Melanie Lippman- From New York's Upper East Side to the Hamptons

Melanie Lippman- From New York’s Upper East Side to the Hamptons

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in the Hamptons year round? We can all live vicariously through fashion stylist, Melanie Lippman.  Melanie and her husband made that leap and moved permanently to their Hamptons beach house.  Here is Melanie Lippman- From New York’s Upper East Side to the Hamptons.

Tell me about your move to the Hamptons

We had an apartment in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and a beach house in the Hamptons (Remsenburg, NY).   I love going to our beach house on the weekends but never thought we would move out there permanently.  If you asked me 5 years ago if I was ever going to leave the city, my answer would have been a firm NO.  However, over the years, this slowly changed.  I used to work as an account executive for a jewelry designer which required a lot of travel so when I got pregnant, I decided to stop working.  I started spending more time at our beach house.  I enjoyed the R&R in the Hamptons before the baby came.  I took a lot of baby classes at Southampton Hospital and fell in love with how small and attentive the hospital was.  Then when our son was born, we found ourselves spending more and more time at our beach house.  Our two bedroom Manhattan apartment suddenly felt small for the three of us.

Melanie Lippman- From New York's Upper East Side to the Hamptons

Why did you choose to move out east?

The summer before our son was born we went to a high school graduation party.  We fell in love with the upbringing that these kids had. They grew up with the beach in their backyard.  They were very low key and loved being outdoors.  We were impressed with the amazing colleges that they were attending.  I remember looking at my husband and we both had the AHA moment and said “this may be a great place to raise our son.”

When you moved did you know anyone? Any advise for newcomers on the best way to meet people?

I didn’t know any moms when we moved.  I only knew older women that were in completely different lifestages.  I met a lot of local moms through activities in town.  We have an amazing library that offered a lot of great Mommy & Me classes.   In addition to the library programs, I signed up for other Mommy & Me classes such as Music Together, swim classes, gymnastics, etc.  I’m still friends with the moms I’ve met, in fact, most of the kids ended up being in my son’s preschool class.

How old is your son? What do you like to do with your son in the area?

My son is 4 ½ and he is extremely active. During the summer, we are usually at the beach, our pool, or at the local Ben and Jerry’s.  Westhampton is extremely kid friendly.  The Westhampton Library has a Kids on the Green program where there are performances for kids every Tuesday over the summer.  In the winter, we like to go to the Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE), The Long Island Aquarium, or Safari Adventure, an indoor play space with bounce houses and play areas.

What are the best playgrounds and parks in the area?

Our current favorite is Port Jefferson’s Rocketship Park, which is about 45 minutes away, but we make a day out of it.  My son loves the NASA space ship play structure.  We also like playgrounds at the local schools and Agawam Park in Southampton.  We love going to Rogers Beach in Westhampton.  We love the facilities there and find it to be extremely worth the cost of the beach passes.

What are some things you don’t like about living in Southampton?

I don’t like that most of the stores and restaurants close in the middle of winter.  We end up doing a lot of driving to get to a mall, the movies, big box stores, etc.

What are your favorite restaurants in the area?

Starr Boggs (Westhampton Beach, NY), Stone Creek Inn (East Quogue, NY), and Centro Trattoria and Bar (Hampton Bays, NY).  For lunch I love Mambo Kitchen (Westhampton Beach, NY) or Funchos Fajita Grill (Westhampton Beach, NY).

What are your go-to places in the area?

The beach, the library, our local Beach Bakery (Westhampton Beach, NY).

What has your experience been so far with schools?

The process has been pretty seamless so far.  Our son’s Pre-K tuition was paid for by the school district through the Universal Pre-K program which was an added bonus.

Do you or your spouse commute to the city? What has your experience been with the commute?

My husband works in Nassau County and drives to work (1 hour drive).  I am constantly in the city and take the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road).  I drive to Ronkonkoma station which is about 30 minutes from my house because the trains come more frequently.

Any tips/advice you wished someone had told you when you were looking to move to the suburbs?

I suggest going to the local coffee shop, talk to the locals.  If you are a mom, you should look for other moms with kids.  I remember when I moved here, I was worried that there wouldn’t be many toddler activities, however, after talking to local moms, I found a lot of great programs.

About Melanie Lippman

Melanie Lippman- From New York's Upper East Side to the Hamptons

Melanie Lippman is a stylist, mom to 4 year old, Spencer and a mutt named Simmy.  Melanie has always been in the fashion industry, growing up her family owned an accessory store and she enjoyed giving clients advice on how to dress.  Then she worked for many years as a sales executive for a well-known fine jewelry brand.  She turned her hobby into a career and received a Certification in Image Consulting and Color Consultation from the Fashion Institute of Technology.  Melanie loves educating her clients on how to dress for their body type and lifestyle.

Follow Melanie

@melanielippman on instagram

www.melanielippman.com

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