Spotlight On: Montauk

Welcome to our new series where we take a look at one of the East End’s neighborhoods. We’ll discover what makes it so special to live in and what the housing stock is like.

This week we’re exploring Montauk. Montauk has perhaps changed more than any other East End town in the past 20 or so years, yet in many ways looks the same as it always has. It’s unique in the Hamptons in that the ocean can be seen from most places in town, and if you can’t see the ocean, you’re looking at the bay, the lake, or the pond. In the family of this writer, Montauk is known universally as the best place on earth.

Timothy Kelly of Douglas Elliman’s Montauk office agrees. “It’s the most casual hamlet in all the Hamptons, and the place we all want to go to. It a bit farther but that is what is makes it special,” he says. “People love the sense of community and the feeling of getting away from it all at the end of Long Island. And more and more people are discovering the great food and bars here.” As for the real estate, Kelly says that the market is now stable, with steady demand. “You can find ultra private oceanfront to family friendly cottage communities just blocks from the bay and beaches.”

One family-friendly property repped by Elliman’s Susan Ceslow is a condo at 100 Deforest Road, also known as the Montauk Shore community. We’ve often been told how friendly the place is, with close neighbors hanging out as a group by the pool or beach. Near the Ditch Plains “dirt lot,” the hot surfing area, the unit could stand some updating, but on the other hand, is a wallet-friendly $735,000, with $150 a month maintenance.

Joan Hegner at Corcoran agrees with Kelly that Montauk offers something for everyone. She says, “Our beautiful hamlet of Montauk virtually has something for everyone. From the most elaborate oceanfront estate, to a simple condo or co-op and everything in between, we are able to present to any buyer what fits their own personal tastes and needs.”

Did someone say “oceanfront estate”? 216 Old Montauk Highway, which is asking $21 million, is repped by Gary DePersia and Hegner at Corcoran. “This is an iconic oceanfront home, never to be duplicated, which is owned by New York real estate titan Steven Roth and his wife, Broadway producer Daryl Roth. They’ve created a truly magnificent one of a kind along Montauk’s celebrated Gold Coast.” The updated house sits closer to the ocean than would otherwise be allowed.

Hegner is also repping an upscale property in Ditch Plains along with Raymond Hegner. 53 Ditch Plains Road, she says, “offers a hilltop acre, pool, 180-degree views, and right across from hottest beach in Montauk.” Asking price is $5.399 million.

On the lower end, Hegner says that the Montauk market has seen a huge surge in sales at the $1.5 million and under price point, as many former renters are now making their move to homeownership. Not surprising, as Montauk exerts a magic everyone wants a part of. Hegner sums it all up: “Having come to Montauk in 1976 for the ‘summer’ and now it’s 43 years later… this incredibly beautiful piece of paradise just grabs you into a lifestyle unlike any other. It’s small enough that you know just about every year-round resident, and yet, come summer, we enjoy the swell of summer visitors and the magnificent beaches, boating, and dining. I feel untold privilege and joy from garnering so many business and personal relationships with many of the most interesting people in the world.”