Halstead Property

Mentioned in this Article:

Jennifer D'Auria
East Hampton Office

Charles Homet
Village Office

Barbara Godson
SoHo Office

Summertime When The Living's Easy

OWN Supplement

BY LAUREN PRICE

North Amagansett, N.Y.

221 West 13th Street
 
Of course, practically everybody wants to head across the pond in July for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, but for those of us staying stateside, there's plenty of easy breezy things to enjoy throughout the summer season in and around the Tri-State area. According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, 178 state parks from the shores of Long Island to Niagara Falls offer countless opportunities, including adventurous explorations, beaches, boats, campsites, hiking trails and golf courses. The city further offers a full range of warm-weather events (most of them outdoors), including Manhattan's Shakespeare in the Park (As You Like It, June 5 to 30; Into the Woods, July 23 to August 25), Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks celebration on the Hudson River, the Museum Mile Festival from 82nd to 105th Streets on Fifth Avenue (June 12) and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships (August 27 to September 9) in Queens.

Naturally, al fresco dining at hipster-haunt restaurants is a must around town as well, especially during NYC Restaurant Week (July 18 to August 10) and the Hudson Restaurant Week (July 23 to August 3) along New Jersey's Gold Coast, including eateries in Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken and Liberty State Park. And don't forget, summer is the ideal time for farmers markets and roadside stands selling locally grown vegetables and fruits, with favorites such as beefsteak tomatoes, corn and sweet-as-pie peaches.
 
ISLAND FEVER
With flip flops, bathing suits and sunglasses in tow, aquatic pleasures are pretty easy to find along the summer landscapes of the Hamptons' beach towns — and it's pretty much a given that both visitors and locals will enjoy any one of the Hamptons' events and festivals. One good example is the annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge (July 21 through August 25) in Bridgehampton. A red-carpet event (read: celebrity and royalty magnet), the Challenge runs six consecutive Saturdays. Another must-attend event is the free Amagansett Fine Arts Festival (July 6 to July 8). This three-day festival attracts some of our nation's best artists who exhibit their paintings, photographs, sculptures and the like. Kid-friendly to the max is Westhampton's Broadway by the Beach Camp (July 16 to July 20) for seven- to 10-year-olds. This weeklong camp is designed to teach kids singing, dancing and acting — as they prepare for an end-of-camp musical performance. Adventureland (an amusement park celebrating its 50th birthday) in Farmingdale is yet another fun way to spend a summer day.

Amagansett art lovers who wouldn't mind living within walking distance of the Amagansett Fine Arts Festival should take a look at what famed architect James D'Auria designed as his own home. Off Old Stone Highway near Main Street in North Amagansett, this 4,800-square-foot, three-bedroom house with an open plan begins with a long tree-lined driveway leading to the front door. In-home highlights include a two-story living room framed by clearstory windows, four working fireplaces, a large chef's kitchen and a separate studio at the far end of the backyard's lush lawns, gardens and wildflower-planted meadow. Exclusively listed with Jennifer D'Auria of New York-based Halstead Property, this home is priced at $5.995 million. Occupancy is immediate.

A 16,000-square-foot estate at 66 Seafield Lane, Westhampton Beach South, overlooking Quantuck Bay, is also for sale. Built on more than 10 acres with 1,000 feet of water frontage and originally designed in 1903 by architect Henry Bacon (best known for designing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.), this complex boasts a nine-bedroom main house with six fireplaces, two large living room areas, a banquet-sized dining room with hand-painted murals, a billiards room, a sunroom, a home office and a large gourmet kitchen with breakfast area.

Additional features are a carriage house and separate cottage. Warm-weather venues include formal gardens and rolling lawns, a greenhouse, a tennis court, a gunite pool and a deep-water dock for sail-aways, whether impulsive or well-planned. Exclusively listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman, this property is priced at $24.75 million and ready to welcome you home.

For other South Fork-bound estate buyers, check out Chateau Amorois, set on more than eight acres south of the highway in East Hampton. Designed by renowned architect Boris Baranovich, this gated estate is surrounded by lush grounds replete with verdant lawns, gardens, allees (walkways framed by trees or tall shrubs) and a man-made lotus pond. Included in the 9,000-square-foot manor are five bedrooms plus staff quarters, a large living room, a formal dining room with a fireplace and a master bedroom with working fireplace. Topping the list of at-home summer fun is a swimming pool in front of a huge bathhouse, a tennis court and a barn. Listed exclusively with New York-based Brown Harris Stevens and ready for a summertime move in, this home is priced at $28.5 million.

Some 65 miles from the Hamptons and less than 25 miles from Manhattan is the long- established waterside Village of Sands Point in Nassau County. Set along the Long Island Sound and covering 3,000 acres at the tip of the Port Washington Peninsula, about 850 people call this village home. Made up of single-family homes only with no allowances for partial rentals, the village attracts buyers with its nature preserve, private golf club and yacht club.

Located at Boulder Beach in Sands Point, a waterfront estate built in 1930 on nearly three acres is now on the market. Boasting prime western views across the Long Island Sound and tucked far back from a country lane, the 7,700-square-foot, eight-bedroom colonial with an oversized center hall affords wonderful views from all the principal rooms, as well as the covered wraparound porch. Other exceptional features are the large chef's kitchen, formal dining room that will comfortably sit 30 guests, wood- paneled library with coffered ceilings, and five fireplaces, including an oversized one in the center hall. Outdoor amenities include an enormous and lushly landscaped back lawn, a waterfront swimming pool with a spa tub, 145 feet of private beachfront, and a new dock and boathouse/cabana. A separate gatehouse offers two bedrooms and a fireplace. Exclusively listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman and ready for summer move-in, this property is priced at $12.5 million.

SUMMER IN THE CITY
For a day of fun for the kids (and the young at heart), it's pretty easy to make your way to nearby amusement parks such as Rye Playland in Westchester, Luna Park in Coney Island or Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari in Jackson, New Jersey. But if you prefer to stay home, even Manhattan buyers can get more than a breath of fresh air on their terraces — some big enough to serve a casual dinner for 12 or to enjoy a good book in a comfy chaise topped with a colorful umbrella.

If private wraparound terraces do the trick, check out the centrally air-conditioned penthouse with private elevator landings at 186 Riverside Drive off 91st Street that is currently for sale. Built in 1929 by Emory Roth, this yet-to-be-converted three-unit coop offers five bedrooms and 1,600 square feet of landscaped outdoor space with million-dollar views. Pre-war details include high ceilings and two wood-burning fireplaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, a library and a kitchen with an adjacent and equipped laundry room are also featured. The seller is separately selling a one-bedroom park-facing maisonette on the first floor, which is perfect for a home office and guest or staff quarters. White-glove services are available around the clock. Exclusively listed with New York-based Brown Harris Stevens and ready for you to enjoy the summer season and beyond, this penthouse is priced at $8.8 million.

Another terrace-filled offering is a multilevel penthouse with 3,000 square feet of lushly landscaped outdoor space at 128 Central Park South between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. With panoramic views, this approximately 2,800-square-foot, beautifully renovated two-bedroom home also features a grand living room with an electronic skylight and wood-burning fireplace, a dining area, a den with a gas burning fireplace, a master suite with gas-burning fireplace and an exercise room. The eat-in kitchen is outfitted with bronze cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and a brown granite floor. All bathrooms are done up in marble. Other fine fixtures and finishes include walnut flooring, a computer-controlled light touch system, a Linn stereo system, remote central air-conditioning activation, integrated lighting, a humidity system indoors and a watering system outdoors. Exclusively listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman and ready for occupancy, this full-service pre¬war coop is priced at $12.5 million.

Downtown buyers should check out 400 West Street off Charles Street — a 22.75 foot-wide, five-bedroom, single-family townhome designed by architects Bob and Cortney Novogratz. With just over 8,400 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, this six-story house features an automatic glass garage door at one end of the living room that opens and leads to a stepped concrete terrace. The stone and wood rooftop terrace with a wet bar overlooks the Hudson River and the sun setting over the Palisades. Filled with one-of-a-kind lighting fixtures, radiant heat floors, stainless steel and glass staircases, and an Elan system for controlling audio/visuals, temperature and light, the townhouse also has a perfect-for-entertaining open Boffi kitchen, dining area and living room. As an added bonus, a half basketball court converts to a movie theater at the drop of a hat. Exclusively listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman and ready for occupancy, this modern gem is priced at $17.450 million.

Another light-filled beauty is a renovated, four-story historic residence on West 13th Street in the West Village. Currently configured with an owner's three-bedroom triplex and two other apartments (parlor and garden levels), this property will be delivered as a single-family home. One of the most exciting aspects is the rooftop designed for year-round dining. Accessed by a staircase to a sliding glass skylight, the rooftop houses an infinity edge plunge pool, a bar, a full kitchen, a climate-controlled loggia, an entertainment system and surround sound. Interior living space boasts large living and dining areas, two fireplaces and a sky-lit kitchen. The master suite offers a marble master bath with radiant heat floors, a large steam room/double shower and a large Neptune soaking tub with an integrated LCD screen. The other bedrooms each have an accompanying marble bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and integrated LCD screen. The living room electronically converts to a screening room; the grand parlor floor makes for a grand entertaining space; the garden level can easily convert to a family room, guest room or office; while the finished basement is ideal for a playroom or wine cellar. Exclusively listed with Charles Homet and Barbara Godson of Halstead Property and ready for occupancy, this residence is priced at $11.5 million.

Thursday, June 14, 2012