Montauk's beachfront and vintage vibe draw thousands
As the last neighborhood on the tip of the South Fork, Montauk is often called “The End.” But for many people, the village feels like a new beginning. Far from New York City, as the residence of rock stars, playwrights and artists, there’s a mystique about Montauk. Pro surfers turn up here to ride waves at Ditch Plains Beach right before hurricanes hit and fishermen still dump their daily catch on the docks like they did a hundred years ago. “There’s a vintage vibe to Montauk that I think is very alive, and there’s not anything like it,” says Joseph Van Asco, a licensed real estate salesperson at Douglas Elliman who has lived in the Hamptons for most of his life. “It has a surfer, beachy vibe. You can basically see the ocean from the village proper, so you feel like you’re at the beach when you’re hanging in town.”
Life in Montauk changes when cold weather hits. Many businesses close in October, and those who only live in the town part-time head out. “The population goes from 30,000 people in the summer to 5,000 in the winter,” says Fallon Nigro, a licensed real estate sales person with Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International and a native of Montauk. “My graduating class at Montauk Elementary had 56 students.” This helps Montauk maintain aspects of its fishing village charm even after becoming such a vacation destination, but part-time residents are still part of the community. “A lot of these people have been coming for years,” Van Asco says. “Their parents came and their grandparents came. ... Some of those are even my best friends for my whole life. It’s like when summer arrives, and all your friends are back at camp.”
Surfing and swimming at Montauk's beaches, hiking at Camp Hero
Montauk's northern coast is marked by the dips of Fort Pond and Napeague bays, while the Atlantic Ocean follows its southern coastline and curves around its eastern tip. “Of all the hamlets out here, Montauk has the biggest surf community by far; I don’t think any of the other hamlets out here even compare to that,” Van Asco says. “In that same vein, there’s not really anywhere else in the Hamptons that has a launchpad for offshore fishing like Montauk does. You just launch right into the Atlantic. Even people who don’t fish own boats for personal use and are just tugging around the harbor out there.” Ditch Plains Beach is particularly popular among surfers, while Kirk Park Beach sees more swimmers and sunbathers. “Fort Pond Bay is better for young kids,” Nigro says. “But there are lifeguards at almost all the beaches. The Town of East Hampton has an excellent junior lifeguard program.”
Five nature preserves spanning over 5,500 acres cover much of Montauk. They're all open for hiking, birdwatching and picnicking, and many allow activities like horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Camp Hero State Park is the site of a famous lighthouse, and Hither Hills State Park allows camping.
Condos, manufactured and single-family homes, huge beachfront estates
Along tree-lined streets, Montauk's custom-built homes include colonials as well as modern and contemporary-style houses dating from the 1980s to the present day. “There’s just a cool vibe to a lot of the houses,” Van Asco says. “It’s just vintage out there. Each section of Montauk has its own little vibe to it.” Even homes that aren’t directly on the water often have beach access. In the Hither Hills section, residents can follow paths to gain access to semi-private stretches of beach that are hard for non-residents to reach because there’s no parking. “You get this pristine stretch of ocean beach and there’s maybe 30 people there,” Van Asco says. “It’s just how this neighborhood was built; it has all these little access points to the beach.”
Although home prices in Montauk are far from cheap, Van Asco and Ed Gaetjens, a licensed real estate salesperson with Saunders & Associates who has sold in the area for about 6 years, agree that its distance from New York City makes them a little lower than in the rest of the Hamptons. Fixer-uppers start at around $1.5 million, but Van Asco says most inland homes sell for around $2.5 million or $3 million. Large waterfront homes often cost between $10 million and $37 million. One-bedroom co-ops or condominiums start as low as $400,000. Montauk Shore Condominiums offers small manufactured homes near the waterfront for between $3 million and $5 million.
Solutions for flooding and beach erosion
Severe storms, especially hurricanes, can have a major impact on Montauk. Homes are built with potential flooding in mind, but beach erosion is also a concern. In 2025, the Town of East Hampton signed an agreement that puts Montauk under the protection of the Fire Island to Montauk Point project. As part of this 30-year solution, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will extend and rebuild beachfront and dunes along 83 miles of Long Island's shoreline. Touch-ups will take place every three to four years.
Starting off fishing season with The Blessing of the Fleet
The Blessing of the Fleet at the start of the summer fishing season has been among Montauk’s biggest events since 1956. “All the fishermen get into a fleet and leave the harbor in unison with all their families on board,” Van Asco says, adding that religious leaders from a diverse array of faiths gather to bless each ship together. “It’s a sight to see — all the ships cruising out together and the fishermen and everyone involved. It’s one of those things you think about that you really love doing every year.” Gaetjens says the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is also a huge event, drawing thousands even during the off-season.
Fresh seafood at local restaurants, shopping at "The Green"
As Montauk’s popularity has grown, new restaurants and stores have added to the charming, established businesses spiraling out from the plaza in the center of town, called “The Green” by locals. Harvest on Fort Pond offers Italian classics with waterfront views, and The Point Bar & Grill is a laid-back sports bar by day and a party spot by night, offering trivia nights, live music and dancing. The dog-friendly Montauk Brewing Company has a wide range of beers and a low-key atmosphere. Right by on the water, Clam and Chowder House at Salivar’s Dock and Gosman’s both serve up fresh seafood caught daily. “Fisherman still bring in their daily haul to send to the rest of America, but a lot of it stays here, so you have the freshest seafood in the area,” Nigro says. Air & Speed Surf Shop sells surfing supplies and fish markets are plentiful, with farmers markets joining the mix during the warm months. Montauk IGA provides groceries year-round.
Highly rated Montauk and East Hampton schools
Children attend Montauk Public School, which gets an A from Niche, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. They then switch to the A-rated East Hampton Union Free School District to attend East Hampton High School. The high school earns an A-minus and offers robotics, mock trial and world languages clubs.
Route 27 and LIRR to other Hamptons communities, Manhattan
State Route 27 connects the village to the rest of the Hamptons. Montauk is the last stop on the Long Island Rail Road, which reaches Manhattan's Penn Station in roughly three hours. “For most people, coming from the city or wherever, it might be too far,” Van Asco says. “But I think once you fall in love with it and the area, it’s really hard to want to live anywhere else.”
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Written By
Christina Norwood
Photography Contributed By
Anthony Costa
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Video By
Jonathan Bradley
