The End of the Hamptons : Scenes From the Class Struggle in America's Paradise

Winner of the 2005 Book Prize from the Association for Humanist SociologyA portrait of the contentious, controversial history of the Manhattan elite's favorite fabled summer playgroundIn this absorbing account of New York's famous vacation playground, Corey Dolgon goes beyond the celebrity tales and polo games to tell us the story of this complex and contentious land. From the displacement of Native Americans by the Puritans to the first wave of Manhattan elites who built the Summer Colony, to the current infusion of telecommuting Manhattanites who now want to live there year-round, the story of the Hamptons is a vicious cycle of supposed paradise lost. Drawing on this fabled land's history, The End of the Hamptons provides a fascinating portrait of current controversies: the Native Americans fighting over land claims and threatening to build a casino, the environmental activists clashing with the McMansion builders, and the Latino day laborers and working-class natives trying to eke out a living in an ever-increasingly expensive town. From Polo Players To Migrant Workers, This Book Offers An Inside Look At One Of America's Most Exclusive Communities. In This Account Of New York's Famous Vacation Playground, Corey Dolgon Goes Beyond The Celebrity Headlines To Tell Us The Story Of This Complex And Contentious Land. Dolgon Argues That Long Island's East End Has A Long And Tortured Past, Rife With Class Struggle Between The Haves And The Have-nots. This Turmoil Is A Direct Result Of The Hamptons' Unique Founding And History. As Wave After Wave Of Immigrants Have Settled On The Island, A Pattern Of Anxiety And Exclusion Has Risen To The Surface, Compelling Each New Group Of Land Owners To Spurn The Incoming Group Of Potential Residents. From The Displacement Of Native Americans By The Puritans To The First Wave Of Manhattan Elites Who Built The Summer Colony, To The Current Infusion Of Telecommuting, Millionaire Manhattanites Who Now Want To Live There Year-round, The Story Of The Hamptons Is A Vicious Cycle Of Supposed Paradise Lost.--jacket. Waves Upon The Shore : Coming To The Hamptons From The Earliest Times To The 1970s -- Houses In The Fields : New York City Moves East -- Peconic County Now! : Whose Quality Of Life Is It Anyway? -- Polo Ponies And Penalty Kicks : Sports On The East End -- The Other Hamptons : Race And Class In America's Paradise -- From Clam Beds To Casinos : The Enduring Battle Over Native American Land Rights. Corey Dolgon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-270) And Index. Winner of the 2005 Book Prize from the Association for Humanist Sociology A portrait of the contentious, controversial history of the Manhattan elite's favorite fabled summer playground In this absorbing account of New Yorks famous vacation playground, Corey Dolgon goes beyond the celebrity tales and polo games to tell us the story of this complex and contentious land. From the displacement of Native Americans by the Puritans to the first wave of Manhattan elites who built the Summer Colony, to the current infusion of telecommuting Manhattanites who now want to live there year-round, the story of the Hamptons is a vicious cycle of supposed paradise lost. Drawing on this fabled land's history, The End of the Hamptons provides a fascinating portrait of current the Native Americans fighting over land claims and threatening to build a casino, the environmental activists clashing with the McMansion builders, and the Latino day laborers and working-class natives trying to eke out a living in an ever-increasingly expensive town. Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction: Spending Time in the Hamptons ......Page 18 1: Waves upon the Shore......Page 31 2: Houses in the Fields......Page 62 3: Peconic County Now!......Page 100 4: Polo Ponies and Penalty Kicks......Page 136 5: The Other Hamptons......Page 174 6: From Clam Beds to Casinos......Page 214 Epilogue......Page 241 Notes......Page 248 Bibliography......Page 276 Index......Page 288 About the Author......Page 294 The post-9/11 flood of migrants from New York City to the Hamptons may have made local news, but it certainly was not the first time that signs of urban danger or decay inspired metropolitans to seek the more peaceful, bucolic landscapes of Long Island's East End. From polo players to migrant workers, an inside peek at one of America's most exclusive communities.