Actor-writer-producer-director Nick Gregory has had a thing for the Hamptons almost his entire life. “I’ve been coming out here since I was a kid, so I’m totally in love with this place,” Gregory says. He purchased an A-frame home in a prime spot in Montauk, but wasn’t totally sold on the house itself. So Gregory had it torn down. He then selected every single detail of the new house, all the way down to the doorknobs.
His weekend oasis is filled with photographs and art books; warm woods balance crisp white walls, and industrial details contrast nicely with personal touches. Gregory doesn’t see it as a place to escape work, but rather, as a site where some of his best work happens.
“Manhattan is where I pitch my ideas, but it’s not where I create,” Gregory says. Montauk is a place where he can “really focus” and indulge in the relaxing contemplation that fuels his work. Gregory has been in the entertainment industry for years, working on both sides of the camera. The Hamptons “taught me to take time, and in New York you can’t do that,” Gregory says.
He’s currently at work on a very personal project and each day in Montauk starts with four hours of writing on his latest pilot. “My writing is really about New York and the Hamptons,” Gregory explains. “It’s about a bunch of guys that go back and forth.” As one of those guys himself; Gregory knows intimately how fulfilling time in the East End can be. A late night sitting around with friends and a few beers facilitates the kind of reflections on life and love that just don’t happen in a crowded bar in New York.
The pilot also serves as an homage to a place where sun meets surf and friends and family mingle. “My writing is also about how nurturing my childhood was coming out here as a kid on weekends and for the summers,” Gregory says. Reliving and reminiscing those days through writing brings it all full circle. “I’m still drawn to this place,” Gregory admits with a smile. The Hamptons are more than just a beautiful getaway; for Gregory, this scenic vista is filled with markers of moments that have made him who he is.
Nick Gregory’s Hamptons Shortlist
My morning starts with coffee from Sag Town in Sag Harbor. It’s also a nice spot to pull out the laptop and get some work done.
My favorite beach is Gibson Beach in Sagaponack. I went there growing up, and it feels like home to me.
This summer, I’m really excited for the opening of my friend’s restaurant called Service Station in East Hampton. I’ve had a few tastings and the food is great.
The best spot for kite surfing is the Napeague Stretch.
To view more of Nick’s work click here.