The year that was in East End real estate saw its share of notable sales, a roster of remarkable properties hitting the market, plenty of bold-face names in the news and one particular announcement that could reshape the way we all search for homes in the Hamptons. Amid those stories, Behind the Hedges also covered legendary developers and historic homes, had some fun with the sanctity of secrecy that surrounds certain sales, and sparked plenty of buzz that generated the Top 10 Behind the Hedges stories of 2019:
Big News from the Bay
The first can-you-believe-it news of the new year came in the first few days of January from Westhampton Beach in “The Highest Bayfront Sale on Dune Road in a Decade,” which announced that the record-setting deal for a reported $6,425,000.
What’s in a Name?
You know the person who bought that property around the corner? No? Well, sometimes that’s the point, as “Noms de Dune” so eloquently enumerates.
Boo
“Is the Rogers Mansion Really Haunted?” asks the question raised by many who have heard the footsteps in empty halls, seen shadowy figures and felt ghostly presences in the famed Southampton building. Southampton History Museum, who occupies the mansion, called in Long Island Paranormal Investigators (LIPI) to investigate and offer some answers.
The Man Who Made Montauk
In 1925, Carl Fisher bought the entire peninsula of Montauk, 10,000 acres in all, for $2.5 million (that’s about $315 million in today’s dollars). The developer of Miami Beach, Fisher had a dream to turn Montauk into the Miami Beach of the north and have the Gatsby crowd think, “Miami Beach in the winter, Montauk in the summer.” You’ll find out how in “Carl Fisher: The Most Audacious Real Estate Developer Ever.”
Cellars Market
The first Long Island wine to ever be served at a presidential inauguration was a merlot from the acclaimed Bedell Cellars that was served to toast Barack Obama’s second term in 2013. Explore the beauty of the vineyard and how the property could become yours in “Grape Expectations.”
Life’s a Beach
Romance? Recreation? Historic memories? Beach Hampton is indeed in the heart of Wonderland…and “Beach Hampton: A New World of Happiness” dives into how this mile of pure white sands, blue waters and silvery surf does sing to the soul.
The Price Was Right
There’s a reason people watch the Hamptons market like they do a major sports league. The biggest deals and the biggest players made for one of the biggest stories of the year in “The Top 10 Priciest Properties for Sale in the Hamptons.”
What’s in a Name, Too
Does Gin Lane relate to Prohibition? Who was Stephen Hand and why does he have a Path? Find out in “Who Was Daniel and Why Did He Have a Hole?“
How Did We Lose Something So Big?
The Hamptons of today is known for over-the-top real estate, but “Lost Mansions of the Hamptons” celebrates the grand and glorious estates of last century.
The Search Is Over…Or Just Beginning
“Hamptons Real Estate Association Launches HamptonsRE.com” broke so recently that it could still be considered breaking, but the news of a new online listings service in the Hamptons that hopes to take on other real estate properties of the internet still has the industry and potential sellers and buyers all abuzz.
