Well, I drove out to Montauk Point today and...

[TreasonousBastard]

from where I am that's about 40 miles, two ferry rides, and passing lots of million dollar homes, multimillion dollar boats, and places where they sell you $100 a pound chicken salad and $15 bowls of clam chowder.

I saw exactly two political yard signs on this trip-- both were for Obama.

Does that say something?

[billyoc]

1. The ultra-rich consider yard signs beneath them?

[NYC_SKP]

2. Yeah, that chicken is expensive!

Try Amagansett.

Chicken's more like 80 bucks/pound.

[KittyWampus]

39. Ioconno's chicken farm isn't going to last much longer. The old man just died & his kids don't want

to keep it going :(

[NYC_SKP]

42. That's a shame. Hell, I'll take it on, I loves me some chickens! nt

[eleny]

3. You live out on eastern LI and needed to take 2 ferries?

I'm curious! What town are you in?

[NYC_SKP]

6. From North Fork LI over to Montauk via Shelter Island, I guess... nt

[rasputin1952]

19. We lived in Southold , and I lived on Shelter Island for several

years in the 70s, I worked for gardiner's Bay Country Club and a mason/plumber. It was great, I was a member of the Shelter Island FD, was assigned to a 1958 American LaFrance 500 GM pumper.

Back then, the Winter population was about 2,500, Summer 45,000+. A third of the Island was a preserve, deer all over the place, used to hang out in a bar called the Dory, and it was a "big drive" to go the Shelter Island Heights...:D

[eleny]

24. Instead of driving all the way around - that would do it

[murdoch]

4. Long Island yard signs

Me and my friend were driving east on Jericho turnpike last October. I don't even remember who the two candidates were anymore, but they were from Nassau. One said "Vote Joe Blow - DEMOCRAT". The other just said "Vote John Smith". The Republicans are in such shame, the Republican didn't even want to put which party he was on his sign.

[DesertFlower]

5. i live in arizona. i have not seen any obama signs,

but i haven't seen any McCain signs either. about a month ago i did see an obama 2008 sticker on an expensive car. i think it was a mercedes, but i'm not sure.


what i do see in many front yards are FOR SALE signs.

[JerseygirlCT]

7. Headed all along the Jersey Shore myself

(sorry, but beautiful as Montauk is, getting there is a stinker! I love my Jersey shore!)

Plenty of Obama stickers - a couple of old W ones. None for McCain. Maybe 2 lawn signs - both for Obama.

That seems to be the way of it here in CT, too. Lots of Obama stickers on the daily commute. I think I may have seen one McCain.

[DesertFlower]

8. i went to the jersey shore once --

seaside heights. it was beautiful -- really big waves. it was many years ago. i hope it's still nice there.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. I went there in the summer during HS for a few weeks of

"retreat". Great time. But I grew up spoiled by being close enough to the beach to make it an easy day-trip. 20 minutes with traffic, lol. I haven't been back to Seaside in a long time, though.

[DesertFlower]

10. i lived in queens, new york

for most of my life. rockaway beach and riis park were less than an hour drive.

i really miss the ocean. my friend lives in jersey city and he goes to the shore quite often.

just talking about it, i can actually smell the ocean air. if my pet sitter was available, i'd jump in the car and drive to san diego.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Yeah, when we win that poweball, we'd move to the beach in

a heartbeat. We're sort of addicted to Cape May, NJ., but anything along the shore in NJ would do me fine. CT is all rocks, and the sound just doesn't make for real surf.

I need my yearly fix at the least. It's just in my blood.

[Bavorskoami]

18. Yeah, when we win that powerball, we'd move to the beach

I'm at the eastern end of CT and have seen quite a few Obama signs or stickers and maybe 2 or three McCain bumper stickers. I see more Kerry-Edwards bumper stickers than I do for W and McCain combined.
Since you're living in CT and looking for surf - have you tried heading in the other direction - to Rhode Island - Misquamicut, Weekapaug, Matunuck or Quonochontaug?
Ami

[JerseygirlCT]

49. You know, not really

We did spend a weekend in Newport once - it was nice, but still... too expensive, and we were obviously too old for the whole "out carousing all night and making a lot of noise" scene, lol.

I think I'm just hooked on my NJ shore. And when we did go to Cape Cod once, not even very far out, it took us longer to get there than it did to get all the way to the end of NJ!

But I've wondered about them... maybe something to look at!

[DesertFlower]

23. i would move to san diego. it is so expensive,

but so beautiful. great weather all year long. i can't take the cold.

[JerseygirlCT]

50. I hate the cold

hate, hate, hate it.

Don't ski, don't skate, don't care to be out in that stuff. Just want to hide until the awful long winter is finally over and I can put shorts and t-shirts and sandals back on!

[DesertFlower]

55. lol. that's me.

when i lived in new york, i got depressed around labor day. i knew what was ahead. the winters seemed to get longer and longer.

even here, it gets chilly in the winter and i complain. if i have to cover my feet, it's too cold. fortunately we don't get too many days like that. of course, the summer is HOT. it's been 110 and over for the last few weeks. it did drop down below 100 the other day, but it was humid. i'd rather have 110 and dry than 90 and humid. i really feel the least bit of humidity now. that's why i like san diego. it's beautiful in the summer. it gets a little humid in august, but not really bad.

so why don't you move somewhere warm? Economics? we were lucky that my husband was able to get a transfer from his employer.

[JerseygirlCT]

56. Well, in spite of hating the cold

I'm just a northeasterner. I talk fast, walk fast, like real pizza (and eh hem, not that stuff they claim in New Haven is real, either, lol).

But winter I could do without!

[DesertFlower]

58. i'm that way too.

people here know right away that i'm from new york. we have real food here now. not so much in the beginning, but we've grown so much. still, nothing beats new york food.

when we were younger, we could never have left new york, but by age 48 i was ready to get away from it.

[Kool Kitty]

45. As a Jersey girl, I just want to thank you guys for

saying such nice things about NJ. Usually people run it down, but it really is beautiful (for the most part). I was born here and have lived here all my life (55 years) and I love it. I live in Monmouth County (in Aberdeen), so we are right near the shore. :grouphug: to all of you.

[JerseygirlCT]

51. Then I probably grew up within 5 miles of you

But I remember when it wasn't "Aberdeen". You just talked about the "A section" or the "I section", etc.

And though things are getting mighty crowded now (How many houses are they squeezing into that plot at the corner of Line and Bethany that was empty forever and ever?), I still miss it - because of the beach. There's just a different feeling once you get near enough to the shore.

[Kool Kitty]

61. They put seven houses on that corner.

Unbelievable. (The area I live in used to be Matawan and the district was split about 10 years ago.)

[JerseygirlCT]

62. They're not even very attractive, IMO

Funny how that space could be empty for so long (or alternately used for a crop or two and empty) and then like mushrooms...

[monmouth]

60. I'm from Freehold and Manasquan. Husband owned "Leggett's"...n/t

[rasputin1952]

20. I grew up in Jamaica!

Went back last year w/my son, everything has changed.

[DesertFlower]

22. we lived in forest hills.

my granddaughter went back last month. said it's still the same, which is amazing because so many areas have changed. many of the same stores are there. i left in late '89. i've never been back.

[rasputin1952]

25. Our old house was still there, but they had built a damn near a

steel barricade around it. My dad died in that house back in 1965, the Chinese Maple planted as a kid was still there though.

[DesertFlower]

27. the tree will probably be there for many more years.

we lived in a large apartment building. didn't buy our first house till we moved to arizona. way to expensive in new york and we didn't want to travel to long island or new jersey.

i did live in a house during my early teen years -- out in west brentwood. that house is still there, but when i pull it up on zillow it looks completely different. they added on to it and put in a pool. last time i checked it was worth near $500,000. my mom sold it in 1980 for $25,000.

[rasputin1952]

30. My G'ma lived upstairs in her own apt back then, my dad bought

the house for something like $17G, pretty small actually by today's standards, but it must be worth a small fortune these days.

That maple was a great climbing tree when I was growing up, lot's of branches...:D

At one time, right up until 62-63 we had a peach tree in th backyard as well, it was one of the most prolific trees I had ever seen, bushels of peaches came off that thing, neighbors loved us for that tree. It finally had to be taken out because it got some disease. I can still remember the taste of peaches and sweet cream in the morning, and the wonderful smell of my mom and G'ma cooking and canning a gazillion Mason Jars of peach products, and those peach pies!!!...:P

[DesertFlower]

35. you're making my mouth water.

the house we lived in -- my parents bought it new for $10,000 -- VA mortgage $500 down. that was in '53. it was very small -- 2 bedrooms -- 1 bath. my 2 sisters and i shared 1 small bedroom. it had an attic that could have been made into 2 rooms, but my parents divorced so that never happened.

now it's hubby and me. our house is 2800 sq. ft. -- 4 bedrooms, office and 3 bathrooms. it seems just the right size. lol

amazing how things have changed.

[eleny]

26. I grew up in Woodhaven

:hi:

Just a short drive down Rockaway Blvd, across Broad Channel, park and walk across the street to the beach.

[DesertFlower]

28. we were neighbors.

:toast: sounds like 98th street -- near the rides?

[eleny]

32. Yup

Funny thing - when I checked it out recently on Google Earth, there's still that oval concrete median where people can park their cars across the street from the beach. It's been there since I was a kid.

When I was really small, even in winter we'd take a ride down to Broad Channel where there was a concession building. The folks took us there to "feed the duckies". Sure, things have changed. But when hubby and I stopped there last, families were there with the kids just like in the old days. I was always fascinated by the little Broad Channel houses built out on little piers.

We were talking about Rockaway on the 4th and remembering how even during the week, they'd have fire works off a barge. Probably paid for by Rockaway Playland to get families down to the beach on - was it Tuesday nights? Good memories!

[DesertFlower]

34. there were 2 parking lots. the smaller one i think they gave

to the police to park. that was around 94th street. i liked 98th because it had the concession stand and rest rooms.

i remember the fireworks. it was either tuesday or wednesday nights.

hubby mentioned the hot dog place. it was right before you went over broad channel. i think it was called Weiss'. they had hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries. i remember when it closed. i felt so bad. and yes, all that was there when i was a kid. i'm 66 now.

yes. very good memories. the world was a different place then.

[eleny]

36. I'm 61, so we have the same memories

My hubby is from Richmond Hill - right across Forest Park. :D

[DesertFlower]

41. OMG. my friend lived on

park lane south. her ex husband still lives there in the same apartment. they moved there in the early 60s. it was rent controlled. i guess that's why he stayed there. he's in his 70s now.

my husband is from valley stream.

we moved to arizona in late '89. i've never been back. he's been back for business and also goes once a year to visit his sister in baldwin. he was just saying today that he'll visit around the end of august. my husband is 60.

i actually grew up in ridgewood, queens. my parents moved to long island when i was 12. i never liked it. when i was 17 i moved back with my grandmother to ridgewood. my grandfather owned a bar and they lived in the apartment upstairs. raised 7 kids in a 6 room apartment with 1 bathroom. grandpa was president of a democratic club for as long as i can remember. i married my first husband in '60 and we lived in east new york, brooklyn. we separated in early '67 and i moved back to ridgewood -- 4 blocks from grandma. lol. i met husband #2 in 1970. we moved to forest hills in '74 after my grandmother died. grandpa died in '70. i was extremely close to my grandmother. i never really cared for ridgewood, so after grandma passed, i said to hubby "there's no reason for us to stay here now" and that's when we started looking. the apartment in forest hills was perfect -- 2 bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths and a small balcony (rent stabilized). there was a school across the street and a small park. so we didn't feel closed in. the LIE was 2 blocks away and we could give traffic reports from our window. in back of the building there were private homes -- so we didn't feel closed in with brick and concrete. we were on the 6th floor and on a clear night, we could see the lights from the whitestone bridge. but, it was time to leave new york. we always thought we would relocate to miami or ft. lauderdale, but we came out to arizona on a business trip and fell in love with it. been here almost 19 years.

on edit: this thread started out about montauk. in september '89 on a nice indian summer day we drove out to montauk to say goodbye to the ocean. it was beautiful. got some nice pictures.

[eleny]

48. Park Lane South - wow!

I grew up 2 blocks south of it just a few blocks east of Franklin K. Lane High School. Which may be closing, btw.

My folks lived in East New York when I was born. Then we moved to Woodhaven maybe 9 or 10 months later. Ridgewood is like a stones throw. My father in law grew up there and went to St. Mathias.

We were last to NYC in 2004. We decided to drive out to Montauk before we drove back home to Colorado. It was the first time we'd ever been out there. I was never a home body and took advantage of living in NY. But that was when you could drive into the city and find a legal parking spot on the street quite easily (lol). But then there were so many things I didn't do and see like Montauk. I moved away from NY in '76 and visited over the years since my folks lived there for a while and hubby's family being in Richmond Hill. Now with the folks all gone there's not much reason to get back. I do miss the ocean, though. Even when we visited in the winter, hubby and I would drive down to Rockaway and walk the beach a little.

:hi:

[DesertFlower]

54. 86th st. & park lane south.

i know Franklin K. Lane. my neighbor taught there. i think it was where cypress hills ended and woodhaven began.

i'm familiar with St. Mathias. it was near Myrtle ave. i think it was on catalpa between onderdonk and woodward.

when we went to montauk to say goodbye to the ocean, it was our first time there. i've never been to fire island, or the statue of liberty or rode the staten island ferry.

we spent a lot of time in manhattan. i worked there and many times on the weekend we would drive in. i especially liked the east village. you could park on the street after 11 am. of course, you had to be there at 11 to get a spot, because by noon, they'd all be taken. in the 80s there was a lot of good shopping down on broadway starting at around 8th street and going south. some great stores and restaurants. we went to chinatown quite often too. of course, we had to put the car in a lot there. they had meters on the street that were good for only 20 minutes. another place i loved to shop was the concourse in the world trade building. they had some great stores in there.

we've been in arizona almost 19 years and i still haven't gone to the Grand Canyon. hubby went about 10 years ago. his daughter came to visit and they drove up there. it's about a 3-1/2 hour drive.

[DesertFlower]

57. my family all went to

st. aloysius.

[a la izquierda]

15. Aahhhh, seaside...

i miss my jersey shore.

Seaside was a dump for junkies and club-hoppers a few years ago when I left. Still...I'd sell a kidney to spend a summer back home. Where'd you grow up?

[JerseygirlCT]

52. Me?

Hazlet.

Seaside was nice all those many years ago. Of course, nicer yet to spend a week there with your best friends, and it was all a-ok, because it was under school auspices, lol!

[a la izquierda]

59. Ho-leee crap.

So am I. My husband too.

[TreasonousBastard]

33. Well, you could take 3 ferries from CT...

to get to Montauk an not have to deal with the dreaded GSP.

But, once you got there you'd be stuck with the chowder or starve to death. (For emergencies, there is an actual grocery store out there on Montauk Highway that doesn't have "salumeria" or "Citarella's" or something godawfully cute in the name.)

[JerseygirlCT]

53. LOL

Just out of college, a friend worked at a campsite way out on Montauk. I went to visit a few times - we lived in a tent right on the beach - but excellently for me, there were bathroom and shower facilities right there, steps away.

I thought that was a little piece of heaven, personally. So far out, there was practically nothing to see but a bit of sand and water forever...

[blogslut]

11. I walked along my Texas street yesterday

No signs at all. But then again, we don't break out the campaign signs until October.

[elleng]

12. Yea,

that folks who live out there are STUPID! (not re: ob, but to pay such outlandish prices.)

REAL stupid!

[JoFerret]

14. Nope

East End Long Island is a world unto itself.

[a la izquierda]

16. That tells me at least two rich people support Obama...

and the clam chowduh (as my mom would say it) is probably really, really good.

Great, thanks, now I'm homesick for the Atlantic Ocean and the Jersey Shore. Thanks a lot...:)

[TreasonousBastard]

31. I gotta say the chowdah was VERY good, but...

ain't no chowdah worth the 8 bucks I paid for the very small portion of it. And I noted at the time that the 15 buck portion wasn't twice as big.

The 18 dollar lobster sandwich or the 1/4 pound of chicken salad for $24.95 will NEVER be worth it in my lifetime.

On trips to Montauk, I have learned to fill the tank here and take pretty much everything with me that I might possibly need because the only place I can spend money without feeling like a victim is the 7-11 in Sag Harbor.

[rasputin1952]

40. Remember the days when going out into Goose Bay and

finding clams w/your toes was as easy walking on the beach...:D

Clams, crabs, a few oysters and scallops...those were the days.

[JoFerret]

17. Two ferry rides and only

40 miles?

Are you sure?

Greenport?

[TreasonousBastard]

29. Close to Greenport, and I didn't go all the way to the Point...

just a little past Gurney's. 86 miles round trip.

I only save about 50 miles round trip going across Shelter Island instead of going back to Riverhead and around the bay, but it's maybe four hours travel time I save and I'm almost happy to pay the 27 bucks for the ferries just to NOT have to sit forever waiting for the traffic in Bridgehampton.

(Besides, this was work and I get the ferry money back because I had a couple of appointments on Shelter Island, too.)

[caraher]

21. I'm in "red state" rurual Indiana

I see no essentially McCain signs at all. I pass a few Obama signs on my way to/from work, and see bumper stickers regularly. The week of the primary a bunch of Hillary signs sprouted up and disappeared; while I'm sure there were plenty of Dems for Hillary their location and timing really smacked more of Operation Chaos than true Hillary fans. "W" bumper stickers vastly outnumber anything from 2008

Considering you can't get elected dogcatcher here as a Democrat the lack of enthusiasm for McCain is palpable and encouraging...

[KittyWampus]

37. I live in the town right before Montauk. You must not have had your eyes on any bumperstickerss

And if you want decent road side food for not a lot, try the Clam Bar. Avoid eating at Lunch.

Best idea, go to Gosmans and get a take out order of Fish n Chips from ANY of the other smaller restaurants (Gosmans sucks) on the docks and sit outside and watch the fishing boats come in. The mates clean the fish and if people are around, they'll put on a good show :)

[MarjorieG]

38. Although the surfer crowd wants a toehold, Montauk is still laid back townies and fisherman.

Homes largely from the war, and full of American Legion. We go there all the time because it's not fancy like the Hamptons.

Hard to imagine too Democratic, but glad to read about those signs.

[TreasonousBastard]

43. Didn't see any political bumperstickers at all...

this time. Dunno why, but it just may be too early.

Part of one of my jobs is to hang out at the docks when the charterboats come in. Last year I was at Westlake, Johnny Marlin's, Star Island Yacht Club, and a few other places a couple of times a week, although this year it's only a couple of times a month.

Last year I tried a couple of those places along the dunes on the way and that's where I got the sticker shock-- crab shacks gettin' kinda uppity with their pricing. Haven't tried too many of the smaller places up by the docks, but I guess I should.

Didn't get up that way today (different job) but I was looking at those shacks along the dunes and started getting the munchies.

Fought 'em off-- I had plenty of cash on me, but I might have gone for the lobster and I just ain't gonna spend over an hour's pay for lunch.

[KittyWampus]

46. Mary's Marvelous in Amagansett, north side of road in town, on the corner where you turn into

the town parking lot, library on other corner.

It has terrific sandwiches, soups, baked goods. Not any more expensive than anywheres else. Wonderful breakfast offerings too.

Seriously, since the Farmer's Market closed, that's were we send people for lunch.

See also, Brent's Deli. It's on the corner at first light right before you get into Amagansett. They have very good steam table food.

[TreasonousBastard]

47. Won't be down there again till the 31st, and...

I'll really be pressed for time, but I'll see if I get a chance to stop in one of them.

BTW, it's getting bad up here, too-- some good food, but lots of really bad food all at really high prices. When asked where the locals go, the answer is "They don't."

[cherokeeprogressive]

44. It says they're rich enough that they don't care. They got theirs, who's to worry?