Opinion-Indicators-Montauk Summer Craziness to Recede & Cool Down

The prediction for 2018 is a return to sanity for summertime in Montauk. On Sunday I was able to converse with many long-time Montauk friends who I was so glad to see again. Eventually the talk turned to the future of Montauk. Topics like; Will downtown survive the next major storm? Should motels on the ocean "be ordered" to move before nature takes it course and if so, who should pay for it? Will the purposed windmill project be a good or bad thing and LOL is this the year that Gosman's is actually sold off for huge money?

Amazingly no one mentioned the "Surf Lodge" first, which used to be the code for the "hipster" problem. That's because those in the know believe the "hipster" situation is on the wane. The new hip thing is no longer trekking out to Montauk. Why? Here opinions carried. Here are some comments; Kids are looking for something new. The die hards have become older and have other things to do. It's become too expensive and lastly measures taken by the town to control the situation have worked. Is this wishful thinking? Maybe not here's why.

A few business owners I spoke to told me business was flat last year, the "overflow from the kids," just wasn't like the other years. Also last year was not a really hot year, the weather patterns were bizarre with no real long lasting heat waves. The fellow who offered this explanation predicts if there is a heat wave this summer, record amounts of young people will flock out to Montauk, to make up for not coming last year. However his buddy said it's about the money. He said, "It's to expensive to stay, too long to drive, and not the new fad. Now going to Westhampton Beach, even Smith Point or Long Beach will be better options." I don't know what to think. I was living full time in (2005-2009) Montauk when both the real estate bubble burst and the Surf Lodge opened. I was there the day the 7-11 opened for business. I still can't believe the East Deck is no longer at Ditch Plains. To think someone spent $15M to buy knock down the East Deck and now leave it like a fenced in park is mind boggling to me.

Huge money is buying up old Montauk. Duryea's, The Montauk Yacht Club, the East Deck, Nick's, the Shagwong, Trail's End, and the Panoramic, have all been sold for huge numbers since I left. Prices at all those locations have become stronger aiming to bring in wealthier than a blue collar clientele. Montauk was promoted as "The Unhampton," may rapidly becoming the new quintessential Hampton for a wealthier summer visitor then in times past.

So it makes sense to predict yet another huge change is coming to Montauk. As the hipster's fade out the "Hedge Funders" will continue to grow in numbers and eventually dominate. Now that's not to say that the old guard real Montauk folks are going away, but they are aging and their way of life is changing. Years back (1983) a singer from Queens, Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper wrote a song, "Money Changes Everything." I believed it then, I believe it now.