Water Mill, NY

Water Mill is a hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Southampton on Long Island's South Fork. Its name comes from a 1644 mill built after Edward Howell received land near the new Southampton settlement, giving the place unusually literal historic roots. Today Water Mill sits firmly in the Hamptons world, with the Parrish Art Museum, old estates, farm fields, expensive homes, and beaches nearby. It feels historic, rural-edged, and intensely high-end all at once.