Another tremendously expensive property has gone on the market in the Hamptons. Braden Keil's Gimme Shelter column in the NY Post reported on today's estate, a 12-bedroom home that is nearly 18,000 square feet. The property is owned by Juergen Friedrich, who ran the European division of Esprit sportswear and has spent a great deal of money updating the home, which was built in 1902 and designed by Grosvenor Atterbury. The country home sits on 9.11 acres that include old trees, flowering shrubs, evergreen perimeters, rose gardens. indoor pool, outdoor pool with pavilion, tennis court, paddle court, gymnasium, carriage house and a four-car garage. At nearly 3,000 square feet, the master bedroom suite is larger than many homes. What may hurt it on the real estate market is that it is not on the water. But if you can live without that, it's a pretty impressive property. It is listed at $67.5 million.
Premiere jet charter broker Halcyon is arranging luxury helicopter packages between New York City and the Hamptons this season via the purchase of a special flight club card. The trip, which can take up to four hours on the Long Island Expressway in typical summer traffic, is a mere 45 minutes by helicopter. The Halcyon coordinated flights offer high-speed premium helicopters with luxurious cabins -- Bell Jet Ranger, Long Ranger, Augusta or Eurocopter -- staffed with two pilots, and can accommodate up to four passengers. Their Southampton Flight Club Card costs $7,700 (plus fees) and includes two one-way transfers from NYC to East Hampton or vice versa. The East Hampton Flight Club Card costs $22,500 (plus fees) and includes six one-way transfers. With the purchase of a card you also get a bottle of champagne, a carton of strawberries and a Halcyon Jets' gift basket containing Keihl's sunscreen, Origins organic lip balm, a Ralph Lauren beach towel and a bottle of Evian Mineral Water Spray, so you're ready to hit the beach the moment you arrive.
In his preface to Jake Rajs' beautiful new book, Beyond the Dunes: A Portrait of the Hamptons (Monacelli Press, $60), New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger notes the photographer "shows us a vision of the Hamptons at once beautiful and fragile, prosperous but not smug." No easy feat when it comes to portraying such a storied locale, and Rajs manages it magnificently. The book is divided into geographical sections of the South Fork: Westhampton, Quogue and Hampton Bays; Shinnecock and Southampton; Water Mill, Bridgehampton and Sagaponack; Sag Harbor and the Springs; East Hampton and Amagansett; and Montauk (or, as we like to call them: No Money, Old Money, New Money, Some Money, More Money and What Money?). Along the way he finds everything from privet hedges to pumpkin fields and fishermen to polo players. Pictured here is an imposing "cottage" on Southampton's fabled Gin Lane. The book won't be out for another couple of weeks, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon. Meanwhile see the gallery for a preview.
We've seen some expensive homes in the Hamptons but if there's anything I've learned in years of covering the high-end real estate market, it's that there is always another even bigger place around the corner. This home in Southampton Village has nine bedrooms, four floors and +13,500 sqft of living space. The home was the last project of renowned builder Kurt Andresson and famed New York Architects DAquino Monaco. It sits on approximately 11 acres of which six are Peconic Land Trust natural preserve lands with 1,000' oceanfront and 1000' pond front. On particularly winning detail is a two story enclosed gazebo with beautiful ocean views. The property also includes a sunken tennis court, gunite pool and Jacuzzi, pool house, two-car garage with h garden/potting area and second floor storage, private walkway to beach and pond with wooden dock. This home is listed at $80 million which puts it at the top tier of Hamptons real estate.
I've been to plenty of wine pairing dinners but what about a dinner based around vodka. The Zyr Vodka Maker dinner at WIld Thyme in Southampton, NY on May 16 offers an entire meal that uses the vodka infused with a variety of flavors. It starts with hors d'oeuvres paired with a classic martini; followed by a martini of scallop ceviche paired with cilantro and jalapeno infused Zyr; curry seared Ahi tuna with a cucumber peanut relish with is paired with a peanut infused Zyr; American red snapper with white asparagus spears, brown butter and pistachio paired with Zyr infused with lemon zest; seared duck breast and foie gras with peppered melon and black olive vanilla sauce paired with an aged infusion of cantaloupe and pepper Zyr martini; a sorbet of wildflower blossoms; and finishes with a caramelized banana and chocolate spring roll with roasted almond ice cream paired with something they call a banana transfusion, a puree of banana blended Zyr digestif. This unique meal costs $85 and the phone number for Wild Thyme is 631-204-0007.
Sadly, a $65 million home in the Hamptons barely has the power to shock anymore. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a Southampton, N.Y., estate formerly owned by Martin "Marty" Richards, who produced the Oscar-winning 2002 film "Chicago" and many Broadway plays, has gone on the market for $65 million.
We've covered Richards before. His riverfront duplex was first listed at $29 million and then went down to $22.7 million. The current owner bought the home from Richards for $23 million in 2003 and is said to have spent $25 million overhauling the property with the help of interior designer Robert Couturier.
This home is located on the very popular Gin Lane and has more than 400 feet of beach frontage. There is an eight-bedroom main house as well as a 7,500-square-foot guest house. The grounds include a tennis court, pool, spa and a lily pond. The main house is one of the oldest summer cottages in the Hamptons. The main manor home is absolutely flawless and the almost six acres are exquisitely done. As the listing says, it is a "true Southampton estate." Is it worth $65 million? I've learned to turn off my inner skeptic when looking at Hamptons listings, there is probably some deep-pocketed person willing to pay exactly that. Yes, even in this uncertain real estate market.
This home comes from the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers. It's the first home I have covered on For Sale By Owner and it happens to belong to the founder of the site, Damon Giglio. This beautiful home in Southampton, New York has an expansive view of the Shinnecock Bay and sits on over 1.3 acres. The five-bedroom home has over 5500 sq feet of living space with two master suites. Features include a finished basement with a laundry room, bathroom, playroom and wine cellar, a gourmet kitchen with a breakfast area, a living room with bay views and a tri-level deck with an in-ground waterside pool. The home also has 148 feet of beach frontage. It is listed at $4.7 million and as soon as Giglio sells he will build himself a new home in the area. After the jump, that's a rather strange shape for a pool.
As we mentioned earlier, we learned of this listing from the NYPpst's Gimme Shelter column by Braden Keil. It may not be spacious or posh but if you are a writer in need of inspiration you could do far worse than this cottage which is owned by Amy Tan. The farmhouse in Southampton is on a quiet lane, within walking distance to the shops in the village. The four-bedroom home has a wrap-around porch, front parlor, living room and outdoors there is a brick patio, new pool and pool house. It is listed at $1.5 million. After the jump, the charming summer home that looks like it was furnished with cast-offs from other places.
As I mentioned earlier, the thing that makes this Hamptons house interesting is that the owner embezzled her way into it. Catesby Kilmer stole $2.25 million from her employer Howard Gittes and just received a three- to nine-year-sentence for her crimes. Talk about a motivated seller. The Southampton, New York estate includes a four-bedroom vintage farmhouse, two-bedroom guest cottage and a pool. The home is listed at $2.5 million and proceeds go to making restitution so you could probably get yourself a deal on the furniture too.
As I 
