Living on the North Fork
As far as descriptive names go, it doesn’t get much more straightforward than the North Fork of Long Island. See where Long Island splits at Riverhead? Well, the North Fork is the piece to the north. Perceived as the more reserved sibling of the East End’s twin tines, the North Fork is no less enticing than the Hamptons — it’s just a different speed. Up here, there's a bonafide viticultural culture. Vineyards number in the dozens, thriving in the maritime climate. Long Island’s agricultural ancestry carries through to the present, as local growers sell produce, flowers, cheese, and other wares at farmstands throughout the area. It all — plus proximity to Connecticut and Rhode Island (bridged by the Cross Sound Ferry) — amounts to a vibe that hews closer to New England than it does New York. The North Fork can be an escape to another world, despite being under 100 miles away from where you departed.