The Hamptons is filled with famous homes—famous because they’re old and historic, or because they’re enormous, or beautiful, or because they’ve had celebrity owners. Other Hamptons homes are infamous; notorious parties have been held there or tragic events occurred, or they’re simply filled with squalor. Let’s take a look at some of the best known of these.
3 West End Road, East Hampton
The grandmother of them all, of course, is Grey Gardens. It’s now available for sale for the first time in almost 40 years, listed by Corcoran’s Michael Schultz and Susan Ryan asking $19.995 million.
In 1924, Phelan Beale and Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale purchased the house. Phelan Beale left his wife, and for many years Edith, known as “Big Edie,” and daughter “Little Edie” lived alone in increasing poverty, mental illness and squalor, mostly ignored by their relations. They became famous in 1975 when a documentary, Grey Gardens, was filmed about their daily lives and their relationship by the Maysles Brothers. The film has subsequently been acclaimed a classic. Eventually, embarrassed, their cousin Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had the house cleaned up.
After Big Edie’s death, Little Edie put Grey Gardens on the market. Ben Bradlee, who was editor of the Washington Post during Watergate, and wife Sally Quinn, also a journalist, purchased the estate in 1979 for $220,000. The house was in terrible condition again—the agent refused to even set foot inside and Quinn recalled later that the home “was worse than in the movie,” although Little Edie told the Bradlees, “All it needs is a coat of paint!”
Hands Creek Road, East Hampton
When, last month, we revealed that the celebrity buyer of a sprawling property on Hands Creek Road in East Hampton was Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka, we tactfully omitted the fact that the place is known as the orgy house. Certainly it’s a lovely property with 13.5 acres of land, along with a tennis court, pool, pool house, and separate garage, and lovely gardens. They paid $5.5 million.
Why the orgy house? Last summer, the “classy” London-based Killing Kittens held a daytime orgy at the property. An email promised “afternoon delight to explore your fantasies and deepest desires under the summer sun.” A writer for the Daily Beast with a much stronger constitution than us actually attended said sex party, and reported that it was something of a damp squib, with not enough drinks and food. Sheesh, doesn’t Killing Kittens know Hamptonites go to parties for the drinks and food, even sex parties? Well, except for Sir Ivan, of course.
“Sir” Ivan Wilzig owns a 15,000 square foot castle in north Water Mill, complete with a moat, drawbridge, and 24 karat gold paint on the tennis course. Tasteful! Sir Ivan enjoys the summer by throwing raves and orgies there all summer, which is why it’s dubbed the Playboy Mansion of the Hamptons. The biggest party of the year is his birthday bash.
At the Killing Kittens event, Sir Ivan told the Daily Beast writer, “Sex, drugs, and techno. Every weekend for 15 years.” Guess it works for him.
170 Meadow Lane Southampton
Sally and Martin Raynes lived in this beautiful oceanfront home by Norman Jaffe.
In September 1994, the Rayneses had a famous house guest, tennis great Vitas Gerulaitis. Mr. Gerulaitis took a nap one afternoon in the pool house. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an improperly ventilated pool heater. The Rayners later sold the house for $12 million; it was torn down and replaced by a modern glass house owned by Wall Streeter Jay Sugarman.
Middle Lane, East Hampton
This one’s tragic. Ted Ammon was a well-known financier from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. He and wife Generosa were finalizing their divorce when Ammon was found bludgeoned to death at his beautiful East Hampton home, leaving behind twins adopted from the Ukraine. A couple months later, Generosa married Daniel Pelosi, who was convicted in December 2004 of Ammon’s murder. Generosa herself died of cancer in 2003. Greg and Alex Ammon, the twins, eventually inherited all the money but have struggled to make sense of their past.
Middle Line Highway, Bridgehampton
Actor Kevin Sorbo, best known for playing Hercules on TV, owns several houses in the Hamptons that he often rents out. This one, a 12,500 square foot behemoth, known as the Stadiumred house was the site of a notorious rager in 2015, that involved a performance by Ja Rule and a fire.
One tiny issue with throwing parties every weekend is that Southampton Town had issued a restraining order against its being anything other than a single family home. Oopsie. Other homes owned by Sorbo have been the sites of Puff Daddy’s famous White Parties.
1854 Noyac Path, Bridgehampton
Last summer, this property made headlines after a “Sprayathon” party was held there over the July 4 weekend. Rented as a $5K a night Airbnb, a Wall Streeter held a benefit for Last Chance Animal Rescue. Like all the best ragers, it involved chugging champagne and throwing midgets into the pool. The owners claimed the renters “trashed” the home and the renters claimed the owners were lying. The guy who gave the party lost his Wall Street job, and oh yes, one of the owners is in jail on fraud charges.
Now the house is for sale asking $3.75 million. It’s not a bad price, but midgets not included.
