About 75 miles east of Manhattan, far beyond the sprawl of the New York suburbs, Long Island splits into two, creating a “fish tail” on either side of Great Peconic Bay. The North Fork and the South Fork (jointly referred to as the East End) have evolved very differently. Historically, the South Fork has been the more prominent. Beginning in the late 1800s, artists and writers came in search of tranquility and inspiration. In turn, they were followed by captains of finance seeking summer retreats. Beaches that were once empty except for fishermen seining from the shore sprouted shingled mansions that loomed behind a rampart of dunes. A string of once relatively modest agricultural and fishing villages became a playground known as the Hamptons.