A Breezy Beach Town Agenda for "The End"

Montauk, the sought-after summer hub at the tip of Long Island, is singing with laid-back beach culture, dressed-up stays, waterfront seafood shacks, and mom-and-pop shops. The End hums well into autumn, when the wildflowers are blooming, the surf is warm, and the Ditch Witch is still slinging breakfast burritos. Here's a one-sheet for your next visit.

Stay

Rushmeyers is all grown up. The freewheeling Fort Pond summer camp of yore has been re-imagined through the eyes of boutique hoteliers Bridgeton (of Marram Montauk and Journey East Hampton). Think: 19 cabins re-grounded in minimalist luxury and lounge-how-you-want-to details. Guest rooms feature Parachute linens, Bauhaus-style tubular chairs, Byredo Gypsy Water products, and vintage maritime Atlantic sailing flag wall hangings.

Step outside to take your pick of communal lawn fun — from corn hole and Bocce sets to Giant Jenga. Or, chill fireside with a personal s’more kit (every guest gets one at check-in) or signature cocktail (don’t miss their watermelon ice-cubed Negroni).

The Grill at Ruschmeyers serves coastal fare kissed by fire: seafood towers, charred lamb ribs, Montauk fluke tartare, and a ribeye big enough to share. As the sun dips, the upgraded Lounge at Ruschmeyers picks up the tempo. Gone is the anything-goes dance den; in its place, a listening lounge with weekend resident DJs curated by Gospël, creating a soundtrack for indoor mingling or making barefoot, breezy memories under the stars.

Montauk Yacht Cluboffers barefoot seaside adventures (paddle boarding, kayaking, waterskiing), cozy mornings snuggled up in revamped cottages, dipping into multiple pools, eyeballing the super yachts, testing the wellness facility, and tucking into a new seafood-focused dining destination. Proper Hospitality (a Fathom Fave) breathed new life to the former Gurney’s Star Island resort on Lake Montauk.

At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages, four 600-square-foot cabins are kitted out with classy contemporary furnishings, king beds, bay views, kitchenettes, outdoor showers, fire pits on the deck, access to the beach, and turndown service — making them nice, quiet spots for mini summer sabbaticals — if you’ve got the budget (there’s a four-night minimum during high season; three nights during low). Through mid-October.

Dine + Drink

Get your morning cup and Montauk merch at a href="https://lefthandcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Left Hand Coffee then head to Balsam Farms, in Amagansett or Montauk, for colorful local crops, farm eggs, dairy, and local preserves.

Find your veggies, steaks, and other American classics at the gem that is Meeting House (on Amagansett Square). It serves as the restaurant for nearby hotel The Reform Club.

The team behind Mavericks Montauk, helmed by Vanessa Price and James Beard-nominated chef Jeremy Blutstein, is in charge at Shark Bar, a spacious beachside bar on Montauk Highway. Plan a post-beach pitstop for frozen cocktails, fried oysters, and lobster fried rice.

Get your group organized and order big at Inlet Seafood, a long-running dock-to-dish restaurant owned by six local fishermen.

Head for "The Hill" a.k.a. The Montauket, a family-owned indoor-outdoor where everyone gathers to watch the sun set, mixed drinks in hand. 

Nothing satisfies like a clam pie and a cold one from Dive Bar Pizza after a long day in the surf and sun.

The Bird, a very cozy daytime and dinner spot owned by the local's behind Daunt's Albatross Motel, serves juices and ambitious cocktails with equal aplomb. Thursday Night Trivia is a favorite with locals.

Have Fun

Privé Padel features two state-of-the-art Spanish courts on the waterfront for strategic and fast-paced games. It's open to the public with limited memberships for those who catch the padel bug.

Well-known Ditch Plains beach is a surf mecca (mostly tourists in the summer; fall and winter bring out the hardcore surfers) a food truck hang. This beach requires an East Hampton Town beach sticker for entry with a car, though if you arrive on a bike or by foot, it’s free. The Shadmoor cliff walk to the beach is a nice way to get high-up views of the surf break. East End Surf Club and CoreysWave offer surf instruction for the uninitiated.

Sound Waves, Gurney’s summer music series, includes rotating DJs on the weekends, beginning on the sand until the sun goes down and then moving to the Firepit until 1 a.m.

The Surf Lodge also has a summer performance line-up of live performances and DJ sets.