More than any other year, Montauk is on rich tourists from New York City's map. It feels like everybody is talking about Montauk, from the Surf Lodge to Gurney's, to the Montauk Yacht Club to the locals to the Lighthouse. All of this is a good thing and all of this is good for the merchants of Montauk, the hotel owners and property owners.

There is a very real fear however that Montauk will one day end up like East Hampton, where one by one, shop by shop, a large corporate brand has taken over the business real estate of Main Street. It's a very real fear and worth the worry, because there is not a soul in East Hampton that doesn't wish it could go back to the good old days when you knew the guy who owned the shop you were shopping in and when you could get the best quality information about what you were buying, which is what you can do in Montauk.

It's important to keep in mind that besides the gorgeous nature, the amazing activities available and the people, a big draw to Montauk is its local feel and politicians and active citizens should do everything they can to protect that.

Luckily, for us, those people exist out here.

What I don't like however is the people that have a problem with Montauk being on the map more than ever before. I've heard more than once somebody complain that Montauk was changing and that they hope not too many people discover it.

Montauk is not changing, it is growing in popularity for tourism because that is what everybody who lives here has worked tirelessly to do.

This tireless effort began when Carl Fisher began it, and it will never end. I like it when I see places packed with people. I like it when I see parking lots full. These are all very, very good problems to have in Montauk in the summer time, especially in a recession.

What is great about Montauk is that no matter what state the economy is in, there is something for everybody here, from the weekender to the big ticket masters of the universe. And what's even better is that they all enjoy the exact same things on every level. The surfing and the fishing and the good food and beaches is what it's about here. Nobody really cares about being able to "get in" over somebody else. One of the biggest names in New York City and Hamptons nightlife, (the Surf Lodge) does't have lines and a ridiculous pecking order, and that's the way they like it because that's Montauk. Maybe one guy has a nicer boat than the other, but it is all on the same playing field and as long as that doesn't change, then Montauk is heading in the right direction. In East Hampton, you can feel the difference between the haves and the have nots and that feeling is killing it. The haves don't like that feeling just as much as the have nots and guess what, they are coming to Montauk where it feels comfortable and cool. I'm not worried at all about Montauk, because it really is just a perfect place, where a lot of what goes around makes sense, is fun and is about what it should be about, enjoying yourself and your family.

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