Get to know Sag Harbor

Given Sag Harbor’s coastal location, there should be no surprise that the sea plays a massive factor in its history. In particular, the village was the capital of this once-nascent nation’s whaling industry, attaining a status so revered it garnered multiple mentions in “Moby Dick.” Echoes of that past remain, in one sense, with the so-called Old Whaler’s Church and, in a way more literal sense, with the local Whaling Museum. Sag Harbor became the dock du jour in 1789 when Congress declared it the official port of entry into the U.S., the first stop for any vessel entering the country. Such a distinction enabled the area to emerge as a hotbed of social vitality where all kinds of people — sailors, merchants, artists — freely mixed. But even though the last whaling ship set sail centuries ago, Sag Harbor remains a bustling hub of activity today.

Sag Harbor has a thriving downtown — even though downtown is, geographically speaking, in the upper part of town. Eating options dot Main Street and the surrounding area by the water, serving up delicious, often locally sourced meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, and whatever the term is for buying a doughnut in the late afternoon, even though you’ve got reservations in a few hours. For drinks, Sag Harbor’s bars perpetuate the throwback feel and trend toward the kind of local haunt where everyone is liable to know your name. Shops in Sag Harbor are homegrown favorites, with the village providing much in the way of vintage, antiques, and opportunities to purchase handmade products like jewelry or pottery. Stop at a weekend farmers market to stock up on produce, pastries, cheese, and other artisanal goods.