Hamptons

The Lauren Berger Collection of luxury vacation residences caters to discerning travelers who want more space and privacy than even the best hotels can offer, along with a laundry list of princely perks. LBC's eight properties include three stylish apartments in Manhattan, two of which are in the prestigious Jumeirah Essex House; two luxe residences in the Hamptons; retreats in Greenwich, Conn. and New Rochelle on the magnificent Long Island Sound; and an Eastchester townhouse with private lake access. Available amenities include a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce Phantom or Mercedes-Benz SL550, a private 48-ft. motor yacht and crew, an in-house chef and sommelier, a personal shopper, and a bodyguard. Lauren Berger Collection clients also have access to the fleet of stylish wheels at the Classic Car Club Manhattan, which range from a 1965 Shelby Cobra to a Ferrari F430 and Bentley GTC.

The listing pictures on today's Water Mill, New York home have me dreaming of the perfect East Coast summer. The six-bedroom home sits on 1.9 acres of property located a short walk to Mill Pond. The grounds include a tennis court, heated pool, pool house and two-car garage. The main home was originally built in 1850 and has been nicely updated. The shingled home has wraparound porches and a beautiful solarium. Rustic beams and a monster of a stove give the kitchen an older touch that soften the bright white renovation. This is a home of cozy nooks rather than wide open spaces and the overall effect is quite charming, it looks as if it could happily host a houseful of guests without everyone being on top of each other. This estate is listed at $12.95 million.

If you'd like to join Richard Gere in the New York inn business here's your chance. As Newsday's Real LI reports the Village Latch Inn in Southampton just went on the market for $24.75 million. One family has owned the five-acre property for decades. The complex includes a number of outbuildings-- Terry House, the Potting Shed, Homestead East and Homestead West among others, which were originally a part of the adjacent Merrill Lynch estate. The grounds are also home to a Victorian greenhouse, private villas, a pool, tennis courts and more.

According to the listing there are 67 uniquely decorated rooms, some with fireplaces, balconies or decks. It's a Hamptons plum partly because pre-existing zoning conditions allow for a variety of possibilities including future development. Or you could just keep it all to yourself and create your own family compound.

Bernie Madoff's last home may have sold strong, but it looks like the momentum is fading. His home in the Hamptons beat the listing price and ultimately moved for more than $9.4 million. Unfortunately for his victims, interest in his Manhattan penthouse and Palm Beach estate isn't as strong. The prices for both have been cut, as the Ponzi schemer moves from news to history. Both homes have been on the market for only two months.

The Manhattan home, on the Upper East Side, offers 4,000 square feet which the broker, Sotheby's International Realty, says is "perched atop a distinguished white-glove prewar cooperative." Originally offered at $9.9 million, the asking price has been slashed by $1 million. So, if you're looking for some new digs in the city, this should be perched atop your list. A 10 percent price drop after only two months in the game means that you could probably work the price down a little bit further. If you were a Madoff investor, think of it as recouping some of what was so wrongly taken from you.

The situation in Palm Beach, Florida isn't much better. The discount is only 7 percent, with the price plunging from $8.49 million to $7.9 million according to the Corcoran Group, which is handling the sale. This home is billed as "a return to classic Florida island living ... when Palm Beach was a less manicured tropical paradise." What does that mean? Does classical Florida island living have anything to do with defrauding the neighbors?

Madoff, now a resident of Butner, North Carolina, believed that the Manhattan apartment was worth only $7 million. He pegged the Palm Beach residence at $11 million.

When both properties move, the proceeds will go to Madoff's victims. Of the $65 million, roughly, that he took, $1.4 billion is said to have been recovered. Even when compared to the investor losses identified, $21.2 billion, it's but a drop in the bucket. The auction scheduled for Saturday may help a little bit, with Bernie's Mets jacket and Ruth's golf clubs going under the gavel.

Todd Rome co-founded Blue Star Jets in 2001 (with CEO Ricky Sitomer) in response to the inefficiencies in the private jet marketplace. It is now one of the world's largest private aircraft charter brokers, offering an unparalleled level of personalized service; their motto is "Any Jet, Any Time, Any Place." Blue Star Jets grants clients freedom from the financial constraints of fractional jet ownership; the savings of paying only for trips taken; and the flexibility to choose the best aircraft according to a trip's specific budget requirement. With its ShareAJet Exchange, Blue Star Jets has lowered the barrier of entry for the private aviation industry for commercial fliers.

By creating a network of charter companies, Blue Star Jets now has access to over 4,000 aircraft worldwide, ranging from helicopters to Boeing business jets. Prior to Blue Star Jets, Mr. Rome ran a successful broker-dealer firm on Wall Street. He is also Co-Chair of the Diabetes Research Institute, and has made numerous appearances on CNN, CNBC and FOX, among others. When not traveling or working at his office in New York, Mr. Rome enjoys spending time with his family at home in the Hamptons, where Blue Star Jets was one of the key sponsors of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. In the gallery, Rome reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

If you were waiting for the bottom, it looks like you just missed it. Home prices in the Hamptons are on their way back up, rising 4.7 percent in the third quarter. Houses priced in the range of $2 million to $5 million led the charge. In fact, the number of properties clocking in at more than $2 million (including the former getaway of Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, which went for $9.41 million) jumped 44 percent -- 46 sales occurred from July through September this year. And, the median price for this part of Long Island increased from $860,000 last year to $900,000 this year.

The action appears to have been driven by buyers who'd normally look for something close to $10 million ... who began to see what they could get for a mere 20 percent of that price. When opportunity knocks ... you know the drill.

Even with this bit of good news, the number of homes sold last quarter fell 2.3 percent, with those fetching less than $500,000 posting the largest decline (22 percent). So, all isn't rosy in the land of the wealthy, unless of course, you're still wealthy.

Welcome to the second installment of our new feature, "10 Luxuries", wherein a notable figure in the world of luxury, tastemaker or stylish personality tells about the 10 necessary luxuries they simply cannot do without. Related quotes and images of each item can be found in the gallery.

World-class professional polo champion Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras is the face of The World of Polo. Already the face of Polo Black, Nacho was recently chosen to represent all of Ralph Lauren's Polo fragrances, including Polo Modern Reserve and Polo Blue, in print and advertising campaigns because he embodies the many facets of today's modern Polo man. Born in Argentina in 1977, Nacho developed a love for horses and the game of polo by the age of nine. By the time he was 17, Figueras began his professional polo career. Nacho's name has become so synonymous with the sport of polo that the American Museum of Natural History looked to Figueras to donate his polo equipment to their 2008-2009 exhibit, "The Horse", and he has been matched against England's Prince William and Prince Harry in the UK's Sandhurst Tournament.

Figueras, who divides his time between the United States and Argentina, is currently playing for Neil Hirsch's Black Watch Polo team in Bridgehampton, New York in the summer and in Palm Beach, Florida during the winter season. He returns to his ranch in Argentina for the spring and fall. Off the field, Nacho's natural charisma made him the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label clothing and the Polo Black fragrance in 2005. In 2007, Polo Ralph Lauren began sponsoring his Black Watch team and debuted a line of Black Watch clothing. "Nacho personifies The World of Polo by living the lifestyle represented by each of the fragrances," says Guillaume de Lesquen, President, Worldwide, Ralph Lauren Fragrances. "When he isn't playing polo in the world's most prestigious tournaments and promoting its heritage as an ambassador, he is sailing with his young family off the coast of Punta del Este, Uruguay and breeding horses on his ranch outside of Buenos Aires."

Previously: Vertu President Perry Oosting's Ten Essential Luxuries
Related: The Classicist: Exploring the Wide World of Polo

Here's an update on a home we've been watching since 2006. The Hamptons 2006 Designer Showhouse in Bridgehampton, New York was listed at $27 million when it first hit the market. The house sits on a nearly four-acre parcel with deeded Sagg Pond access and ocean views. The custom home was built by Burns Development and designed by architect Peter Cook (Christie Brinkley's ex-husband). The home was outfitted by a variety of high-end designers including Barclay Butera,Ernest de la Torre and Eric Cohler.

The home has spent the last three years on and off the market. It started at $27 million, was reduced to $24.5 million and then went off the market. The 14,000-square-foot home showed up again in June of this year at a new low price of $16.9 million. Now just a couple of months later Newsday reports that it sits at $15.4 million. Corcoran has the listing.

The VIP tent at the annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge in the Hamptons is always quite a scene, but this year attendees noticed the space was particularly plush. That's because Diamond Teak, one of the key sponsors at this year's event, furnished the VIP area with heirloom-quality pieces from its Spirit Song Collection (above). The company was founded by two Harvard grads, Kevin and Christine Yardley, who volunteered with the World Teach Organization in Costa Rica. They conceived of Diamond Teak as a way of bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to protecting the environment and boosting the local economy there. They now have over 12 Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) / Smartwood certified plantations, protecting over 1.000 acres of jungle terrain. Diamond Teak is an end result of this process - the finest teak wood furniture from the best wood hand-selected by master crafts people. The company has accrued a broad range of high-profile clients, including Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The Spirit Song Collection's elegant curves mimic organic forms in nature, combining golden tropical hardwood with shimmering marine-grade stainless steel.

On Saturday, Sept. 5, the First Annual Ferrari Hamptons Rally will kick off in an excess of East End glamour. The invite-only festivities begin with an exclusive VIP brunch reception at the Georgica Restaurant & Lounge in East Hampton. Participants in the Rally will then pilot their Ferraris - over $30 million worth - past breathtaking estates, polo fields, vineyards, marinas and the ocean, through East Hampton, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, and Southampton. At its conclusion the gaggle of jet-setters, celebs, socialites, media and business moguls will be treated to a late afternoon fête complete with specially-created cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. The Rally's founder, real estate entrepreneur, restaurant and nightlife impresario and Ferrari collector Nathaniel Christian is co-hosting the event with Nikki Beach Midtown, the Manhattan outpost of the world-renowned Nikki Beach brand. Rally sponsors include Grey Goose Vodka, Monticello Motor Club, Puma, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, Red Bull, Voss Water, Hamptons Magazine and Ferrari of Long Island, among others.

[via JustLuxe]

OPTYX by gruen, the newest expansion of grueneyes offering a high-end, carefully curated collection of designer eyewear, scored a hit with selections for its Hamptons locations this summer. Each season, OPTYX by gruen sends a team to travel from New York to Paris, Milan and Tokyo to seek out the latest fashion trends in sunglasses. For the Hamptons this summer, where OPTYX by gruen is one of the sponsors of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge, they selected several key styles for the area's jetset including a timeless, oversized frame from Chanel's Collection Perle calling to mind Jackie O; Oliver Peoples' Harlot Storm frames, bringing together an iconic silhouette with a bold, modern print; and the Cartier Santos Sport Platinum for men, a classic aviator shape with leather and wood detailing. Steven Spielberg scoped out the Hamptons offerings recently, joining the ranks of the boutique's other celeb clientele incouding Martin Scorsese, Kate Moss, Lauren Hutton, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, Alec Baldwin, and Elton John at their locations in New York City and Greenwich, CT.

Paul McCartney's headline-grabbing ex Heather Mills made the scene at week four of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at Blue Star Jets Field in Bridgehampton the other day, sporting a new, shorter hairstyle. At the polo match, which was sponsored by Diamond Teak, the former model was seen chatting with hot young racecar driver Tim George Jr. (above), who appears on the cover of the new issue of Social Life magazine. The match ended with team Great Oaks defeating Heathcote in a decisive 16 to 5 victory. Other onlookers at the match included socialite Denise Rich and the Real Housewives of New York City's Alex McCord with husband Simon Van Kempen and Ramona Singer with her husband Mario. Diamond Teak is the leading teak furniture design and manufacturing company recognized for creativity, originality and function. Guests at The Blue Star Jets Field were able to relax on Diamond Teak's comfortable and stylishly functional pieces, made with wood grown from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)/Smartwood certified plantations in democratic Costa Rica.

Last week, I went out to Sag Harbor to sample the highly exclusive Cointreau Pearls at Sen. The Pearls can only be made with a special kit designed by French mixologist Fernando Castellon. There are currently only 20 kits in the United States -- and only eight of them are behind bars (in the hands of very carefully selected bartenders) where they can be used to create scientifically delicious cocktails for the public.

The process of making the pearls, called "spherification," was designed specially for Cointreau as, due to its unique natural sugar content and pH level, it can be turned into "Cointreau caviar" (which is what it looks like) without the use of chemicals which would alter the flavor of not only the liqueur pearls, but of whatever cocktail they're dropped into. The pearls are made with just Cointreau, Evian (because it has the right calcium levels), and "sphere gel," which is vegan -- no gelatin like you find in other pearl formulas. Edible gold flakes can also be blended into the mix.

The formula is typically dropped from above into a calcite bath (shown), and then kept in water, where they get progressively harder. Depending on how firm you like your Cointreau roe, you might let the pearls sit longer in the water or your drink ... or you might drink all the faster.

From floating in champagne to sinking gracefully in pomegranate martinis, the pearls add a sophisticated orange zing to any cocktail -- and even hold up in hot drinks (so forget marshmallows!). Food coloring doesn't alter the flavor or inhibit the process, so bartenders can be very creative.

To read more about how they're made and how to serve them, check out the gallery below, and watch the video to see Sen mixologist Derek Neilsen creating Cointreau Pearls with a red pepper shaker!

Hamptons, New York in the summer. Wealthy socialites languish until the next high-society event beckons their attendance with promises of culinary delights and an excuse to dress up. This was the scene on July 25th at the Chefs & Champagne event as organized by the James Beard Foundation. The annual gala celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Four Seasons Restaurant with over 30 chefs from around the nation cooking up American delicacies for the attendees.

The goal of the event is to promote American cuisine as well as raise money for culinary education financial aid. The gala included a silent auction to which Bell & Ross donated a BRS watch, in addition to being a sponsor of the event. I know watch companies Blancpain often co-mingle with culinary events and now Bell & Ross is taking part of the action. Being associated with events such as these which tend to draw upon high net worth participants makes for choice marketing grounds allowing potential customers to check out what is new from the brand in person. The ceramic unisex BRS watch was the main attraction for Bell & Ross being a more formal (and "pretty") version of the BR01 watch line. The BRS comes in a very thin and square white or black ceramic case with a quartz movement. I believe that Bell & Ross initially had planned to use a manually wound mechanical movement but opted for the more practical quartz movement instead. As you can see, the watch is available with diamond decor around the bezel.

To show off the timepieces, Bell & Ross apparently hired a few people to stroll around in olive green flight suits - recalling the instrumental nature of most of the brand's timepieces. The people certainly stood out, but likely confused many of the Chef & Champagne gala guests who probably assumed that watch trays they were carrying around actually had some type of military themed hors d'oeuvres. Watches are nice, but you can't eat them, even at a culinary event.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

CAVI, the luxury menswear line known for its distinctive designs as worn by the likes of Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and 50 Cent, previewed its new surf-inspired CAVI Sport collection during a party at the Surf Lodge in Montauk on Aug. 7. The latest addition to the brand, which as we reported is also giving NASCAR a much needed makeover, consists of colorful and free-spirited board shorts, pima cotton tees, layered jackets, and hoodies. Real Housewives of New York City's Alex McCord and Simon Van Kempen were among the guests who were treated to complimentary cocktails and left the event with gift bags featuring swag from Blue Star Jets, Solstice Sunglass Boutique, and items from the CAVI Sportswear line. The following day, CAVI Sportswear Division partnered with the 11th Annual Rell Sunn Surf Memorial and East End Classics Foundation, Inc., to pay tribute to iconic surfer, Rell Sunn at Montauk's Ditch Plains Beach. The event, which benefits families with hardships on the East End, featured surfing contests, auctions, raffles, valuable prizes, and a great day of riding the waves.