EAST TO ORIENT:
Exploring the North Fork’s Final Frontier
This is Orient
The Story
We’re not the first people grouping these two together. For generations, what we now call East Marion and Orient were collectively called “Oysterponds,” a moniker inspired by the abundant bivalves in the area’s tidal ponds and creeks. The two split in 1836, with the area called “Upper Neck” renaming itself to honor Revolutionary War general Francis Marion — the “East” was to avoid confusion with the upstate town of Marion, NY — and “Lower Neck” becoming Orient, a play on its geographically far-east location.
There was never much development here, and one could say that history tracks. When the LIRR completed its mainline from Brooklyn in 1844, it didn’t go a foot past Greenport Harbor, leaving the North Fork’s easternmost reaches absent of any true industry that couldn’t be supported by sea. That’s effectively repelled two centuries of progress: Other than the Cross Sound Ferry and an oyster factory that came and went, the area has seen little other change, retaining the rural charms of coastal days gone by.
Despite their proximity to trendy Greenport, East Marion and Orient live at a much slower pace, an enveloping vibe shift that you’ll sense immediately upon leaving their larger neighbor village. There’s a subdued energy here more akin to rural New England than anywhere else on the East End. You’ll find farm stands, quiet neighborhoods, and quaint bed and breakfasts. Two postcard-perfect lighthouses, the gingerbread Long Beach Bar and portly Orient Harbor — dubbed, adorably, “Bug Light” and “Coffee Pot” — guard seabound approaches from Gardiner’s Bay and Plum Gut in Long Island Sound.
East Marion's best known (and most Instagrammed) attraction these days is Lavender by the Bay, which on weekends can attract block upon block of parked cars when its violet fields peak.
While it has its own post office, there’s no real “town” to East Marion. Its best known (not to mention most Instagrammed) attraction these days is Lavender by the Bay, which on weekends can attract block upon block of parked cars when its violet-hued fields peak. It’s also home to two Long Island Sound beaches: Truman’s is sandy and serene, while dramatic, boulder-strewn Rocky Point could pass for a scene out of Slim Aarons’ La Dolce Vita.
Orient has a pint-sized village with a country store, an antique shop, and Poquatuck Hall, the community meeting house. It consists almost entirely of 18th and 19th-century structures, 120 of which compose the nationally recognized Orient Historic District. Village Lane winds right down to the wharf, dating to 1740 and home to Orient Yacht Club for nearly a century. If you’re craving scallion pancakes and a latte, you’re in luck: Opties & Dinghies, the sole eatery here, does coffee, ice cream, and authentic dim sum. Up on the main road, Latham Farms sells fresh flowers and produce grown on the bayfront fields cultivated by the same family since 1809.
The Spots
The lowkey nature of Orient and East Marion are their very draw, desirable to full-time locals and influential weekenders alike. In the first quarter of 2023, they were the only North Fork submarkets to report a marked increase in sales, which rose 60%.
Though the winter resident count can dip below 1,000 per hamlet, there’s a surprising number of houses tucked away here, offering a range of opportunities for private or community-oriented living. On the bluffs of East Marion, you can find old Victorians up to 50 feet above the sound. South of Main Road, a stretch of bayfront properties meanders up a crescent beach, and a handful of homes have docks on Springs Pond. Cruise out the inlet, turn hard to starboard, and it’s practically a straight shot into Dering Harbor on Shelter Island. Nothing for breakfast? Jet across to Marie Eiffel Market. Piece of brioche.
Orient’s topography runs a bit flatter. Outside the village proper, virtually all its housing is concentrated along the sound, with the remaining south-of-the-highway real estate occupied almost exclusively by tidal marsh and farmland. Its easternmost neighborhood is Orient by the Sea, a private community where several homes have their own boardwalks down to the beach.
The Homes
In East Marion, 3345 Cedar Lane brings 3,920 square feet of Nantucket shingled elegance to 1.38 waterfront acres.
VIEW LISTING
Greenport might be the end of the train line, but it’s hardly the end of the North Fork. It’s easy to forget that the shorter of Long Island’s two prongs extends well beyond its storied seaport. Google maps the drive from Claudio’s Wharf to the tip of Orient Point at 9.3 miles, nearly three-quarters the length of Manhattan. Within this distance lies East Marion and Orient, the Town of Southold’s easternmost contiguous hamlets on geographic Long Island.
Hop in the back of our proverbial vintage pickup. Let’s take a tour.
Another three-ish miles down the road and we’re at Orient Point, port of call for the ferry to New London, Connecticut. Veer around the staging lane and we’ll enter the wilds of Orient State Beach, an unspoiled natural wonder that boomerangs westward down the entirety of Long Beach Bar. The ferry terminal, a 20th century development to serve cross-sound vessels as well as those shuttling government officials to Plum Island, has been about the only real catalyst of change around here, bringing literal boatloads of people over not just from Connecticut but with every license plate from Massachusetts to Maine. An outpost of Duryea’s, the Montauk lobster roll staple, is a recent arrival, and a popular pit stop for boaters crossing the sound. Don’t be surprised to spot a downeast or two in the marina with Watch Hill or the Vineyard emblazed on its transom. Sand displaced the old parking lot next door to become Duryea’s Beach Club, replete with cabanas and a glampy bar in a vintage camping trailer.
VIEW LISTING
Meet Agents
Search Homes
Explore Neighborhoods
Find your place in Orient.
18603 Main Road in Orient encompasses just shy of four acres on Long Island Sound, replete with 620 feet of beach.
Duryea's, a recent addition,
brings a taste of the Hamptons scene to Orient Harbor.