Montauk Pioneer - May 22, 2009 -

The question of the moment is how the Summer Season of 2009 will play out in these curious times. Will the restaurants be filled with patrons tipping the hard working waiters and waitresses handsomely? Will summer rental homes get rented? Will the charter fishing boats be booked and filled with sport fisherman all week as well as on weekends? Will the stores and shops do a very healthy summer business to offset the tough winter? Will it be sunny on the weekends and lastly will the surfing be good?

Although no one truly knows the answers to these questions it's easy to predict what will happen based on the past history of Montauk being a very special place and the fact that some people choose to ignore, which is that EVERYBODY wants to be in Montauk in the summer.

First of all the beaches and bays of Montauk are unique because Montauk is the one place where you can navigate your vessel from the Block Island Sound or Gardiner's Bay into the Atlantic Ocean by just going around the famous Lighthouse at Montauk point. Montauk is the one place where the seafood is the freshest because in some places you actually watch it being unloaded from the commercial vessels while you eat. And as far as I am concerned frozen drinks and cold beers are coldest at Montauk bars on hot summer days and nights.

I am a huge fan of bike riding around Montauk during the summer; it's just so amazing to experience the view and the hills, the ponds, the lakes, the beaches and the quaint roads while listening to birds, surf and sea breezes. And as for fun in the evening, when your sunburn or tan is well moisturized, the nightlife in Montauk delivers. There is the world renowned Surf Lodge serving food, providing live music and dancing as far as a place to kick back and take it all in. On the other side of the spectrum are the world famous local bars like Nick's at the beach, The Dock, Liars Saloon, The Sail Inn, Salivars, The Point, The Memory Motel, O'Murphy's, and Shagwong to get out, kick back and see both local friends as well as summer visitors.

The friendliness of all these places as everyone celebrates summer is a special quality that Montauk is renowned for. The mixing of the local Montauk characters and the visitors is magical. Last August with gas hovering around $5 Montauk rocked, so with gas just over $2 things may be even better. I know of six people who lost highly stressful jobs in New York who are looking forward to finally taking some time to come to Montauk to do the things they have been too busy for too long to do. One is planning on golfing seven days in a row at Montauk Downs. A woman friend plans on sailing around Block Island and a former stockbroker plans on entering "all the shark contests" this summer.

Activity at the marinas is all thumbs up at the moment as workers are scraping hulls, applying this year is paints and tuning up engines and hoisting up sails and masts. Each day there is more sunlight to enjoy and the weather is doing that climb from the spring's 40s- 50s to the summer 80s and 90s.

I know some people who love to have breakfast and read their Montauk Pioneer, to see what's happening in Montauk. They love the pace of life out here and know that while Montauk is like so many small towns it is also like no other place in the world. Many years ago, like in 1895, the Long Island Railroad came to Montauk with passengers from the west or "up island," as so many say in Montauk. Now millions have come and almost all come back and do you know why? Of course you do, because Montauk is one of those places you never just visit once, in fact coming to Montauk is habit forming, and it is a good habit.

The sand is coming back to the beaches, the water temperature of the ocean is on the rise as is the temperature of the air and sea breezes. Montauk is seafood at its best, its beaches are the most beautiful and the feel of it all is just so unique.