East Magazine

In this age, when luxury commerce seems to be the very definition of life in the Hamptons, it's easy to forget that the South Fork once was a picturesque, if obscure, haven for artists, writers, and other bohemians. Sag Harbor, in particular, has seen more than its share of notable writers over the centuries, and we revel in remembering when its bars and sidewalks were peopled by Steinbeck, et al. Here, then, is a literary-centric walking tour of the little whaling village that launched a thousand novels.

If Wölffer Estate hadn’t claimed the name “Summer in a Bottle” for its iconic rosé, the cherry-lime rickey would surely be the first-place contender for that title. That’s why we were pleased to learn that Sip ’n Soda has begun selling its cherry-lime rickey mix in a bottle — year round, to boot.

The Star photo archive is an anachronistic system, a holdover, unchanged since the days when images were not digital collections of pixels traveling on ether, but material things printed on paper in a basement darkroom. And, to the delight of any reporter or editor who finds an excuse to wade, hip-deep, into the archive, there are — wedged in among the many mundane black-and-white photographs (too many mildly “arty” snapshots of ducks and decoys, wood fences and weathered barns) and among the treasures (rare glass-plate negatives of Amagansett whalers and candid shots of major literary lions) — lots of truly wacky souvenirs of days gone by.

Who hasn't fancied themselves an artiste? Laura Donnelly — known on the culinary scene for her delicious recipes and occasionally devilish restaurant reviews — was asked by EAST Magazine to try her hand at life drawing. Here's what happened.

For more than 30 summers in East Hampton, starting in 1936, girls from 3 or 4 all the way to 18 could be found in a studio property on Lily Pond Lane — out on the grass, capering, leaping, skipping, and reaching for the halcyon skies — as they learned the art of dance in a lineage that descended directly from Isadora Duncan, the legendary choreographer and pioneer of contemporary dance. This was Anita Zahn’s Summer School of the Arts, which lives on in spirit today in the Rainbowdance program in Boston, established by Dicki Johnson Macy, a former student of Zahn.

Jeff Aubry talks to EAST about his pro hoops career, the Next Gen Basketball Players Union, and life in Sag Harbor.

Trapeze lessons at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton have become something of a tradition (dating, if you want to go all the way back, to the 1970s when small students at Hayground’s hippie-dippie precursor, the Hampton Day School, flew through the air in phys-ed class). This year, the trapeze season wraps up in mid-September.

It's time for the Hampton Classic once again, where Ava Lynch, an up-and-coming teen equestrian from Wainscott, will saddle up with passion in her heart and ribbons in her sights. She gave EAST magazine a close-up look into the world of competitive riding. There’s a myth, Ava says, that competitive riding “is easy, that anyone can do it, or that it isn’t a sport. That’s just not true.”

Time for some relaxing high-summer fun: Grab some markers and celebrate all things July with East Magazine’s first-ever coloring page for grownups. We can’t promise it’ll cure a hangover, but there’s a reason why adult coloring books have been surging in popularity: Research has shown it can relieve stress and anxiety and boost your mood and motor skills. We think it makes a great rainy-day activity or a way to wind down after a long day battling the traffic and crowds. Don’t forget to snap a picture of your masterpiece for Instagram and tag East Magazine — we're @east_mag — and have fun looking for all the East-Hampton “Easter eggs” in there.

Whether it evokes sweet, sweet memories of disco days gone by or echoes of a bad hangover, news of the impending demolition of a famous Three Mile Harbor roadhouse probably provoked a few feelings. Stephanie Krikorian uncovers the colorful history of the building that was once Mellow Mouth and the Jag — a bastion of the East End’s lost nightclub culture

Is it a lingering trace of Puritan thrift, or a hangover from the days when families scoured the shore for flotsam and jetsam? We're not sure, but when it comes to our unwanted stuff — outgrown bassinet, overgrown ficus, plastic pool lounger about to be upgraded to teak — what goes around stays around, out here. J Brooke reflects on the salvage culture of the South Fork

Priscilla Rattazzi, photographer, bids farewell to life on Georgica Pond.