{"id":31202,"date":"2012-08-06T10:44:17","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T14:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=31202"},"modified":"2020-12-19T01:45:45","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T05:45:45","slug":"things-to-do-in-sag-harbor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/31202\/things-to-do-in-sag-harbor\/","title":{"rendered":"Jitney Jaunts: Things to Do in Sag Harbor"},"content":{"rendered":"

9am: The Escape<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Monday, 8:58am. Midtown in its usual frenetic state, folks rushing along in power suits, an already warm morning promising a heavy afternoon haze. But not for us.<\/p>\n

\"Sag

That chariot, a large green bus that reads \u201cHampton Jitney<\/a><\/strong>\u201d in familiar bubbly letters, is soon lumbering on its way, and out its windows we watch city buildings give way to stretches of green, farm stands and picturesque small towns.<\/p>\n

11:30am: Turning Up Treasures in Greenport<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Two-and-a-half hours later, we step off the Jitney in Greenport, a minuscule (and adorable) North Fork fishing village that never really loses its magic\u2014and always has a surprise or two up its sleeve.<\/p>\n

A pit stop at the old train station (where the bus lets off) leads to the discovery of the East End Seaport Museum<\/a>, a small but fascinating homage to sailors and their trade, replete with model ships, artifacts, and a massive and stunning Fresnel lens (one of the few in existence) from the Little Gull Island Lighthouse.<\/p>\n

We spend some time chatting with Sean, who travels the world to fill his shop Knotted Dreams<\/strong> (471 Main Street) with great global goods, and then we stumble into another great surprise. A stately Victorian turret announcing \u201cAUDITORIUM\u201d in peeling yellow letters inspires a peek, and soon we are picking our way through mattresses in “Goldin Furniture<\/strong>\u201d (434 Main Street), gaping at the intact stage and gilded balcony of the auditorium that served as the town\u2019s cultural center the late 1800s until 1938.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the thing about Greenport: No matter how \u201cnormal\u201d it may seem, everything\u2014from the regular old furniture store to Bruce\u2019s Cheese Emporium<\/a><\/strong> (208 Main Street), which sells an array of gourmet food items in a lovely restored building\u2014wears its glorious past on its sleeve.<\/p>\n

\"First

We take our leave feeling full of good food and a cozy, communal feel.<\/p>\n

4pm: Breezy Boat Ride<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We head back to the harbor and board the Peconic Water Jitney (since closed)<\/strong><\/em>, a brand new Catamaran-style ferry that zips across from casual Greenport to the more upscale Sag Harbor. The cheery boat is docked right behind the Carousel on the seaport, and we walk right on, greeted by some friendly crew members. It\u2019s relatively empty on the lower, covered deck, but every bench on the upper deck is occupied when we get up there (it\u2019s good to arrive early and snag a seat).<\/p>\n

We stand against the railing for the first portion of the ride. It makes for good viewing, but with our hair flying every which way, we\u2019re pleased to sit when a couple of passengers head below. The ride is smooth and relaxing\u2014simply sunshine, a light breeze, sailboats drifting past, and opulent mansions dotting the greenery of Shelter Island. After a few hours in a clearly maritime town, it\u2019s a real treat to be out on the water.<\/p>\n

5pm: Hobnobbing in Sag Harbor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After the 40-minute ferry ride we step off on the Sag Harbor dock, passing the famed Dock House<\/a><\/strong> seafood shack before hitting Main Street, a wide, leafy avenue lined with stately historic homes and a fair share of American flags. Its belle of the ball is the American Hotel, a 19th-century brick structure with a gorgeous trellised porch and restaurant filled with historic treasures. This is where the elite meet (and the rest of us have drinks).<\/p>\n

We dine instead at the Dockside Bar & Grill<\/strong> (26 Bay Street), a casual (Hamptons-style) spot set in the former American Legion building across from the yacht club. The crowd here is \u201clow-key upscale\u201d (we spotted Jane Krakowski with her parents and little one in tow), and the menu is fresh and unique\u2014plenty of the expected seafood options, plus everything from burgers to chile rellenos. A parking lot separates the pretty patio from the marina, but that doesn\u2019t make the sunset views any less breathtaking.<\/p>\n

\"Tutto

We take a frolic through the old-fashioned Variety Store<\/strong>, which sells everything from beach toys to fabric to glass-bottled Sag Harbor sodas, then bop into several other shops.\u00a0When it\u2019s time for an afternoon pick-me-up we hit Sag Town<\/strong>, a new kid on the block set off the street on a brick alleyway. Two enormous wooden lions guard the counter in this casual surfer-owned cafe, which sells surfboard wax along with its La Colombe coffee and gourmet foods. There is a chilled-out, beachy feel here, from the window seats made of patched together sailcloth to the crayons and books available for guest creativity. It\u2019s the perfect last shot of small town cool before catching the Jitney back to the city.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re enjoying our coffees and people watching on a bench in front of the movie theater when the bus arrives\u2014right on time. The attendant makes all the usual announcements (\u201cNo cell phones, please!\u201d) before making her rounds through the aisles, offering drinks and snacks to a clearly well-rested and refreshed group. As we roll along in the carpool lane, zipping past the afternoon traffic, we relive our adventures. And anticipate our next escape.<\/p>\n

Where to Sleep<\/strong>
\n\"Forever

The last Jitney leaves at 10 p.m. (arriving in Manhattan at 12:30 a.m.), making the Greenport-ferry-Sag Harbor jaunt a fabulous and easy day away. But for those who crave a little more seaside time there is Forever Bungalows,<\/strong> an eco and affordable (for this area) option just 1.5 miles outside of town.<\/p>\n

Surrounded on three sides by lush woods, the property feels a bit like a (luxurious) summer camp for adults, offering simple yet stylish hotel rooms and bungalows equipped with small kitchens. The place is run by Sag Harbor locals and some of the friendliest hotel staff we\u2019ve met in a while, all happy to share \u201cinsider tips\u201d and offer extra personal service (ask ahead and they can offer transportation into town).<\/p>\n

Guests have access to the hotel\u2019s beach passes, bike rentals, and one of the most impressive hotel book shares I\u2019ve seen. (From $250 in peak season, $200 in fall).<\/p>\n

KPICASA_GALLERY(AdventuresInGreenportSagHarbor)<\/p>\n

Photos:\u00a0despitz<\/a>, Tomas Fano<\/a><\/em>, innuendo<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

9am: The Escape Monday, 8:58am. Midtown in its usual frenetic state, folks rushing along in power suits, an already warm morning promising a heavy afternoon haze. But not for us. We\u2019re feeling unusually calm for these parts, waiting on the corner of Third Avenue and 44th Street for the chariot that will soon whisk us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":54422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[315,1869,319,316],"tags":[21,381,143,145,97,498,701,360,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-31202","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-day-trips","8":"category-editors-picks","9":"category-long-island-destination","10":"category-weekend-getaways","11":"tag-beach","12":"tag-biking","13":"tag-bus","14":"tag-dining","15":"tag-ferry","16":"tag-new-hotel","17":"tag-romantic-getaways","18":"tag-seafood","19":"tag-shopping"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":54422,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/2764582546_9cfdf24213_o-e1474821555853-350x197.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}