Sag Harbor on the Map

Back some time ago, Sag Harbor was just a tiny speck on the map-surrounded by salt water and the renowned Hamptons. When people asked where you lived it was a bit of a challenge to describe exactly where Sag Harbor was located in proximity to Montauk, Southampton, New York City. Inside the tail of a fish - near the tip - just a long ride from Manhattan. It was known by few – a hidden gem of peace, tranquility and simplicity. It held old fashioned charm- where everyone knew each other and looked out for each other and felt a camaraderie to likeminded folks with modest homes and straightforward living.

In 1733 a highway was laid out from Brooklyn to East Hampton using old farm roads and early lanes. As described in Dot Zaykowski’s Sag Harbor history book, the ride from Brooklyn to Sag Harbor took stagecoaches three long days -with two overnight stops along the way. The final eight hours of the journey was treacherous- through the dense forests from Southampton to Sag Harbor and required an ‘Indian’ guide familiar with the trail to help the coach through the final three miles of darkness. And though somedays it may seem like an eight-hour journey, Rte. 27 and the myriad of spaghetti model back roads bring us here with little recognition of the depth and complexity of the forests that once graced this stretch of glacial residue. Privet rather than pitch pine, Arborvitae rather than sycamore.

In the 60’s we gathered around the black and white TV and were surprised to hear the reporter mention the upcoming ‘Whaler’s Festival’ to be held in Sag Harbor on New York news. It was as if we witnessed a small miracle-did we hear correctly-did he actually say ‘Sag Harbor’? And there it was, a map of Long Island on the TV screen with a little red-dot and the words Sag Harbor along with a small preview of all of the excitement to come. It was something we had never heard before!

There were some that felt it was in Sag Harbor’s best interest to encourage tourism and development. They did what they could to let people know about this hidden gem- this village where the light was just right for artists and the bones just right for those who took quill to paper. It was a village that echoed with the shaded tales of whales and ships along with salt of the earth characters, dreamers and self-starters. Folks listened and they started to come, and the stream of traffic once spotty and reasonable became a river of workers and weekenders and vacationers -the forests began to vanish- but then again, I imagine that every beautiful place has been uncovered as humanity continues to propagate.

And now Sag Harbor is mentioned in nearly every periodical and online news source-Vogue, Vanity Fair, Avenue, New York Magazine, Galerie Magazine, Artful Living, Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveler and more. Sag Harbor has been discovered, rediscovered and changed. It is indeed in the news and rather than revel in the reveal I believe we may cower a bit and long for quieter days and simpler times.

For some reason I don’t want to forget the way it was- I want to imagine those dense forests that led to the ‘foot of the hill’, the tiny bridle paths, and the village at the edge of the woods. The world keeps moving forward at a pace in which part of our inner being, our essence, our core, must be challenged to keep up with - or filter -or understand. We keep one foot in the past while the other is skating at Mach speed toward an uncertain future. Perhaps all we are left with is the very moment at hand – living the best life we are able and helping where we can.

So, if that Jitney trip or the LIRR takes an extra hour or two-or traffic on 27 has you in a tizzy- just remember that three-day stage coach ride, the deep dark forest and all of the beauty that still awaits. Some things, not even time can erase.