First called Poquatuck and then Oysterponds, Orient boasts a proud bivalve bounty owed to the grassy tidal creek that empties into its sandy harbor. Orient is singularly stunning at the end of the North Fork, ready-made for a postcard wishing you were here. A rich representation of Cape Cod-style homes in its historic district nod to the hamlet’s New England vicinity — New London, Connecticut, is easily accessible via ferry. Two beloved lighthouses watch over the calm Orient waters: The stout, striped Orient Point Light, or “Coffee Pot,” sits out in the Long Island Sound, while the diminutive Orient Long Beach Bar Light, or “Bug Light,” is down in Gardiners Bay. Meanwhile, from those same waters, restaurants serve signature shellfish specialties such as clams, mussels, shrimp, and the hamlet’s famed oysters.