The new Target in Bridgehampton is officially a hangout spot, like it or not. The parking lot is regularly mobbed, and lines snake around the in-house Starbucks. Weekend evenings, the tween brigade roams around until the 11pm closing time. On a recent Saturday, a local “cool dad” type I know “drunk drove” around the aisles on one of the motorized shopping carts. (They’re meant for people with mobility issues.)
Meanwhile, the predictable grumbles around a popular big-box store have begun. Although it’s in a highway strip mall well outside the jurisdiction of village protectors like Save Sag Harbor, online groups are crammed with dissenters imploring people to visit the mom and pops instead. The other big complaint is that the Riverhead Target is cheaper. When I polled Hamptonites about their thoughts, many of them sounded scared that I would take their new toy away from them. “Everyone loves the Target!” yelped one local mom.
Please don’t spend your Saturday drunk-driving a shopping cart around Target. The pre-Halloween festivities are in full swing, from Little Lucy’s Pet Parade in Southampton on Saturday to Sunday’s Ragamuffin Parade in Sag Harbor. I’ll be checking out two ocean paddles on Saturday: the second annual Witches’ Paddle in East Hampton, and a paddle out to honor late artist Lucien Smith in Montauk. Lucien’s last show opens at Tripoli Patterson’s Tripoli Gallery this Sunday. Trip shared the story of these paintings with THC last month.
In today’s newsletter for paid subscribers: Water Mill’s own superstar Meredith Hayden of Wishbone Kitchen shares (most of) her secret spots; Roy Lichtenstein’s former Gin Lane house-cum-studio finally sells; a Powerball ticket rocks Montauk; an update on the feud between East Hampton Town and Max Levai’s The Ranch over a contentious sculpture; The Corner is back for one night only; and the mystery of red water in Long Island Sound.
Upgrade to a paid membership today using this link for 20% off until the end of the weekend—and I’ll send you a holiday print issue when they’re out next month.
