Good Bivalves
We’ve always liked Mecox Bay. It hosts a highly productive oyster population—one of the best on the Atlantic coast according to Southampton College’s Estuarine Research Program—and a substantial soft shell clam community. It also hosts a more limited population of very rich property owners.
Architecture: A handsome and authentic shingle style house with some practical but not entirely correct picture windows and sliding glass doors on one wing.
Site: Off glamorous Rose Hill Road in Water Mill, 4.2 waterfront acres with a dock and splendid views.
The inside word: Even if the house is not quite as gussied up as some buyers would want, it is still extremely desirable and virtually irreplaceable. A broad lawn running to the water and truly open views of sea and sky tranquilize the spirit. Such pastoral settings have never been inexpensive in the Hamptons. Offered at $14 million.
Faux Pond
When we asked about the name of this small pond, we were told that it has no name because it man-made rather than natural. We were quite impressed because it is a beautiful pond, whether it was carved out by a glacier or a bulldozer.
Architecture: Big and brash, this three story house incorporates multifarious elements—dormers, bays, porches, a tower, columns, angles. It is, to use a politically correct term, very inclusive.
Site: In Bridgehampton, north of the highway, set on 5 rolling acres overlooking the 3.5-acre pond.
The inside word: There is a busy, postmodern sensibility here that some buyers will find knotty but others will find tantalizing. The house has virtually every amenity, including pool, tennis, 13 baths, a movie theater and gym. Offered at $7.5 million.
Victorian, Eminent Again
Houses are almost always a reflection of a community’s prosperity. Real estate history runs parallel to social and economic history. Sag Harbor, more than most villages in the area, has gone through ups and downs, and its houses tell the story.
Architecture: Quintessential Victorian style with porches, bays and a turret, finely restored both inside and out.
Site: On .75 acre on a desirable Sag Harbor village street, with house, 3-bedroom guesthouse, pool and garage.
The inside word: Once a rooming house—called Mary’s Rooms—which accounts for its 11 bedrooms and guesthouse. Now, once again, a distinguished private residence. It’s gratifying to see this once important, then dishonored home in such splendid condition. Continuing the trend toward imperial prices in the village, it is offered at $3.9 million.
Sumptuous Rooms with a View
Do you remember when people actually made compromises in buying homes, deciding what was more or less important and what they could afford? It seems a quaint notion now in an era when no luxury is overlooked and no price is daunting.
Architecture: A handsome blend of time-honored forms in the shingle-style “cottage” tradition. Paneling, coffered ceilings, arches, wainscoting, fireplaces, balconies and diamond-paned windows—all add up to a wealth of custom detailing.
Site: A well landscaped two-acre lot on Two Mile Hollow Road with some pretty nice ocean views but looking across several other properties, as well as pool, spa and tennis court.
The inside word: It’s a lot of house, 8,000 square feet of sumptuous living space, with seven bedrooms including a master suite with absolutely everything. The street is prestigious but a busy beach access. Overall it is no less than what you would expect when you are spending $8,250,000 in the estate area of East Hampton.