Sometimes it's tough to be a tourist on Eastern Long Island. Yes you get to enjoy the beautiful beaches, restaurants, shopping and plethora of other things the area has to offer, but you also get to be a target of the locals.
I will be honest and just say that most locals do not like tourists, especially where I am on the North Fork. I think those in the Hamptons have grown a little more used to the extra people around in the summer by now since they have been getting the influx of visitors for longer than the North Fork. The newer of visitors on the North Fork however leaves those who are here year round left adjusting to more traffic, longer lines in the supermarket and other things.
I actually have tried to avoid using the word tourist in this blog because it has such negative connotations in the area. I feel that it is almost an insult when used by some so I prefer the term vacationers.
Another insult on the North Fork that goes right along with "tourists" is "Citiots." Locals on the North Fork seem to think that those who come to the area from the city are not too bright and thus they enjoy using the mixture of the words "city" and "idiots" to describe the guests.
I personally do not believe those who come out to visit the East End are any less bright than the locals, I think they are just used to a different lifestyle and it shows in their actions. I actually prefer the city lifestyle where you move faster and may not necessarily say hello to everyone you run into on the streets or in stores because you do not know them. Just because somebody from Manhattan where there are millions of people comes to little Greenport and does not feel like having small talk with a store clerk does not make them a bad person or any less intelligent, it's just the type of stuff that does not occur where they are from.
I think a lot of the issues that arise between those who visit the East End and those who make their homes there year-round do so because nobody understands the differing of their lifestyles. Like many problems in the world, this one could be solved by being a little more tolerant towards others. It might not kill the person from Manhattan to talk for a minute or two with the store clerk in Greenport, but it also might be good for that store clerk to try not to talk too much to the visitor not used to making conversation with a perfect stranger.
The reason I would like to see less controversy between vacationers and locals on the North Fork is because I like those who come to visit the area in the summer and appreciate the business they bring. Many shops in towns like Greenport have to close their doors in the winter because they do not get enough business to warrant staying open. Restaurants have to close their doors too in the winter because they also do not get enough action.
If the influx of people did not arrive in the summer there would be no businesses on the North Fork and things would not be pretty. The fact of the matter is the East End is a vacation destination and many people make a living based on the vacationers who visit during the summer (and fall for pumpkin picking). Those who would like to see people from Manhattan stay there do not realize that lives would be hurt if they did not get the extra business in the summer.
To be honest, it only gets busy on the weekends on the North Fork in the summer. The weekdays may be busier than they are during the winter, but it is still far from crazy. Most of the time it is just Friday to Sunday when the roads have more traffic on them and so on. Three days is not so bad to just tough it up and accept there will be more people around. If you have to go to the store I advise just doing so during the week, which many locals have started to do since they know the problem is not going away.
It's tough to have to adjust your lives for a few months every year because of an influx of people, but the value that comes out of having those additional people around is important to the area. I really do hope more and more people see the importance of tourists to Eastern Long Island and can accept their presence as a vital part of the economy.
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