Montauk, New York

Did You Know?

• Lake Montauk is home to a US Coast Guard station and a small commercial and recreational fishing fleet.
• The Montauk Station on the Long Island Rail Road provides train service along the Montauk Branch.

History

The name Montauk comes from the Montaukett tribe, an Algonquian-speaking people. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block encountered them at Montauk Point in 1614, naming it Hoeck van de Visschers, or "Point of the Fishers." In 1637 the Montauketts sided with New England settlers in the Pequot War, and afterward sold Gardiners Island. The Town of Easthampton was sold to settlers in 1648 by Connecticut and New Haven, retaining lands from Napeague to Montauk Point. The Narragansett-Montaukett War began in 1653; Narragansetts burned a Montaukett village, killing 30 and capturing Chief Wyandanch's daughter, who was recovered with Lion Gardiner's aid. The Montauketts, ravaged by smallpox, found temporary refuge with white settlers. Skirmishes ended in 1657. A 1661 deed granted lands east of Fort Pond for common use. Further purchases in 1661, 1672, and 1686 allowed Easthampton townsmen to graze cattle on Montaukett lands. Deep Hollow Ranch is considered the oldest cattle ranch in the United States.

Geography

Montauk has an area of 19.8 sq mi, with 17.5 sq mi of land and 2.3 sq mi of water. It has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), one of the northernmost locations in North America with this type. The Atlantic Ocean gives it warmer winters and cooler springs and summers than inland areas at the same latitude. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 34.4 °F in January to 74.0 °F in July. Annual precipitation is 44.31 in, with a slight dry season in summer and a wet season in late fall and early winter. Montauk is in Plant Hardiness Zone 7b/8a, with an annual average extreme minimal temperature of 10 °F, allowing subtropical plants to grow.

Demographics

Montauk's population stood at 4,318 according to the 2020 census, with a median age of 50.0 years. Residents under 18 made up 15.7% of the community, while those 65 and older accounted for 24.3%. The gender ratio showed 107.7 males for every 100 females. Most people, 89.0%, lived in urban areas, with the remaining 11.0% in rural settings. Of the 1,804 households, 22.6% included children under 18. Married couples led 45.3% of households, while 23.2% had a male householder without a spouse or partner, and 25.1% had a female householder in the same situation. Individuals living alone made up 31.3% of households, with 16.2% of those being 65 or older. Out of 4,487 housing units, 59.8% sat vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%, and the rental vacancy rate was 26.7%. In 2010, the population was 3,326, a drop from 3,851 in 2000. The racial composition then was 91.2% White, 3.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 5.0% from other races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 16.10%. Median household income reached $42,329, with per capita income at $23,875. Poverty affected 10.6% of the population, including 10.9% of those under 18 and 8.5% of those 65 or older.

In popular culture

Montauk has appeared in numerous films and television shows. In the 1975 film Jaws, the character Quint, played by Robert Shaw, was based on Frank Mundus, a shark hunter from Montauk, and Quint mentions catching a shark off Montauk. The 1979 film Cocaine Cowboys was based almost entirely in Montauk, including at Andy Warhol's mansion. In the 1982 film Deathtrap, the playwright Sidney Bruhl lives near Montauk. Montauk is an important location in the 1997 film Commandments and plays a prominent role in the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It is the setting for the 2009 film Paper Man and a major setting of the 2013 film Peeples. The 2017 film Return to Montauk was inspired by Max Frisch's 1975 novel Montauk. The 2023 film No Hard Feelings is set in Montauk. On television, the 1991 debut episode of Fishing with John features host John Lurie taking guest Jim Jarmusch off Montauk to catch a shark. In the 1997 Friends episode "The One at the Beach," the six friends go to Montauk to find Phoebe Buffay's birth mother.