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Sag Harbor: The Business Crowd Mixes It Up

Sag Harbor: The Business Crowd Mixes It Up

By Debra Scott

   The scene was the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s May mixer, and Cindy Ward Capalbo, who runs a home and office cleaning company, was decidedly not mixing. Around the booth she shared with three other women milled a room full of real estate agents, salesmen, and business owners. She gestured to the women she was with, two of whom wore the company’s uniforms. “We’re reminiscing about the time we’ve had getting ready for Memorial Day,” she said.

    Last Thursday, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, the last mixer of the off-season was held at Madison and Main, a Sag Harbor restaurant that recently opened in the space formerly occupied by Paradise Cafe.

    “We wanted to welcome our new member,” Kelly Connaughton, the chamber’s president, said, referring to the restaurant, where the front bar buzzed with live music and a lively crowd while chamber guests filed into a narrow room at the rear for their event.

    According to David MacMillan, the chamber’s vice president and an account executive at The Southampton Press, the group tries to hold six mixers a year, none during the summer season, when members are busy attending to visitors. He believes that the value of the mixers lies in their providing a “casual atmosphere for people to discuss business ideas and community concerns over food and drink.”

    Though the event was open to nonmembers, few if any were in attendance, and many of the attendees appeared to be well acquainted.

    “It’s a tight-knit group, but it welcomes new blood,” said Robert Rossetti, an insurance broker. Mr. Rossetti frequents all South Fork chamber events. “I’ll go anywhere clients are.”

    Cards were exchanged and food flowed in the form of tray-passed hors d’oeuvres including fritto misto, lobster shooters, and meatballs. Beer and wine were available for $5 a drink. The fee to attend the mixer was $15 for members, $18 for nonmembers.

    While most members, when questioned, said their reason for attending was to support the local business community, some admitted that self-interest also played a role. Michael Daly, a real estate broker, joined a year ago after starting at the Sag Harbor office of Sotheby’s. After that agency sponsored the chamber-produced HarborFest, Mr. Daly said, he acquired at least one new client who had seen an ad.

    A co-founder of the chamber, David Lee, his white-bearded visage a familiar face in the village, still shows up at events, though he surrendered the reins years ago. “I came to Sag Harbor in 1948,” he said, “when it was suffering from peace.” He cited the closing of local factories that manufactured widgets for the war, including the Bulova watchcase factory, which, he said, built “bomb-sight parts.”

    “Half the stores were boarded up,” Mr. Lee recalled. He ran a jewelry store in town for 20 years till the rent rose and his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. He now manages real estate, including the building that houses Ace Hardware, and is actively involved in the chamber because “I don’t like anyone screwing up what I started.”

    Bob Nikolich, a salesman, pulled out a smartphone and proceeded to demonstrate an app to Barbro Magnusson and Dean Golden, proprietors of a guest house called Harborwoods. He was hoping to sign them up to the Rewards Network, a discount app created by Gary Glase, a software developer also in attendance.    

    Mr. Golden asked, “How do people find us?”

    Mr. Nikolich explained that the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Web site would be the portal though which viewers would be directed to merchants.

    Ms. Magnusson said she found his pitch “interesting. You never know where people are going to see something.”

    Bryan Boyhan, the publisher and editor of The Sag Harbor Express, joked that he attends chamber mixers for the “$5 glass of wine.” As a past president, he said, “No business ever gets conducted here.” Then he added, “There may be deals made that I don’t know about.”

    Mr. MacMillan circulated, selling raffle tickets for prizes such as tickets to the Bay Street Theatre and passes to the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter.

    A trio of late arrivals conjectured about how the predicted inclement weather would affect weekend business at their stores and complained about the timing of the event, which started at 5 p.m., during prime selling hours.

    Seena Stromberg, owner of Corner Closet, a designer consignment shop, expressed concern about the chamber’s promotion of the village. “Sag Harbor needs to be taken seriously as a village of diversity,” she said. “It’s about design, art, and fashion, not low-end tchotch­kes.”

    “Thank God I’m in the higher price range,” said Tulla Booth, the owner of an eponymous photography gallery on Main Street, claiming that most of her customers are in the “2 percent.”

    “We’re here to give each other the thumbs-up and keep our fingers crossed for the coming season,” Ms. Stromberg said.

    Meanwhile, Ms. Capalbo, still holding court in a booth, wasn’t worried about missing prospects. Her husband was on networking duty for the night.

Wells Fargo’s Mortgage Man

Wells Fargo’s Mortgage Man

By
Star Staff

   Jason Richardson has joined the team of Wells Fargo home mortgage professionals. He is based in Southampton.

   A mortgage consultant, Mr. Richardson earned a master’s degree in business administration from Dowling College in Oakdale in 2009. Mr. Richardson has been a personal banker at Capital One in Quogue and at J.P. Morgan Chase in Riverhead.

   His work experience also includes several years as a marketing assistant and event planner for Music and Love Unlimited, and as a seasonal manager and executive of the Lambda Group of Miller Place.

   He received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from then-Senator Hillary Clinton, a Youth Court Award from the Town of Riverhead, a Suffolk County Certificate of Achievement, and was named Long Island Student of the Year by Newsday.

Recorded Deeds 06.06.13

Recorded Deeds 06.06.13

The prices below have been calculated from the county transfer tax. Unless otherwise noted, the parcels contain structures.
By
Star Staff

AMAGANSETT

K. Woodward to J. Bell and I. Anguelova, 1853 Montauk Highway, .21 acre, April 4, $600,000.

E. Diamond (by executor) to S. and S. Greenstein, 88 Indian Wells Highway, 2.54 acres, April 12, $7,500,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

E. Hampton (by executor) to D. Amada and M. Kumwenda, 26 Huntington Crossway, .51 acre, April 12, $292,580.

C. and K. Picket to S. and J. Smigel and J. Luchs, 17 Woodruff Ln, .56 acre, April 3, $1,985,000.

M. Lesser and M. Schneider to T. Solomon, 41 Jennifir Lane, 1.92 acres, April 18, $3,313,000.

157 Job’s Lane L.L.C. to 157 Jobs L.L.C., 157 Job’s Lane, 1.89 acres, April 10, $10,100,000.

EAST HAMPTON

J. Arrasate Trust to S. King, 61 Harbor View Avenue, .71 acre (vacant), April 19, $98,000.

N. Arrasate Trust to S. King, 63 Harbor View Avenue, .69 acre (vacant), April 19, $82,000.

N. Arrasate Trust to S. King, 65 Harbor View Avenue, .23 acre (vacant), April 19, $52,500.

R. Berman to F.S. Partners I L.L.C., 55 and 51 Floyd Street, .38 acre, April 10, $583,625.

M. and S. Roth to F. Trentacoste and Witman, 67 Edwards Avenue, .61 acre, April 15, $600,000.

K. Hawkins to D. and J. Bennett, 554 Route 114, 3.3 acres, April 12, $1,550,000.

P. Krasner (by executor) to N. Pflaster and A. Richter, 202 Treescape Drive, Unit 13A, March 21, $610,000.

EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE

Dragotta, Grau, and Cullum to Wiana Realty Corp, 11 Newtown Lane, .02 acre, April 12, $1,695,000.

G. Kane to M. Toulantis, 210 Cove Hollow Road, .47 acre, April 16, $2,165,000.

MONTAUK

Remi-Holding Ltd. to 555 Marchuska L.L.C., 649 Montauk Highway, .16 acre, April 5, $750,000.

NORTH HAVEN

R. Zaroff to A. Cairns, 30 North Haven Way, 1.92 acres, April 10, $3,945,000.

SAG HARBOR

A. Taylor and Del Romero to 19 Indian Hill Road, 295 Main Street, .22 acre, April 17, $975,000.

SAGAPONACK

119 Merchants Path to R. Ross, 119 Merchants Path, 1.84 acres, April 9, $3,450,000.

Fairfield Pond Partners to 39 Fairfield Pond Lane, 39 Fairfield Pond and lot 53, 3.4 acres, April 16, $24,000,000.

SPRINGS

Conrad, Hillick, and Scott to J. and N. Mileszczyk, 6 Deer Path, .89 acre, April 1, $375,000.

W. Burton to N. Kochanasz, Fort Pond Blvd (vacant), March 28, $90,000.

WAINSCOTT

J. Heimer to L. Petrucci, 4 Glen Oak Court, .92 acre, April 5, $2,175,000.

WATER MILL

J. Falkowski to D. and S. Barden, 265 Scuttle Hole Road, .97 acre, April 12, $1,925,000.

 Data provided by Suffolk Research Service of Southampton

Happy Feet, Happy Clients

Happy Feet, Happy Clients

Ahhh. Customers at Happy Feet in Sag Harbor surrendered their feet for hour-long reflexology sessions on Tuesday.
Ahhh. Customers at Happy Feet in Sag Harbor surrendered their feet for hour-long reflexology sessions on Tuesday.
Carrie Ann Salvi
Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that the feet are closely related to the internal organs and can reflect pathological changes in the body
By
Carrie Ann Salvi

   “You relax, we do the work,” is the motto of Happy Feet, a new reflexology and facial spa in Sag Harbor. On Division Street, just steps from one of the village’s busiest intersections, it is easy to miss the small storefront, but harder to miss the promises of Happy Feet’s advertisements, at least for the foot-weary.

    Christopher Rogers opened the business in December. “It was my wife’s dream to run her own business after working so many years for other people,” he said. Foot reflexology is pretty popular in China, where his wife, Li Kun Huang, was born. She does facials and reflexology with no machines, he said, “just the old-fashioned way of doing it.”

    Happy Feet’s other practitioners, all licensed aestheticians, are also from China, and they commute together daily from Flushing, Queens. Each has a unique style, Mr. Rogers said, “based on years and years of doing reflexology.”

    The owners make efficient use of each square foot of the cozy space, which is outfitted with five plush leather reclining reflexology chairs and three facial tables separated into private cabanas by draperies.

    Mr. Rogers said his wife designed the space, with touches that include small tables between the chairs, dim lighting, and a ceiling full of Chinese parasols. Her grandmother’s sweet Chinese tea recipe is poured into a pot beside each chair and served in a dainty cup and saucer prior to treatment.

    Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that the feet are closely related to the internal organs and can reflect pathological changes in the body. Clients are given postcards describing the points on the soles of the feet that correspond to various organs.

    After a foot soak in a wooden bucket filled with warm water and rose petals, a practitioner covers a client with a small fleece blanket and takes charge. The kneading, shaking, pumping, and even gentle slaps and punches alternate according to the area being worked, from the tips of the toes to the knee, with a few shakes of the legs and rubs of the arms and thighs added for increased relaxation.

    “It’s not all lovey dovey,” said Karen Furst of East Hampton, who was in a reflexology chair on Friday for the fifth time. “They hold pressure points until they release,” she explained. “You have to know how to relax and not resist.” She has a standing Friday appointment each week, to get her weekend off to a good start, she said. “It gives me a positive attitude.” With chronic shoulder problems, she noticed the practitioner homed in on the center ball of her foot, which relates to trapezius muscles, without her saying a word.

    A 60-minute foot reflexology session is offered for just $35. (A tip is also customary.) “People are happy to get such a nice service for a nice price,” Mr. Rogers said.

    Although reflexology is the mainstay of the business, a Plantogen balancing skin facial is also available, which is said to cleanse, nourish, and soothe the skin.

    The lotions are high quality, Mr. Rogers said. “My wife would not use anything that is cheap. . . . She likes the really good stuff. . . . She’s all about natural and health.”

    The couple live just minutes away. Mr. Rogers originally summered on the South Fork and spent the rest of the year in Chicago. His mother, who died recently, rented houses in Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, and Bridgehampton before settling here permanently. They keep Happy Feet open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and manage to keep their chairs full most of that time.

    “We’ve been very fortunate,” Mr. Rogers said. “The local community has embraced us. . . . It has worked out quite well so far.”

Tech Approach to Wellness

Tech Approach to Wellness

MindBody, which offers online business-management software to the health, beauty, and fitness industries, houses sales and technical support staff in its offices at the Red Horse Plaza in East Hampton.
MindBody, which offers online business-management software to the health, beauty, and fitness industries, houses sales and technical support staff in its offices at the Red Horse Plaza in East Hampton.
Morgan McGivern
A fast-growing tech company serving the health, beauty, and fitness industries
By
Christopher Walsh

   The bright, spacious offices of MindBody, at the Red Horse Plaza in East Hampton, offer a look at a fast-growing tech company serving the health, beauty, and fitness industries.

    The company, founded in 2001 and based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., with offices in Sydney, Australia, London, and East Hampton, offers online business-management software encompassing scheduling, payroll, point-of-sale, analytical reports, merchant account processing, and marketing and client retention tools. Clients include personal trainers, physical therapists, stylists, yoga and martial arts studios, health clubs, and spas. The company’s product line was recently expanded to offer mobile applications for on-the-go management.

    Last month, MindBody marked 25,000 subscribers, with more than 1,000 new clients signing on monthly. With the acquisition of Jill’s List, an online platform for integrative health care practitioners, also last month, MindBody launched a new wellness network to enable employers to focus on holistic and preventive approaches to wellness for their own employees. In December, Inc. magazine’s inaugural Hire Power Award recognized the company as a leading job creator in the country and in its industry.

    “We’re growing very rapidly,” said Georgia Suter, the media relations program manager, who spent two years in the company’s sales department before assuming her present role. For sales positions, she said, “we generally require an interest or background in software, technology, and wellness, but we have people that come into a sales position and haven’t had sales or technology experience.” The local office’s count of seven employees, when Ms. Suter joined the firm in 2011, has swelled to around 45 today, she said. The local sales manager, Michael Goldsmith, is currently looking to hire 15 additional sales reps.

    MindBody’s software products, Ms. Suter said, “streamline all of your business needs into one place. Because it’s Web-based, you can access any part of your business wherever you may be. It makes your business really accessible to you and brings everything into one place. It integrates your payroll with your client management with your point-of-sale — everything is bundled together. And we have 24/7 tech support.”

    As one might imagine, the company is wellness-oriented toward its employees. Yoga classes happen on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and a personal training class is offered on Thursdays. A monthly wellness voucher program grants employees $50 worth of products or services from participating businesses that use MindBody’s software, including Naturopathica Holistic Health Spa, located in the same complex. “We also have nutrition programs,” Ms. Suter said.

    While yoga sessions keep staffers grounded and centered, the company’s far-flung personnel, spread across three continents, are linked via satellite. “We’re so connected with all these different parts of the world,” Ms. Suter said. “The energy and the rapid growth, the wellness classes — all happening in what we perceive to be a quiet little town.”

Keeping Account 06.13.13

Keeping Account 06.13.13

Local business news
By
Star Staff

Montauk Ices

    Italian ices are coming to Montauk — from a food truck. Beginning this weekend, the Montauk Ice Co. truck will pull up at Kirk Park, across from the 7-Eleven and next to the I.G.A., and offer homemade, gourmet Italian ices and other frozen treats.

    The truck will be open for business daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., weather permitting. Among the 20 varieties are cream ices, spumoni, and cremelata.

    The owner, Joe Tranchina, has spent summers in Montauk since he was a child. He describes himself as a “longtime Montauk enthusiast and recent Fairfield University graduate.”

Whalebone Correction

    In a photo caption last week, the owner of Whalebone Creative, a clothing brand and shop in Montauk, was misidentified. The owner, Jesse James Joeckel, was at a Waves for Water benefit at Solé East, where a film featuring the crew from his shop was being screened. Dylan Eckardt, who was also pictured, is not involved with Whalebone Creative.

Shops Break Out All Over

Shops Break Out All Over

By Angie Duke

    As summer heats up, so does the shopping. The addition of new stores, boutiques, and services adds to the list of gift ideas for the summer of 2013.

    Among them is Georgica Hearth, a new company selling custom-made gift baskets that incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, meat, cheese, and wine. It’s also possible to put together custom baskets with a combination of products you like most. All of Georgica Hearth’s produce and products are locally derived. Prices for the baskets start at $200.

    Michelle Smith, a designer and the founder of Milly, a luxury fashion brand based in New York City, unveiled a pop-up shop over Memorial Day weekend. The shop, at 54 Main Street in East Hampton, features handbags, beachwear, shoes, and summer attire. It will be open for 18 months and seeks to complement boutiques in Tokyo and New York City.

    Vilebrequin, the French men’s resort wear company, is also opening a pop-up boutique this summer. The shop will be in Linde Gallery on Newtown Lane in East Hampton and will offer the company’s signature swimwear, clothing, and accessories. The new women’s collection of swim and resort wear will also be available. Swimwear prices range from $170 to $740.

    Hamptons Home and Patio is taking over the vacant lot in Wainscott where Plitt Ford and Whole Foods once stood. The new furniture and home gifts store was founded by Bennett Mayrock and Jack Tirone, two college friends who are attempting to tailor the shop to the style and function of an East Hampton home. The grand-opening sale is happening through Saturday.

Dental Spa’s House Calls

    Two new businesses are providing services on the go or in the comfort of your own home this summer: Main Street Drivers and Lavaan Dental Spa.

    Main Street Drivers is offering one-way and full tristate area driving services, as well as partnerships with wine tours on the North Fork. The service is available 24 hours a day and uses customers’ own vehicles. The standard rate is $40 per hour. Reservations are by phone at 888-327-4460 or online at mainstreetdrivers.com.

    Lavaan Dental Spa will also come to your home. The business is providing professional whitening treatments within the houses of customers. Prices start at $999 for appointments reserved in advance, and a free dental cleaning appointment in Lavaan’s New York City location comes with each purchase. Group rates are available. Appointments can be booked at lavaansmile.com.

    And finally, Calypso St. Barth now has five locations from Westhampton Beach to Montauk. Each boutique offers unique apparel, beachwear, jewelry, and accessories. The store’s most recent collections can be found at calypsostbarth.com.

Recorded Deeds 06.13.13

Recorded Deeds 06.13.13

The prices below have been calculated from the county transfer tax. Unless otherwise noted, the parcels contain structures.
By
Star Staff

AMAGANSETT

D. Eswar to P. and C. Bacon, 21 Edwards Close, 1.48 acres (vacant), April 18, $1,332,500.

P. O’Brien Trust to Flex Development, 76 Schellinger Road, .9 acre, April 19, $650,000.

J. and M. Frey to K. Raidy and S. Anning, 327 Main Street, .29 acre, April 25, $1,575,000.

L. Durham to C. Gelb, 434 Main Street, .5 acre, April 19, $1,255,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

J. Rost and K. Mance to J. and E. Schenk, 64 Church Lane, .37 acre, April 23, $1,700,000.

Meadowlark Lane Associates to J. and S. Levin, 51 Meadowlark Lane, .92 acre, April 17, $8,700,000.

EAST HAMPTON

M. Rubenstein to 48 Whooping Hollow Road, 48 Whooping Hollow Road, Jan. 2, $525,000.

D. and P. Rosenblum Trust to J. Halsey, 52 Old Northwest Road, 2 acres, April 5, $1,445,000.

B. Tekiner to G. and S. Nicolls, 10 Quarty Circle, 1.39 acres, April 8, $1,295,000.

R. and V. George to M. Schuerlein and Janota, 320 Three Mile Harbor Road, .35 acre, April 3, $375,000.

R. Berman to G.F.D.S. Partners II L.L.C., 53 Floyd Street, .14 acre, April 10, $291,375.

T. Padob to G.P. Smith and D. Thompson, 61 Spring Close Highway, .45 acre, April 22, $495,000.

R. Gallen and E. Fagan to M. Barr, 89 Cove Hollow Road, 1 acre, April 24, $955,000.

L. Shapiro to M. Strauss, 4 Cobblers Court, 1.5 acres, April 10, $1,038,500.

R. Ziegelasch to N. Wilson, 5 Rivers Road, .72 acre, April 23, $999,999.

R. Wallace and D. Smith to P. and S. Wunsch, 20 Old Orchard Lane, 1.39 acres, April 23, $4,075,000.

MONTAUK

D. Rivkind to R. Quesada, 34 Beach Plum Road, .17 acre, Feb. 7, $580,000.

D. Jockers Trust to J. Connolly Jr., 274 E Lake Drive, .8 acre, Feb. 27, $1,287,500.

E. Levine to M. Brennan, 130 Old West Lake and lot 4-1.03, 1.5 acres, March 28, $2,018,000.

M. and S. Martine to C. and E. Stephens, 23 Fort Pond Road, unit 73, April 18, $447,500.

SweetAir Investments to Smaragdas and Vourderis, 23 Fort Pond Road, unit 148, April 19, $245,000.

L. Meyerowitz to L. and J. Blumenfeld, 21 Brisbane Road, .17 acre, April 11, $715,000.

NOYAC

J. Horbert to N. Kurman, 47 Cliff Drive, .3 acre, April 18, $900,000.

Mel Rudy Realty to J. Berliner and T. Walden, 80 Cliff Drive, .34 acre, April 10, $605,000.

W. Jones to J. Perry, 41 Cliff Drive, .32 acre, April 18, $790,000.

Kiselyak and Jablonski to Long Island Property, 18 Sunset Drive, .19 acre (vacant), April 4, $350,000.

M. Burke (by executor) to E. Brockmeyer and Sottile, 27 South Valley Road, .84 acre, April 9, $565,000.

SAG HARBOR

N. Fachinetti to S. Hagerstrom, 24 High Street, .29 acre, Feb. 28, $1,800,000.

SPRINGS

R. and A. Wolf to D. and S. Pomeranz, 50 Cedar Drive, .22 acre, April 1, $630,000.

WAINSCOTT

V. Leon to D. and C. Fleischman, 26 East Gate Road, April 11, $1,075,000.

WATER MILL

Yanowicz and Eldar Trust to J. and J. Hathaway, 51 Little Noyack Path, 2.2 acres, April 11, $1,465,000.

R. and C. Taylor to J. Braun, 55 Narrow Lane South, 2 acres, March 15, $1,950,000.

 Data provided by Suffolk Research Service of Southampton

New in Montauk: From Body Care to Bikinis to Beach Bags

New in Montauk: From Body Care to Bikinis to Beach Bags

At her new shop, Made in Montauk, Ingrid Torjesen, left,  sells handmade pillows like the ones she is lounging on. Kim Gatti, right, has opened the Beach Boutique at Montauk Harbor.
At her new shop, Made in Montauk, Ingrid Torjesen, left, sells handmade pillows like the ones she is lounging on. Kim Gatti, right, has opened the Beach Boutique at Montauk Harbor.
Janis Hewitt Photos
“Montauk is obviously picking up and is an exciting place to be right now,”
By
Janis Hewitt

   The Beach Boutique and Spa at Montauk Harbor is a place that Kim Gatti of Montauk always wanted to open. A licensed esthetician, Ms. Gatti had worked in other areas of the business before opening a shop in a prime space on West Lake Drive with a wide view of the harbor and a clutch of fishing boats bobbing nearby.

    The open space has been transformed from a kitschy clothing store to a hip boutique with light summery clothing and a private room for facials, body waxing, and other personal services. Pedicure chairs are lined against one wall, and clients are offered a massage while they have their toes touched up.

A basic manicure starts at $18. A glycolic manicure costs $25 and runs for 25 minutes. There are a variety of pedicures, including a beach pedicure with mandarin honey, citrus, and spices for $35. A lime zest pedicure with lime juice and oils provides extra hydration to soften and rejuvenate the soles of the feet. It costs $55 for a 50-minute service.

    A vanilla and wild plum pedicure that uses a blend of vitamins, nutrients, and essential oils is said to send your senses reeling. After the mask is removed, feet are dipped into vanilla paraffin.

With Alison Lane, Ms. Gatti has collaborated on a body-care line called Beach Boutique that uses natural botanicals for extra softness. One batch, a pale pink, is as smooth and frothy as icing on a cake and smells yummy too.

    A back room with a bubbling water fountain is used for body treatments that include a body scrub, facials, a back “facial” for stress relief, waxing, salt-scrub treatments, and a detox “body glow” with pulverized rock that is said to contain molecular properties to exfoliate and soften skin.

The clothing is for hot summer days. There are beach bags, cover-ups, and wide-brimmed sunhats. All products and gift certificates are available for purchase at thebeachboutiqueandspa.com. The spa is open seven days a week, until 9 p.m. on weekends.

“It” Items

    Closer to Montauk’s downtown is Ingrid Torjesen’s Made in Montauk at 12 South Etna Avenue. The store, part of the space rented by Lila Yoga, is filled with summery items, including hand-painted and hand-dyed dresses for women, one a limited-edition bias-cut silk dress that Ms. Torjesen predicts will be an “it” item this season.

    She acquires vintage saris from India and then transforms them into caftans, cover-ups, and sarongs. Ms. Torjesen designs and sews most of her inventory. “I literally get an idea or a flash of inspiration and then learn how to make it,” she said with a laugh.

    No, she was not taught to sew by Granny: She taught herself only a few years ago using how-to books and online sites.

    A favorite item in her shop is a one-size-fits-most cover-up that can be thrown over a bathing suit or matching slinky dress. “I found they worked really well, so I made more in different colors. I love color,” she said, sitting on a mound of handmade pillows of silk and velvet in turquoise, pink, blue, and orange.

She also sells jewelry by Brenda Perruzza, a noted jewelry designer, and will present a trunk show of her designs at the store on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. More designs are featured on her Web site, montaukdesigns.com.

    Several feet east of Made in Montauk on South Etna Avenue is a new branch of Waves, a Bridgehampton shop, that will have its grand opening this weekend, said Ariana Li, who with her mother owns the two stores.

    “Montauk is obviously picking up and is an exciting place to be right now,” she said.

In a shop just two blocks from the ocean beach, Ms. Li is ready to dress beachgoers in itsy-bitsy bikinis, cover-ups, jewelry, beach bags, and more. The Web site is wavesboutique.com.

Minkoff Pops Up

    Rebecca Minkoff, a fashion designer, is opening a pop-up shop at the Sole East resort on Second House Road this weekend. Located on the main floor across from the lobby, it will offer handbags, footwear, sunglasses, and small leather goods, with prices in the range of $150 to $750. A complimentary tote bag and friendship bracelet come with each purchase.

    The Surf Bazaar at the Surf Lodge on Edgemere Road is back in a space that is part of the main building. This year it has creations by over 30 designers, from gauzy tunics to Tori Praver bikinis to accessories.

    And finally, the Montauk Movie has decided to reopen this summer. In the fall, residents were surprised to see a “for rent” sign on the building. David Rutkowski, who owns the business, said that he may have “jumped the gun” on that.

    He decided to pack it in when he learned the exorbitant cost of new digital film projectors. He has since realized that quite a few films are still suitable for the 35-millimeter projector he uses.

This spring, Mr. Rutkowski completed a course to be a certified cycling instructor and will now offer Cinema Cycle in the mornings. He has moved some of the theater’s seats and will have indoor cycling classes in the mornings. “Star Trek Into Darkness” will be playing this weekend.

Now, a Nonstop Cannonball on the L.I.R.R.

Now, a Nonstop Cannonball on the L.I.R.R.

Expectations are high that this will be a popular train
By
Carrie Ann Salvi

   A nonstop 4:07 p.m. Friday Cannonball train from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the South Fork will begin tomorrow. The train, making a 76-mile trip, is scheduled to arrive in Westhampton Beach at 5:41 p.m., followed by stops in Southampton at 6:03, Bridgehampton at 6:13, East Hampton at 6:25, and Montauk at 6:48. The service will continue through Labor Day weekend.

    A ticket to ride the air-conditioned double-decker costs $27 each way, or $33 if purchased on board. Reserved seating with attendants who serve snacks and beverages runs an extra $20 per trip.

    Expectations are high that this will be a popular train, and the Long Island Rail Road has suggested via its Web site that riders buy round-trip reserved tickets to ensure seats. Seasonal and weekly reservations for its Hamptons Reserve Service are also available. Arriving early at Penn Station has been suggested, as the number of passengers without seats will be limited on board to maintain safety.

    On Sunday evenings, a Cannonball West train from Montauk to Penn Station is planned to run nonstop from Westhampton Beach to Jamaica after stops in East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Southampton, and Hampton Bays. Neither the eastbound nor westbound Cannonball trains are scheduled to stop at the Amagansett station.

    The Cannonball train was added in response to requests from customers who didn’t want to change trains in Jamaica with their luggage, Helena E. Williams, the L.I.R.R.’s president, said on the company’s Web site. The train will use electric power upon its departure from Penn Station and later switch to diesel power.

    The railroad reported that the Montauk branch had a 34-percent increase in summer riders in 2012 compared to 2011.

    In prior years, Cannonball service began at the Hunterspoint Avenue terminal in Long Island City, where additional trains on the Montauk line have now been added for Thursday and Friday afternoons, with connections from Penn Station and Brooklyn’s Atlantic terminal.

    In addition to Fridays in-season, the Cannonball train will be available on Wednesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 4. Other trains, although not Cannonballs, have been added for the summer season on the Montauk branch through the Labor Day weekend.

    The only named train operated by the L.I.R.R., the Cannonball first traveled these tracks in the 1890s as an express train between Long Island City and Southampton.

    New Montauk line timetables are available at stations along the branch, online at mta.info/lirr, or by dialing 511, the New York State travel information line.