Founded in 1960 by Dan Rattiner, Dan’s Papers came into being to offer a fresh approach to the conventional local news scene. The idea sparked when Dan, who was a college student at the time, decided to create a free platform that would cover local tourist information and summer events in a way he felt was lacking for the massive vacation crowds visiting Montauk, New York. Dan recently stepped back from the day-to-day business operations, but the site continues to operate under the new management and ownership of the local publishing company, Schneps Media. Today, Dan’s Papers still features Dan’s writing but is mainly focused on lifestyle and entertainment news. They heavily cover high-end real estate, celebrity sightings, fine dining, and community arts, largely bypassing heavy national political debates or major league sports. They're based in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York, and have made a name for themselves among locals, tourists, and college students looking for a fun, luxurious take on the happenings in one of America's most famous coastal destinations. One interesting fact: A unique fact about Dan’s Papers is its long-running tradition of publishing elaborate, straight-faced satirical hoaxes. Founder Dan Rattiner famously invented the "Hamptons Subway"—a completely fake underground train system supposedly connecting the elite beach towns—and wrote about it so convincingly over the years that readers regularly call the paper asking for subway maps or complaining about train delays!