The Hamptons real estate market is expected to be very busy this summer. The $2M and under range is quite active as well as high-end properties over $10M+! New construction is popular and waterfront is always in demand. The Villages of Sag Harbor and East Hampton are hot tickets, as are the areas West of the Canal. With the stock market remaining very strong and interest rates continuing low, a steady finish to the year is predicted.
Apparently the Hamptons are all about bromance this summer. First there was Sagaponack’s Jimmy Fallon and his bestie Justin Timberlake doing their best to promote East End tourism by tandem biking hither and yon during the Memorial Day weekend. Then repeat visitor Justin Bieber showed up with his buddy Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger (and Patrick’s girlfriend, model Abby Champion), to sip some rosé, hug a bunch of people, and charm the crowd on the outside deck at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack.
Dramatic and breathtakingly scenic, The End is highly prized by architects, artists, surfers and those in search of the unplugged life. Notable residents who have made their homes past and present in Montauk include: Paul Simon, Julianne Moore, Jimmy Buffet, Colin Jost, Ralph Macchio, Fred Stelle, Cynthia Nixon, Dick Cavett, Chad Smith, Cheryl Tiegs, Peter Beard, Cynthia Rowley, Edward Albee, Rufus Wainwright, Julian Schnabel, Bill O’Reilly, Bernie Madoff and Andy Warhol.
Living on the South Fork, I’ve seen a lot of astounding houses … but none as seemingly perfect as the Sag Harbor home of renowned interior designer Steven Gambrel. With parts of it originating in the late 18th century and add-ons throughout its history ending with Gambrel’s own rebuilding of it in 2002, it encompasses both a traditional and modern aesthetic.
What do top Hamptons brokers do to get in shape for summer? Nothing! Nothing they don’t do the other nine months out of the year, that is. Jim O’Hagan, whose Water Mill gym, Core Dynamics, is a favorite with top performers, says that his clients are unusually self-disciplined. “They understand that what you do the rest of the year matters more than some big short-term push,” says O’Hagan, who adds that only celebrities who have squadrons of trainers and nutritionists on tap can get away with crash exercise programs. Mere mortals “will wreck their metabolisms and injure themselves” if they undertake a radical regimen in the run-up to summer. Nevertheless, O’Hagan typically has clients cut calories and carbs during the warmer months “because even people who are fit want to lose body fat and tone up during the warmer.” For weight loss, O’Hagan is particularly keen on outdoor sled work. “It’s tough and it’s grueling, but it’s a great way to burn fat.” Here, five top brokers tell us about their fitness regimens:
Jay Flagg, Saunders & Associates: For the last thirteen years, I’ve been working out three times a week with trainer Joao Monteiro at Core Dynamics. We do a lot of weight training, stretching, and indoor cycling. In summer, I swim in the ocean every chance I get, and I also go for long bike rides.
Tim Davis, The Corcoran Group: Three days a week, at 7:30 in the morning, I do core stability exercises and strength-training at Core Dynamics. I work with trainer John Erickson, who helps me keep fit. Apart from the obvious physical benefits, I think it’s important for brain function to get your heart rate up and sweat for an hour. And of course feeling good has a positive effect on my professional life.
Vince Horcasitas, Saunders & Associates: Basically I’m trying to put my body back together. I was a serious tennis player until I tore a rotator cuff a while back. My goal is to play in tournaments again. For me, Core Dynamics is a very good place to train. It’s super-clean and the people are terrific.
Deborah Srb, Sotheby’s International Realty: Jim O’Hagan is my man. He’s especially strong on alignment, and he knows everything there is to know about the muscular-skeletal system. I round out my regimen with yoga and other classes. Being a broker definitely requires stamina so I try to hit the gym at least three times a week year-round.
Harald Grant, Sotheby’s International Realty: I run, lift weights, and do the elliptical machine six days a week. I deal with high-end clients and my job is 24/7 so I need to be at the top of my game. Of all the gyms on the East End, I like Core Dynamics the best for a lot of reasons, including the fact that it’s so clean.
Montauk is located at the easternmost tip of Long Island’s South Fork. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the south and Block Island Sound on the north, Montauk is a mecca for surfers, fishermen, tourists, and locals alike. Popularly called “The End,” Montauk is an ever-changing landscape and seascape of stunning cliffs, pounding waves, and brilliant skies, forming a scenic portrait of endless splendor. It is also a town in flux as each year new folks influence the “vibe” of the many shops, restaurants, and special events going on in this legendary place. Here are some interesting spots to check out next time you’re in “The End.”
Tick Talk
Iconic talk show host Dick Cavett is finally letting go of his beloved Montauk compound, Tick Hall. The Stanford White-designed oceanfront property is one of what are known as the “Seven Sisters:” the shingled homes of the Montauk Association. The now 135-year-old house burned down in 1997 but was rebuilt to its exact replica by Cavett and his then wife, the late actress Carrie Nye. The seven-bedroom house sits on 19 acres replete with a freshwater pond, and boasts 900 feet on the Atlantic. It is also bordered by 170 acres of oceanfront parkland. Guests in the home, which Cavett has called “magical,” have included Woody Allen, Mick Jagger and Robert Redford. Corcoran’s Karen Kelley and Tim Davis have the listing.
Perennials are mainstays of many East End flower gardens, and for good reason. Unlike the annual impatiens and petunias and geraniums planted in pots and beds for the summer, perennials don’t need to be replanted every year. Perennials die back to the ground in winter but regrow the following spring. Their many colors from pastels to brights, flower forms and plant heights can be combined to create symphonies of bloom. The only problem with perennials is that most of them bloom for just a few all-too-brief weeks. The rest of the growing season they’re green and leafy. To have color in the flower garden from spring to fall you need to carefully orchestrate flowers with different blooming times to have something blooming throughout the growing season. The results can be breathtaking, but it does require planning, and who has enough time for that?
The South Fork of Long Island is no mecca of avant-gardae cuisine. Like most summer resorts, classics and old time favorites trump innovation. And why shouldn’t they? At the end of a day at the beach, people want good-tasting wine and drink–not a meal that comes with operating instructions or a chef’s manifesto on a plate. Well, hold on to your sun hats! The Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, co-owners of New York City’s Eleven Madison Park, a restaurant with three Michelin stars, an eleven-course tasting menu, and legions of admirers, have opened a summer pop-up in East Hampton! Do not expect such signature dishes as celery root cooked in a pig’s bladder. The à la carte menu skews posh-casual with summer favorites such as a $75 per person fried chicken feast (fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, Parker House rolls, coleslaw, watermelon salad, and pie), fluke ceviche, and beef tartare with horseradish and cornichons, along with local seafood and pasta dishes. This being the Hamptons, the menu features the obligatory lobster boil, but what a lobster boil it is! At $125 per person (minimum six people, maximum twelve), the EMP Summer House version includes clams, shrimp. andouille sausage, just-picked sweet corn and other seasonal vegetables, tomato salad, and pie.
DRIVE ME HAPPY
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