirit of supporting local goods, we obviously couldn’t leave Greenport without first sampling plenty of the North Fork’s wonderful wines.
The next few days were spent tasting even more of that magnificent wine at the stunning Kontokosta Winery, shopping in Greenport’s nearby village, and brunching at Bruce and Son. In the evenings, we watched the sun’s descent over the ocean from our private porch, and later enjoyed second helpings of those mouth-watering short ribs while listening to jazz in the Sound View’s Piano Bar. Eventually, we snuggled under a fluffy down duvet to let the waves lull us to sleep.
The Sound View Greenport
58775 Route 48
Greenport, NY 1194
info@soundviewgreenport.com
- You’ll like it here if: you like tranquility.
- The crowd: hip and relaxed.
- You’ll know you’re on Long Island because: the ocean is all around.
- Pro tip: pack your leggings—there’s an ocean facing gym and yoga on the property!