East End Action

We interrupt this travel narrative to discuss some recent activities on the East End of Long Island. I like it here – I could see myself living here. Though it doesn’t seem to be the best place for a single person – maybe I can live here at some other stage of life. And after seeing all the work that goes into this house, I don’t know if I can ever own a house by myself. When I was in Morocco I had this fantasy of liking it here and finding a tiny cottage for myself and being a writer. Well, the tiny cottage may be a little condo – or a rental! It’s fun to look (from the outside) at the houses for sale as I ride my bike around the village and environs. There are some very nice houses out here! In addition to having a wonderful beach, there’s good energy here. And it’s close enough to New York that I could get a dose of the big city when I need to. This is St. Andrews Dune Church, one of my favorite buildings to ride past:


I love having a library card – I ordered a couple of just-released mystery books and I am impressed with all the programs they have, though I haven’t been to any yet. I think I will offer to give my Peace Corps Third Goal presentation after I debut it for the Princeton Club of Chicago next week. And last week I made my way over to Tate’s Bake Shop, known for its cookies, where I discovered delicious peanut butter squares. Now that the weather is nicer, I ride into town more and walk up and down the shopping streets – mostly just window-shopping but it’s still fun. I discovered a nature path just off the road between the house and the village. And I’ve been walking on the beach more.


Southampton also has two museums within walking distance, and I went there Friday a couple of weeks ago. The Parrish Art Museum had an exhibit of art by East End artists, and the Southampton Historical Society has antique furnishings and is located in the home of a former whaling captain.



This weekend I ventured farther afield. Saturday I went (with the caretaker here, his girlfriend, and a friend from out of town) to LongHouse Reserve, a gallery/sculpture garden/arboretum in East Hampton. In addition to being a beautiful place, it has an interesting mission and has interesting programs. Read more about it at http://www.longhouse.org/index.ihtml. In the small world department, founder Jack Larsen is a textile designer and recently accompanied a LongHouse Reserve trip to Southeast Asia, including the Jim Thompson house. Here are just a few views from Saturday….






Yesterday, I went to the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum – yes, there’s a Native American reservation within biking distance! A slice of the rich history of the region (and quite a contrast from the LongHouse).

Of course, were I to live here I would need a car. It was nice to be driven out to East Hampton – through Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, downtown East Hampton, and Springs. When I thought I would be here indefinitely I thought I might rent a car and drive to Montauk and Shelter Island – both have been on my list for a long time – and to Sag Harbor (there, I have been once, but I think I have to go through it anyway to get to Shelter Island) and also the North Fork. There are many other East End places to discover. Now that I am a short-termer, those may wait until I get back, but they are still places I would like to visit!