Behind the Hedges

This building, an icon of Carpenter Gothic known as the Gingerbread House* or more formally the Hedges House, is one of the most noticeable in a village with an extraordinary architectural pedigree. Since the Cinema fire, it’s housed Brown Harris Stevens’ offices. It also houses La Maisonette antiques, and there’s a two-bedroom apartment above. In…
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Ah, spring in the Hamptons. The crocus are blooming, the daffodils are coming up, the song sparrow warbles its heart out, and–what’s that? Why, it’s the sound of asking prices being slashed. One property that’s endured its fair share of price cuts over the years is beautiful Normandy House, right on Lake Agawam. It’s a grand…
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A couple years back, we had a great idea for a new reality show: Who Can Sell This Rubbermaid Shed in Sag Harbor for a Million? (We admit that maybe the title needed a little work.) Three local agents would compete to sell a Rubbermaid Big Max shed, with a luxurious 7′ x 7′ interior,…
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While the top sales of 2018 were notable for their geographic diversity, stretching from Southampton to Montauk, not so on the top 10 list of properties on the market now. One street–Billionaires’ Lane, also known as Meadow Lane, Southampton–dominates, with 4 entries out of 10. Southampton boasts 7 out of 10 entries, while the rest…
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This contemporary in Quogue was actually built in 1988 (when Don Draper would have been getting a little long in the tooth), but it was given a fresh midcentury look by its owner, architect David Neff. The most striking thing about the interiors now is the encaustic cement tiles that decorate the fireplace, kitchen backsplash…
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One of the original Southampton summer colony “cottages” is for sale. Wyndecote, built in 1886 by architect Robert Henderson Robertson (who also designed the Rogers Memorial Library) as his own home, has had a facelift. The property is currently owned by hedge funder Scott Bessent, who served as chief investment officer for George Soros’s family office…
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This property, one of the easternmost on Long Island, guarantees quiet in summer. And that’s why the current owners bought it. As The New York Observer wrote in 2000, “But a couple from about a half-hour down the road signed a deal in early April to buy photographer Richard Avedon’s 7.5-acre mini-compound for almost $9…
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If the top ten sales of 2018 in the Hamptons can be summed up in one word, that word would be “unremarkable,” according to Judi A. Desiderio, CEO of Town & Country Real Estate. The biggest sale was $40 million; in other years (such as the blockbuster 2014), that would have been a middling entry…
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Jürgen Friedrich, who founded 80s fashion brand Esprit, and his wife Anke Friedrich bought this house–one of many they’ve owned and renovated in the Hamptons, including nearby 20 Union Street–because the place reminded Anke of German houses she’d known growing up. The house wasn’t for sale, but Anke bought it anyway, allowing the owners to…
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20 Union Street, Sag Harbor, is a beautiful, historic home, no doubt about it, especially since it’s been given a makeover for the 21st century by one of our favorite designers, Steven Gambrel. But as sticklers for historical accuracy, we feel compelled to point out that the claim that the place was President Chester A….
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