Letters

I’ve been coming out here since 1979, when I bought my first house in North Haven. However, until COVID, I never spent more than two weeks at any one time. Then, in 2022, with our kids away, we decided to rent our home in New York City and move out full time to Bridgehampton.

It would be an understatement to say I wasn’t sure about our move. I was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Queens, and went to New York City public schools, and even went to college in Brooklyn. I’ve been riding the subway since I was 11 and spent all my adult life in Manhattan. Would I miss living in NYC? Would I still feel like a weekender and not part of the community?

Well, it’s been three years since our move, and for the most part, we love it. My son and I joined the Bridgehampton Fire Department, which, on so many levels, was one of the best decisions we could have made.

I know a lot of people have made a similar move, and I thought it might be interesting to make a list of what I miss about New York City … and what I definitely don’t.

What I miss: Walking everywhere; museums; taking the 4 train to Yankee Stadium; Central Park; sitting on my stoop; strange as it may seem, the subway; people-watching; New Yorkers (good and bad); speaking with strangers; interactions on the street; dressing up; reasonable restaurants; lunch spots; city views; convenience; the unexpected; unlimited choices; a short cab ride to airports; social spontaneity.

What I don’t miss: noise; paying for a cab in traffic; finding a parking space; paying for a parking garage; conflicts on the street; tolls; filthy streets; filthy subways; looking for a bathroom; garbage bags on sidewalk; inconsiderate dog owners; rats; cockroaches; bad odors; delivery guys on e-bikes; constant horns; scaffolding; homelessness; crowded elevators; windows you can’t open; constant drama; Friday afternoon cannonball; NYC taxes; driving in traffic back and forth.

Brett Shevack

Bridgehampton