Whose Line Did You Spend Time In? A Memorial Day Hamptons Nightlife Roundup

by KATHERINE BYRNES · May 26, 2009

    [The line outside the Harbor Club, Bridgehampton. Photos by ROB RICH]

    Harbor, Georgica, Dune, Lilypond, Pink? Which Hampton nightclub is the fairest of them all?  Rather, which one would you most likely be caught spending your best $2k in?  We want to know who came out ahead of the pack this Memorial Day Weekend. Take our Poll on the right, and vote for your favorite spot!!  Click below for more details on each... The Harbor Club: This new Bridgehampton venue is headed by some of NewYork's Upper East Side staples. David Marino and Ben Grieff are UES masterminds, from their days at Stereo, to their summer spent running Boutique. For those that have followed the Grieff/Marino storyline, this is a natural progression to bringing New York City's clubbing private schoolers and Long Islanders alike to one of the coolest new spots in the Hamptons. James Cruickshank spearheaded LOLA NY (made famous by Lindsay Lohan way back when), and rolls with a close crew from the likes of DJ Nick Cohen, the Sollis brothers, the Shines, and the rest of the LOLA crew. Be sure to keep a close eye on these guys over the summer. They never disappoint, and they know just the right people to produce on of the most fun nights you'll be sure to have (throwback to last summer's Lilypond nights). The day-into-night partying is definitely playing a huge role in their marketing scheme.

    Think Gossip Girl meets summer camp meets dance party. Bring it on,boys.

    Lilypond: Speaking of Lilypond, 1OAK has gone from spreading their name over the city (a la Hudson Terrace), to making a name of themselves over in the Hamptons. Richie Akiva is no stranger to nightlife, counting Blue & Cream's Jeff Goldstein as one of his loyal friends. Also on hand is the infamous Adam Alpert, of Butter fame (among others). This weekend they received a host of reality show love; from Bethenney Frankel to Jonathan Cheban...even John Legend made an appearance. These guys are the downtown geniuses that bring New York's hottest clubbers and LA's Hampton travelers everywhere theygo. Oh, and the new Phillipe next door can't hurt them at all. Let's see what happens when 1Oak comes to the East End.

    Dune: Or should we say, AXE Lounge? Despite the name, the venue was packed to the brim every night this weekend...not too shabby for one of the previous kids on the block. The usual crew stood in tow- keeping the velvet ropes packed and the bottles flowing. From the Social Life after party to the socialites themselves, these boys know how to throw a good party. Linking with Rachel Uchitel's door policy (now spearheaded over at Griffin), to nightlife connoisseur and Hamptons badboy Zev Norotsky, this place shows no signs of letting up despite its new competition. Be careful newbies, these guys know all about the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." It's fair to say, AXE at Dune is a force to be reckoned with.

    Day&Night / Pink Elephant: Well, here we go --the infamous Koch Brothers do Southampton. If you thought Merkato brunches were wild, you ain't seen nothing yet! Starting off the summer with a bang (i.e. Anna Paquin hosting the Hamptons Magazine Party), Jason Binn made quite the (and correct) choice with this improved hotspot. While Day&Night sits comfortably to the right of Pink Elephant, guests are able to enjoy the Capri pool and lounge, while ending the night on a Pink Elephant cabana. This weekend brought out Hamptons celebrities from Christina Greeven Cuomo, Sharon Bush, to the Real Housewives of NY. Of course there were also the usual Pink Elephant players, including the mascot in all his glory. This new addition to the Capri family looks like it will draw a whole new crowd to the Hamptons hot spot, only making it hotter.

    The Georgica- Matt Levine shocked us all from his Steelo transition to The Eldridge in NYC, so why not do the same in one of the most lucrative New York towns? Located in East Hampton, they've taken over the old Saracen for a more lounge-esque atmosphere. DJ Nick Cohen played opening night, with a smaller crowd gracing the cocktail hour. The place garnered more and more patrons throughout the weekend, and Levine even secured his door-guy du jour Naeem Delbridge. This place may not be the club scene, but Levine may have just usurped the lounge-restaurant crown that Nello Summertimes held for so long...minus the price (the bottles of champagne start at a more than reasonable $110). This place will definitely bring in the events, and certainly the social butterflies that made Eldridge the downtown latenight party place.