Quantcast
Skip to content
Communities
  • North Fork
    • Jamesport
    • Mattituck
    • Orient
    • Riverhead
    • Shelter Island
    • Southold
  • The Hamptons
    • Montauk
    • Quogue
    • Sag Harbor
    • Sagaponack
    • Southampton
    • Water Mill
    • Westhampton Beach
  • NYC
  • Palm Beach
  • Home Pros
  • Digital Editions
  • Dan’s Best of the Best
  • Contact Us
  • RegisterLogin
Dan’s Papers
  • Things to Do

    Events Calendar

    View and Post Events

    • Books & Authors
    • Concerts
    • Comedy
    • Fairs & Festivals
    • Film
    • Fitness & Outdoors
    • Galleries & Museums
    • Kids & Families
    • LGBTQ+
    • Nonprofits & Philanthropy
    • Pets & Animals
    • Seasonal & Holiday
    • Shopping
    • Theater

    Dan’s Events

    Visit Dan’s Taste

  • Arts & Culture
    • Artist Profiles
    • Books & Authors
    • Galleries & Museums
    • Performing Arts
    • Music, Film & TV
  • Food & Drink
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
    • Bars, Breweries & Distilleries
    • Wine & Wineries
  • Celebrity News
  • Local News
    • Crime & Police
    • Politics
    • Health
    • Business
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Obituaries
  • Real Estate
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion & Style
    • Hotels & Inns
    • Kids & Family
    • Nonprofits & Philanthropy
    • Party & Event Photos
    • Wellness
    • Dan Rattiner’s Stories

→ Dan’s Taste Summer Series Presented by Wilmington Trust

Dan's Archives

Hamptons Sidewalks Will Be Rolled Up and Stored for the Offseason

By Daniel Koontz
3 minute 09/09/2018 Share
Sidewalk getting rolled up at Montauk Lighthouse
The 2018 Hamptons sidewalk roll up begins in Montauk, Photo: Oliver Peterson

The Hamptons Police have announced the fall 2018 schedule for rolling up the sidewalks across the South Fork.

“Some people think that Tumbleweed Tuesday (the day after Labor Day) is the start of the off-season,” Hamptons Police spokesman Larry Hirsch says. “But you know that summer’s really over when we roll up the sidewalks and put them in storage for the winter.”

Although the roll-up is an annual event, it remains a source of tremendous contention among residents and business owners who complain that it inhibits year-round activity in the area. Hirsch finds this complaint without merit. “With all the griping about summertime crowds, you’d think they would be thanking us for helping tamp it down in the winter. But no!”

Close

Get the Full Story

News, events, culture and more — delivered to you.
Thank you for subscribing!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The roll-up process takes a little over a week, and every year the police begin the process in a different location.

“This year, we’re starting from Montauk,” Hirsch says. The shifting of start locations and itineraries is designed to provide a measure of equity to the different villages. “If we started in Southampton every year, that wouldn’t be fair to businesses and pedestrians there,” Hirsch adds. “So we have a regular cycle that we follow. We don’t see why it should be controversial.”

Hirsch says local police won’t start removing the sidewalks in Montauk until November 7, the day after Election Day. “We used to start this whole thing a lot sooner,” he says. “But in the last 20 years we’ve not only found people are lingering out here longer after Labor Day, but we’ve also become more sensitive to the Jewish holidays.”

Once the roll-up begins, pedestrians and businesses will be able to use the Hamptons Police’s new “Where the Sidewalk Ends” app to get up-to-the-minute updates about where sidewalks will still be usable. 2018 marks the debut of this special service, which can be accessed on a range of devices. “The app will be a big help for people,” Hirsch says. “It will take all of the guesswork out of it.”

Despite this helpful new technology, pedestrian groups have mobilized against the roll-up. Denton Fisk, who heads an advocacy group called Sidewalkers Unite, had sharp words for the custom. “What this is really about is people who don’t want to shovel their walks when the snow comes,” Fisk says. “The police are just subsidizing laziness and absentee ownership.”

Hirsch says the police expect to complete the sidewalk roll-up by December 4. “Barring any unforeseen weather events, this should be a very smooth year. We have a lot of practice with this.”

Read more tales from the Hamptons Police Blotter

  • Vetted Hamptons Resources

    Hamptons Classified 

    Access our trusted network of local professionals and browse employment opportunities in the Hamptons.
    Find a Home Pro Search Jobs
  • Most Recent Articles

    Dana Trotter, The Agency Hamptons

    Dana Trotter Marks 2 Years Leading The Agency Hamptons

    American Dream, homeownership, Hamptons

    The American Dream of Homeownership

    The Atlantic Team, Douglas Elliman, real estate, brokers

    The Atlantic Team at Douglas Elliman: A Winning Formula of Teamwork, Innovative Marketing and Expertise

    Andrew Vahab

    Former Dreyfoos Student Named Chair of School’s Executive Board

  • Things to do on the East End

    More local events

    From Barrel to Bottle: A Guided Brewery & Vineyard Bike Tour Experience

    East End Bike Tours
    Today, 10 am

    Coastal Projections – Indonesian Home, Fashion & Lifestyle

    American Legion Hall
    Today, 11 am

    ALMOND ZIGMUND: WADING ROOM

    Guild Hall
    Today, noon

    FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: ARTIST-MADE FURNITURE

    Guild Hall
    Today, noon

    Hamptons JazzFest: The Piazzolla-Mulligan Project ft. Oscar Feldman

    Southampton Art Center
    Jul 12, 7 pm

    The Jackie Mason Musical

    southampton cultural center
    Jul 26, 7 pm
    Dan’s Papers

    The iconic mainstay of Long Island’s East End for over 60 years.

    Read Our Papers

    Digital Editions of Dan’s Papers are available online.
    Get our best stories right into your inbox. Subscribe
    Follow us
    © Dan’s Papers 2025 Schneps Media |
    Designed by Digital Silk
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

    Post an Event