COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS, but I can’t help making them. As I travel the byways of Long Island’s South Fork, where I moved recently, a little voice inside me keeps saying, “It’s just not as beautiful as the Hudson Valley” (where I had a weekend place for several years).

But this area is starting to grow on me. It doesn’t have the dramatic Catskill mountain backdrop, but it does have the mighty Atlantic and endless bays and coves.

I decided to make a list, comparing the two regions in various categories to see how they stack up.

HUDSON VALLEY / SOUTH FORK

  • mountain views / water views
  • stacked stone walls / split rail fences
  • clapboard siding / cedar shingles
  • day lilies / privet hedges
  • funky thrift shops / fancy thrift shops
  • Sonny Rollins / Billy Joel
  • minor wines / serious wines
  • Taconic State Parkway / Long Island Expressway
  • dairy barns / marinas

Which do you prefer? Feel free to add to the list.

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Main Beach, East Hampton

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