Our Hamptons

Esperanza and Irwin look back on the way Real Estate was bought and sold on eastern Long Island, in the not too distant past. Before the internet, before Zillow, before Redfin, before Real Estate firms with national and world wide presence. As recently as the early 1970's, there were not many more realtors then in the early 1950's, and many were part timers. Sure, there was money to be made in the summer colonies, but those markets were dominated by Lyda Barclay in Southampton, and Condie "Boots" Lamb in East Hampton. But a couple of newcomers arrived, with very different styles and backgrounds. Allan M. Schneider and Tina Fredericks each found lane to make inroads in the eastern Long Island real estate industry, ultimately transforming it entirely.

Esperanza and Irwin look back on the history of Beach Hampton. In the 1920's, Richard B. Allen began accumulating land in Amagansett along the oceanfront, from Beach Lane to Napeague Lane. By 1936, the RB Allen corporation owned 200 acres, and began developing a community for the middle class, called Beach Hampton. Ultimately, Alfred Scheffer became Beach Hampton's resident architect, designing houses from 560 to 920 feet, with an eye on simplicity, and cost. Amenities were non existent. We talk about the Barbour Beach Hampton Club, completed in Spring 1938, only to be taken away in the Hurricane of September of that year. Lastly, insights, stories and folklore from past and current Beach Hampton residents Pam Keen, Jaine Mehring, and Margie Ruddick.

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Brenda Sinclair, third generation Hampton Bays resident, and executive director of the HB Historical Society.   We admitted to being a bit mystified by this hamlet, and Brenda's hometown stories and memories brings it all together.   Brenda tells us about the storied history and many lives of the Canoe Place Inn, now in the process of being reinvented again.  

Esperanza and Irwin tell the story of East Hampton's grandest estate in the early 20th century. Frank Wiborg was a self made millionaire by age 40, establishing offices worldwide for the distribution of ink and lithograph products. Originally summer renters in Amagansett and East Hampton, Wiborg ultimately became a land baron, with holdings encompassing and astonishing 600 acres. In 1909, Wiborg hired the renowned architect Grosvernor Atterbury to design The Dunes, a 30 room stucco mansion that became the largest house in East Hampton. On the ocean, with stables, a dairy barn, sunken Italian gardens and servants quarters. But the grandeur of The Dunes was befallen by personal tragedy and illness, and didn't survive to see its 30th birthday.

Esperanza and Irwin explore Riverhead's changes when the Tanger Mall arrived in the 1990s.   Riverhead still lays claim as the Suffolk County Seat, despite most government departments moving to office space up island in Hauppague.   Did Tanger, and the subsequent onset of big box retailers and chain stores help to offset that loss at the expense of ushering in a more suburban rather than rural feel for the community?   For those on the North and South Fork's, the convenience of having these options within an hours drive was probably a benefit.   It also helped keep large scale retail development away from the South Fork in particular, a fear we touched on in our episode about Bridgehampton Commons.    But there were ramifications for Riverhead's historic downtown as well.    

Esperanza and Irwin look back at the three lives of Bayberry Land in Southampton.   In 1916, the banker Charles Sabin and his wife, Pauline Morton Smith Sabin purchased these 314 acres for a country home, naming it after the low growing shrub prevalent on the east end.   The estate comprised 8 buildings, including a manor house, garage with chauffer's apartment, gatehouse, caretakers cottage, hunting stable...you get the idea.   The Sabin's lifestyle was as grand as the setting, entertaining New York's Blue Book society, Southampton's summer colony, as well as senators, judges and members of congress.   Come 1949, the property was sold for $131,250 to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3.  The union president is a name familiar to anyone driving the Van Wyck Expressway, Harry Van Arsdale, Jr.  A convalescent rest home, an education center for its workers, as well as a children's camp were just some of the changes made during the Union's 50+ years of ownership.  In 2001, the IBEW sold the property for $46 million dollars to Michael Pascucci, who created a golf course on the property designed by Jack Nicklaus.    Purchasing it at auction for the same price, but unable to consummate the deal was a second buyer, Donald Trump.  Mr. Pascucci in his own words wanted people who were non glitzy, saying it wasn't a valet parking type of place.   Those people however, did have a $650,000 membership fee.

Esperanza and Irwin

Esperanza and Irwin pride themselves on digging deep, and some of the episodes of Our Hamptons has been a bit off radar.  

Esperanza and Irwin explore the rich history of the Swamp, the iconic gay nightclub.   From the time Bill Higgins opened the Swamp in 1977 and its sister restaurant The Annex next door, he made his policy clear.  This is a gay male club said the sign outside the door.  The writer Steven Gaines said "Higgins thought having women around ruined things".   But the history of gay nightlife on eastern Long Island goes back even further.  Gay friendly night clubs in Wainscott dated back to the 1940's, including Out Of This World, a dance hall geared to the theater crowd.   While the Swamp survived until early 2001, the AIDS epidemic took its toll.  After Higgins death, partner Brent Newsom tried to admit more women and straight couples.  But the Swamp never regained its former energy.  Subsequent reincarnations to the Star Room and Swa did not have staying power.  By 2018, the buildings were demolished and the property purchased via the Community Preservation Fund with a contribution from Friends of Georgica Pond.  It's new life is as the Rick Del Mastro Memorial Park.  Efforts by Hamptons Pride to memorialize the site as a homage to the Swamp are in the planning stages.

Esperanza and Irwin discuss the multiple lives of the Sea Spray Inn.  The Sea Spray's early days in the 19th century on Main Street, East Hampton led to its subsequent move in 1902 to the dunes near Main Beach, as the private home of E.D. Terbell.   The Sea Spray's heyday was from the 1940's to 1970's.  The Sea Spray had a capacity of 125 guests served by a staff of 55.  Rooms went from spare to breathtaking, with rates from $15 to $100 a day by the 1960's, three square meals a day included!  A fire on a February evening in 1978 destroyed the Sea Spray, but the cottages remain.  The East Hampton Village Board purchased them in 1978 for 3 million dollars, and manages them as rentals to this day.