Local Flavor

This is the time of year when retail stores and restaurants throw open the doors of “Hamptons outposts”—seasonal replications of what’s already on tap in New York City—on the South Fork. They join the tiny handful that are already here, year-round.These merchants and restaurateurs—or, more likely, their corporate bosses—are, of course, following the clientele, along with their dollars and expectations, as they head east. After all, why should consumers buy a cup of coffee in a local deli when there is a predictably reliable beverage to be found at a metropolitan or international caffeine chain? Why take a chance on an individually crafted menu or item of apparel when there is an upscale seasonal branch offering exactly the brand you favor at home?

One might argue that the whole point of leaving home is to try new experiences, to explore a new landscape rather than superimpose one’s own image—whether selfie or shopping or dining or driving habits—upon a different landscape. One might argue that this region, by catering, or bowing, to the appetite for The Upscale Generic runs the risk of eviscerating its own identity, of losing its own imprint and becoming a complete repeat of New York City culture and consumerism.

“The Hamptons” is a concept born of demographic marketing from the outside, a homogenization of what at least used to be disparate hamlets and villages, each with its distinct cultural flavor. Those distinctions ought to be savored and celebrated—and people should be encouraged to develop a real appetite for them once again.