West Hampton Dunes, NY

West Hampton Dunes is a tiny barrier-island village on Westhampton Island, and its origin story is really a beach-management story. Residents incorporated so they could have a stronger say in what happened to the barrier beach after groynes at Shinnecock Inlet pushed erosion down the shoreline. The village's first mayor, Gary Vegliante, sued the Army Corps of Engineers for $200 million; a later settlement helped open the way for beach replenishment and rebuilding. There are only four named roads—Dune Road, Dune Lane, Cove Lane, and Widgeon Way—which tells you how narrow and specific the place is. West Hampton Dunes is a Long Island village built around the coast, not behind it.