The author is raising her two children in the Hamptons.
Courtesy of Vanessa Gordon
I live in the Hamptons year-round, and I understand why people think summer here looks glamorous from the outside.There is the much-anticipated season for those who come to visit: the rush of crowds, people jumping from one boutique fitness class to the next, the packed restaurants and bars, the private parties, and the highly coveted events all around.But for me, as a single mom of two and the founder and owner of East End Taste, an event planning and production company, summer out east can be extraordinarily challenging. But I grew up in The Hamptons and want to raise my children here.Housing costs are highWhen I got divorced, I liquidated a great deal of my savings. I would not have been able to afford the divorce process otherwise. I am still pushing on from that deficit, and I have to work nearly four to five times as hard just to keep everything moving.That means my Hamptons rent is a struggle. I pay around $4,000 a month, including utilities, basic maintenance, and house cleaning.But the cost of renting a home here doesn't stop at rent. Lawn care, air conditioning, pool maintenance, and basic upkeep add up quickly. Pool maintenance alone can cost $3,000 to $5,000 or more. I remember this from when my husband and I took care of his family's property, and we were not even paying rent.For pool maintenance during the summer months, I currently pay about $1,000 a month combined for air conditioning maintenance and pool cleaning.
