EDITOR'S LETTER

I KNOW A THING OR TWO
12 years old. I grew up in the Midwest, surrounded by lakes and rivers and dense green forests, and I could only wonder what that immense body of water looked like. So when I first gazed at it, during a family trip to Florida, I was instantly smitten. No matter that the Portuguese men of war sent my sister screaming to the car, while I absentmindedly exposed my legs to searing, ugly sunburn blotches running from the bottom of my madras shorts to the top of my rugby-striped tube socks. (Nice look, huh?) I was mesmerized.

So it makes complete sense to me that, a few decades later, I find myself living less than two miles from the ocean, not to mention Peconic Bay and dozens of freshwater lakes, in an area that's graced with a truly inspiring array of fellow water-loving folks, including interior designers, architects, restaurateurs, farmers, chefs, stylists, artisans and shopkeepers. I'm particularly excited about this issue's special feature on local boating enthusiasts ("People and Their Boats," pg. 46 of the magazine). Having wobbly sea legs at best, I draw the line at the Shelter Island Ferry, but what fun it was to discover how many Hamptonites own and enjoy boats of all shapes and sizes. Water, water everywhere: Let's hope we can keep it that way.

Kendell Cronstrom
Editor in Chief
kendell.cronstrom@candgpublications.com

Pure bliss: A boat in Montauk, as seen from the pier at Duryea's.