Describe who you are in 3 sentences:My name is Simone Didonna, I am a twenty-seven-year-old female artist living in New York with my husband in Williamsburg. I am currently enrolled in The New School and work as an artist for a gallery in Chelsea. I spend my summers in Montauk.
What is your relation to this city?
My interest in Montauk started the first week I was in New York. I was nineteen. I met an artist that I apprenticed with over the summer and since “Montauk Summers” became a recreational ritual from city life.
Best experience?
The best experience from Montauk happened one of the most brutal winters on a beach walk. The ice had frozen half of the beach including parts of the ocean and the cliffs were covered in swirly naked branches. The sand was purple, black and marble, and washed up on top of it laid a dolphin carried up from the storm with misty sea foam. A white snow owl flew up. It was breathtaking.
Weirdest experience?
The weirdest experience was probably when I was bathing for the first time and this giant black helmet-looking thing walked over my feet. I screamed and ran to some friends that explained what I had seen. It was a massive “horse-shoe-crab”. They get enormous and are apparently prehistoric crabs. Weirdest creature I have seen to date.
Your top 3 hangout spots?
“Ditch Plains Beach”, “Navy Road” and our summer house.
Favourite restaurants?
“The Dock”, “Scarpetta at Gurney’s”, and “Crows Nest”.
Best date place?
Favorite date place would be at “Gurney’s” I think… Just because there is a lot of escape possibilities. For example, you could exit the beach if the date is going well or escape to another floor if you are having second thoughts and will probably meet other nice people to mingle with.
Best Sunday spot?
Usually I take my MATE bike (electric bike) to “B-Yoga”. I love taking a class in the weekends and go for an oat-milk latte after at “Think Coffee”. They also have excellent coconut waters in its original shell and are located in walking distance to the beach.
If you were to live in another place, where would that be and why?
I think it would be Sedona. Because the people there is very spiritual and in touch with their environment. I loved how desolate it felt, lots of vast land to hike and ride horses, plus the energy is profound. Sedona happens to be in a vortex and you can feel it.
Where is your escape place from this city?My place away from Montauk is the Bahamas as it is close enough and exotic enough to be a quick escape.
Best 5 local advices?
1. Do not stay in Nassau County, fly to the smaller islands, I prefer Harbour Island.
2. Go to the local most popular place and get a raw conch salad, it is delicious.
3. Visit “Pink Sands beach”, yes, the sand is pink. While you are there, rent horses and take off with your besties in full gallop on the beach.
4. Breakfast at “The Landing”, I get their homemade hazelnut/abricot bread with avocado, a pot of coffee and a fresh juice.
5. I saw a group of women in their fifties having a full-on pyjamas party at the “Rock House” and since then I have felt inspired to have a birthday here once I have the finance to pull it off. So my advice is to some day plan an intimate party here.
6. Rent bikes! Or bring your MATE bike, do not take the golf-carts, it is way more fun on a bicycle and the environment is being covered in exhaust by the golf-carts. I mean how lazy are we…