As the clock winds down on 2023, let’s look back on the year in real estate, which, of course, includes our Behind The Hedges magazines, in addition to all of our content online. It was a busy year — we produced 14 issues for Dan’s Papers, in addition to 12 editions of Behind The Hedges Powered By The Long Island Press, a publication owned by our parent company, Schneps Media, plus continuing our coverage of South Florida with Behind The Hedges Palm Beach.
Once the magazine gets in our readers’ hands, it’s had to gauge their favorite, but thanks to feedback and readership online, we do have some clue! Here are some of our most popular magazine articles from 2023 (in no particular order). Be sure to let us know what you like seeing best in the magazines as we plan our issues for 2024!
Southold Bayfront Estate With Rumrunning Past On the Market
Our Labor Day issue included a feature on The Mayfield Estate over on the North Fork, a Gothic Victorian home set along the bay in Southold. The property’s two-plus acres offer 150 feet of private sandy beachfront, a six-bedroom, four-bath estate house, a small beach house and even a three-story high lighthouse. Completed in 1907, its owners and its connection to rumrunning have long sparked intrigue and speculation. Now in contract to be sold, its history is worth a read, either by clicking the link above or reading the story in our virtual edition online.
Creative Use of Space, Materials in Hamptons Tiny Home
Who said the Hamptons are just for large estates and McMansions? Real estate broker and builder Susan Fallon’s latest project proves there’s room for small, energy-efficient homes here too. For our August issue, she gave us an in-depth tour of a former old rustic cabin that she reimagined with the help of builder Koba Bakhturidze to create a chic Hamptons guest house — just on a small scale. See the magazine feature here.
Lasata, Jackie Kennedy’s Childhood Summer Home, Lists for $55 Million
When Lasata, the East Hampton home where Jackie Kennedy Onassis spent summer vacations as a child, went on the market in May for $55 million, we couldn’t help but show it off in the pages of our Memorial Day issue. The Further Lane estate soon found a buyer, none other than the designer Tom Ford, who shelled out $52 million. See stunning photos of the home here.
Channeling John Steinbeck, Baron’s Cove Celebrates Its Anniversary
In celebration of its 65th anniversary this past May, Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor celebrated literary giant John Steinbeck, who used to frequent the original inn down the block from where it now stands. In his honor, Baron’s Cove created the “Jack Rose,” a semi-sweet, yet tart concoction made with Laird’s Applejack, lemon juice and grenadine that’s said to have been Steinbeck’s beverage of choice on his many forays into the original Baron’s Cove. Read more about the inn’s storied past.
One-of-a-Kind Disney-Inspired Victorian For Sale on the North Fork
A North Fork couple found. inspiration at the most magical place on Earth when creating their Cutchogue home, now on the market. The sprawling Victorian home sits on 8.9 acres on a tidal pond on West Creek and is impossible to miss. The 10,000-square-foot blue-hued home looks like it belongs at Disneyworld’s Main Street USA and features seven en suite bedrooms, six full and four half baths, and a heated 32-foot pool with a hot tub and even a water park slide. Check out this one-of-a-kind home from the pages of our July Fourth issue.
One of the Oldest Homes in Palm Beach Lists for $28 Million
Our next story takes us to Palm Beach, specifically to one of the most significant historic estates in town. Over the winter of 2023, billionaire businessman Peter M. Brant and his wife, supermodel Stephanie Seymour, no strangers to the Hamptons either, listed the property, known as Buttonwood, a landmarked building that is one of the last remaining homes of its kind on the island. Built just after the turn of the 20th century, it is considered an architectural gem. They were asking price is $28 million. Check out the article from the April issue of Behind The Hedges Palm Beach.
Savanna Bets Big on West Palm Beach
Also from the pages of Behind The Hedges Palm Beach, we took a look at Olara, a 1.6-million-square-foot condominium and rental property that Savanna, a New York-based real estate investment and development firm, is developing in West Palm. Just before they broke ground, Savanna’s co-chairman and CEO Nick Bienstock, told Hedges that Olara represents the first phase of a large-scale, multi-stage development project that will ultimately encompass a 7-acre footprint from North Flagler to Dixie Highway in West Palm. Read more here.
A Seven-Bedroom Hamptons Rental & Pickleball, Too!
Back in the Hamptons, pickleball continues to be all the rage. A brand new European farmhouse in East Hampton’s Northwest Woods comes with its own pickleball court. Keith Green, an associate broker of Sotheby’s International Realty, who has the exclusive listing with his partner, Ann Ciardullo, told Hedges in February, “It’s going to be the first house built with pickleball to be put on the rental market.” Set on two acres on Old Northwest Road, the 9,700-square-foot abode features seven bedrooms, seven full and two half-baths on three levels of living space and a 30-foot great room with a wall of glass overlooking the tree-lined backyard and just steps away from the court. Read all about it here.
Ryan Serhant on Driving Sales of Luxury Properties Through Awe-Inspiring Content and Tech-Driven Amplification
Last year, Founder, CEO and Broker Ryan Serhant expanded SERHANT. to the Hamptons, bringing a brokerage that is designed for the future to the East End. This year — in addition to gracing our July Fourth cover — SERHANT. has grown its roster of brokers and expanded to six states, just three years after its launch. Learn more about what Serhant has in store for the future.
Barnes Coy: Evolving to Express the Poetic Possibilities of Architecture Over 30 Years
This summer marked three decades for the architectural firm Barnes Coy founded right here in the Hamptons by two childhood friends. With more than 250 projects, the architectural firm’s portfolio is diverse and yet quintessentially the Hamptons. As part of our Labor Day issue, we took a look at some of co-founder Christopher Coy’s favorite builds over the last 30 years.“While we have always followed Modernist principles of design and planning, we have evolved in our ability to express the poetic possibilities of architecture, as we learned to use advanced design and drawing tools,” he said in the feature.
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