New moves on the South Fork real estate front.
Business
The Hedges Inn: Luxury in a ‘Tiny Little Footprint’“We call ourselves East Hampton’s front porch because we’re the first thing you see when you pull into the village,” Sarah Wetenhall, who now owns the inn with her husband, Andrew, said. “One of our big missions here is to make the Hedges and Swifty’s open and available for the community.”
East Hampton’s Downtown Businesses Are ReadyNew businesses in the village range from a Rolex at the old Odd Fellows Hall and Tom Brady's sports collectible shop, CardVault, to restaurants, takeout spots, and the newly revamped Hedges Inn.
Recorded Deeds 05.22.25May 22, 2025
Real estate sales from Southampton to Montauk, some dating back to February, some as recent as late-April.
Gagosian Buys BookHampton in East HamptonThe art dealer Larry Gagosian is the new owner of the stalwart East Hampton Village bookstore, BookHampton, which has been for sale since the fall. "It would have been a horrible thing to lose that bookstore," he said Thursday. "When I heard it was for sale, I jumped at the opportunity."
M&T Bank's East Hampton Village Branch Is ShutteringThe East Hampton Village branch of M&T Bank at 99 Newtown Lane will close permanently next Thursday at 4 p.m. The bank’s branches at 351 Pantigo Road in East Hampton and 746 Montauk Highway in Montauk will remain open.
Talos 3D Fabrication Builds From the Ground UpJoe Silvestro is proof that high school robotics clubs can prepare students for future careers. He graduated from Southold High School in 2020, “a crazy time,” he said, to be stepping out into the real world. Two semesters at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in upstate Oneida soon helped him realize that college wasn’t for him, and he went to work for the Mills Canvas company in Greenport. Now, five years later, Mr. Silvestro is a founding partner in a company called Talos 3D Fabrication in Southampton.
The Sweet Smell of Nostalgia at Sagaponack GeneralStepping into the new Sagaponack General Store, which reopened yesterday after being closed since 2020, is a sweet experience, and not just because there’s a soft-serve ice cream station on the left and what promises to be the biggest penny candy selection on the South Fork on your right, but because it’s like seeing an old friend who, after some struggle, made it big. Really, really big.
East Hampton Star Shines at Better Newspaper ContestDurell Godfrey, The East Hampton Star’s longtime staff photographer and a fixture at community events from Montauk to Southampton, has once again been named one of New York State’s top photographers. At the New York Press Association’s annual conference last week in Saratoga Springs, The Star’s newsletter also repeated in winning first place in the Best Newsletter category, capping a successful awards season for the paper.
Tariffs Are Sobering News for Liquor StoresIt’s not clear when, or if, President Trump’s European alcohol tariff will ever go live. Nonetheless, the threat is looming over South Fork wine and liquor retailers, who have been forced to react to the uncertainty.
Recorded Deeds 03.13.25Mar 13, 2025
More real estate transactions, Montauk to Southampton Village, December to February.
Recorded Deeds 02.27.25Feb 27, 2025
The final Hamptons real estate report of wintry February reaches back into late, lamented November.
Recorded Deeds 02.06.25Feb 6, 2025
Looking for a Hamptons real estate report? Here’s two weeks in one.
At East Hampton Train Station, a Cafe or Bookstore?Keen-eyed observers may have noticed an intriguing “available retail space” sign placed over the holidays at the Long Island Rail Road Station in East Hampton Village. The space, 613 square feet total, is divided between 488 square feet that will be shared with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including a bathroom, and 125 feet of exclusive retail space.
Sale in Works at East Hampton’s Hedges InnThe Hedges Inn, now owned by John Cumming, is in contract to be sold to Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall, marking an end to a year of drama that saw the 1873 inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, actively courted by Scott Sartiano and his celebrity hangout, Zero Bond.