Business

Few small businesses in East Hampton Town have been more adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than fitness centers, which were shut down from mid-March through the end of August. During that span, several closed their doors for good and more may soon follow.

The latest real estate transfers.

From a winter surge in house rentals to a spring shutdown of in-person showings and a subsequent boom in sales that continued through Christmas week, the pandemic led to an unprecedented year in the East End real estate business. 

In the pandemic's early days, the owners of two Long Island businesses, Ken Wright of Wright and Company Construction in Bridgehampton, and Matthew Aboff, who has 32 painting supply stores across the Island, stepped up big time when it became known that a severe shortage of personal protective equipment for the Island's health care workers was looming.

The week's real estate transactions.

Khanh Sports, an athletic gear and equipment rental store that's been a fixture in East Hampton Village for 24 years, will close in February because of a steep rent increase, Khanh Ngo, the owner, said. 

The week's real estate transfers.

Suffolk County will use $1.6 million in federal funds to provide grants for East End small businesses and renters economically impacted by the pandemic, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Friday.

A mix of the holiday spirit and a desire to pierce the pandemic gloom with strings of twinkling lights has led to a record-breaking boom in Christmas tree sales, according to several South Fork vendors, and left those who waited too long scrambling to find a tree.

AMAGANSETT

Craig Anderson to 53 Red Dirt Road L.L.C., 53 Red Dirt Road, November 2, 2020, $1,927,000.

125 Barnes Hole L.L.C. to South Fork Country Club, 125 Barnes Hole Road, Oct. 27, 2020, $1,225,000.

9 Ocean Lane L.L.C. to CG88 Associates L.L.C., 9 Ocean Lane, Oct. 30, 2020, $1,625,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

Estate of Phyllis MacPherson to Stephen and Susan Baird, 50 Bull Head Lane, Oct. 16, 2020, $2,100,000.

Kevin Mance to Anthony McDevitt, 570 Lumber Lane, Oct. 26, 2020, $4,840,000.

EAST HAMPTON

Even with much that characterizes the holidays curtailed, the shopping season has been suprisingly strong on the South Fork, according to several shopkeepers. "People are making a conscious effort to shop locally," said Gwen Waddington, an owner of the Wharf Shop in Sag Harbor.

With Hmptns, a new line of CBD products including Accabonac Harbor lotion, Two Mile Hollow extract, and Butter Lane tincture, two South Fork residents are seeking to add cachet to the burgeoning market for therapeutic treatments made from cannabinoids, chemical compounds derived from hemp.