Spotlight On: East Hampton

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.

East Hampton is one of the most diverse towns on the East End. Judi Desiderio, CEO of Town & Country, not only works there but also lives there. She says, “East Hampton housing stock has range! Let’s start with the estate section designed, created and populated by the Who’s Who of New York for over 300 years! The grand old beauties that grace Lily Pond, Lee, and Apaquogue, knitting Main Beach to Georgica Beach remain intact and beautiful as ever. Then there’s the eastern side of the Maidstone Club–a private oceanfront golf course & club house–leading to our Further, Middle, and Hither Lanes side of the estate area. Here the oceanfront is mostly a double dune away from the homes. East Hampton Village north of the highway seems to attract visitors and owners who love being in the center of it all, steps away from transportation, shops, restaurants, theaters and more. The privacy seekers just adore the Northwest Woods with their oversized parcels that yield quiet and calm sanctuaries. Last but certainly not least, the Springs, where artists choose to live because the light beckons them, the energy is all around, and some of the most beautiful sunsets on the East End light up the waterfront.”

“People choose East Hampton, not just for the homes, but because it’s an ever changing community,” says Ann Ciardullo at Sotheby’s. “There’s a mixture of world-famous celebrities, artists, and regular old families that simply can’t resist the ocean and Main Beach, often cited as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. People come for that first summer and stay for the rest of their lives.”

“What I love about selling here,” says Sotheby’s agent Angela Boyer-Stump, “is that I get to work with both mega-mansions and classic Hamptons traditional homes that remind us of years gone by. Village living offers short bike rides to the beach and immediate access/convenience to markets and shopping, which makes the village a perfect location for summer or year round living.”

As for the charming village classics, she adds, “Streets like Talmage Lane offer timeless architecture and are very much in demand. Homes like my listing, Bee Cottage on Fithian Lane [above], sell as soon as they hit the market! Streets like Talmage Lane and Fithian Lane epitomize the quality and style of village living in East Hampton.”

Ann Ciardullo says, “People don’t come here to buy a home. They come here to fall in love….with the farm stands, with the ocean, with the way of life that has made the Hamptons the Hamptons for over a century.” She is very bullish on her listing on Bull Run in the Northwest Woods (below).

“This is simply the best value in the northwest woods,” she says. “A true four seasons home, the master suite includes a private library with fireplace. And it’s halfway between East Hampton and Sag Harbor.”

Desiderio adds, “Knowing East Hampton as well as I do, when buyers say they wish to buy in East Hampton, my first question is where in East Hampton. Most are unaware of the diversity..So getting to know the people better, helps to zero in on specific. Introducing them to all the variables in their price range is most interesting!”

“The East Hampton waterfront is spectacular, and the range from sandy oceanfront homes for $100 million to harbor and bayfront homes with docks for one’s boat makes it a haven for any human who finds themselves drawn to water.” She is particularly fond of her Kings Point Road listing, which includes a sweet cottage on the bay.

For those whose water love is confined to pools, a new build in the estate section offers a particularly attractive specimen.

Desiderio sums up East Hampton thus: “You can find it all here–fine dining, culture, ocean beaches, bays, fishing, shopping. There’s something for every taste.”