Initially, the understated beauty of the place—the classic white houses with green trim, the shady trees lined with prim picket fences, the quaint main street and the water views—attracts weekenders to Bellport. But in the end, this Long Island town's proximity to Manhattan and its beach on Fire Island persuade day-dreaming city dwellers to become loyal part-time residents.

Bell family founded Bellport in 1820s
The Long Island Advance - Aug 24, 1995

It was only supposed to be a simple salvage operation for Captain Thomas Bell of yet another ship run aground off Great South Beach, as Fire Island was then known. Instead it would change the course of his life, and that of the area now known as Bellport Village.

Travel: The roads less traveled Escape the crowds
and make tracks to these undiscovered getaways
Time Out New York - May 21-28, 1998

Sometimes life in the Hamptons can seem more frenzied than the life you are trying—at considerable expense—to escape. Maybe it's time to consider the following destinations: All are within a two-hour drive of New York City and remain (for the moment) far from the maddening crowds.