A sleepy town near NYC might become the next summer hotspot, thanks to 1 man

Forget the Hamptons, if Howie Guja, photographer and real estate agent, keeps doing what he's doing, Bellport, NY, will be the next hot vacationdestination.Guja grew up in Babylon Village in Suffolk Countyonly about a 30 minute drive away from Bellport. Yet he stumbled upon it almost by accident asa student at the School of Visual Arts, when his sister's friend needed a ride there."As soon as you turn on South Country Road, you step back in time," he said. "It's just beautiful, beautiful leafy streets, white picket fences, clapboard and shingled homes, green shutters. I said, 'I have to come back here.'"He did come back, andhas livedin Bellport with his family since 2006. His photos of the idyllic surroundings have earned him over 21,000 followers on Instagram,which drawsvisitors from around the world, some of whom even turn into residents themselves.Some localsworry that Gujas Instagram will make Bellport too popular.One couple that heshowed around town after they reached out through Instagram made an offer on a house on the spot.He has since sold 10 homesa large number considering Bellport is only two square miles. The village may be small, but it continues to attract big names in fashion, art, and culture. Past residents include Vogues editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, designer Isaac Mizrahi, and First Lady Jackie Kennedy. Designer Francisco Costa, actress Isabella Rossellini, and art dealer Angela Westwater currently call it home.Despite boastingsome notable locals, Guja maintains that Bellport isn't "sceney.""There's no traffic, there's no waiting to get into restaurants it's just a quiet, laid back place where people aren't really showing off or anything," he said. "It's not a seen-and-be-seen kind of place."Bellport is only 90 minutes outside New York City, but it couldn't be more different.'It's beautiful little town with a big preservation culture,' Guja said.There's no shortage of gorgeous scenery. 'You can just walk out on the street and take a photo of almost anything and it's just so ridiculously charming,' he said.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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