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Water Life

Do you have fantasies about what kind of living space you want? Big, small, one story, two story, a compound? Is your taste modern? Traditional? Green? Floating?  Yes, you heard me. Floating? I have to say, a floating home is appealing for several reasons. It's on the small side so you're not a slave to your home in the clean-up department. It's on the water so it's the perfect summer get away. It will rock you to sleep at night. And if you get bored you can relocate rather easily.

View two houseboats. For information on this location and others, contact Kathy at info@locatethis.net, www.locatethis.net or 631.805.6252.

History of Wine 101

Enter vineyard, drive straight past weathered shingle historical house number one on left and barn aka tasting room on right. Keep driving. Pass pond and ice house on left. Keep driving. Pass 30 year old vines on right and left. Keep driving. See historical house number two on left. Keep driving...oops water. Yes folks, we have a vineyard on the water replete with  beautiful trees, vast lawns, gorgeous vines, a swan or two in the pond and an old pick-up in the yard. Sort of storybook I'd say. I'm thinking put a tent next to the water and have a party. View the vineyard.

Please contact me at 631.805.6252 or info@locatethis.net for information on this location. View other locations at www.locatethis.net.

Spring in the East End

People come out of the woodwork as soon as the temperature rises above 60 degrees. Okay maybe above 50 degrees in the northeast. Our desire for sun, warmth and budding trees is mixed with a healthy dose of New York pessimism. Creatives are getting all creative and planning their next ad campaign. Would be brides are choosing their fantasy wedding location. Friends are planning your surprise 50th wedding anniversary party and need the perfect location.

Might I make a suggestion? Get in your car Marge, hop on the bus Gus, jump on the train Blaine and set your GPS for the east end of long island. Let's face it, ad budgets are not what they used to be. Skip the flight. Rent a 15 pass, load up your crew and head east. And you brides-to-be, the options for fabulous spots for your nuptials are staggeringly beautiful. Planning a party? Do your guest list a favor and choose a spot near the beach. 

Need assistance with all of this planning, finding the perfect spot (www.locatethis.net), the hotels, the caterers, the props and the crew? Locate This is a full service production company for shoots and events. Please feel free to contact me at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252.

Rejuvenation!

The year was 1827 or there abouts. The house was surrounded by farmland, smallish in size, it had low beamed ceilings, wide plank wood floors, narrow windows and a brick fireplace for heat.  Flash forward to 2010 and it is surrounded by vineyards, sizeable by any standards and painstakingly rejuvenated. It combines the old house which apparently had good bones with a contemporary addition to provide room for a luxurious kitchen, living room and master bedroom.

First and foremost, the owners wanted to pay close attention to restoring the original house to it's 19th century glory. They retained as much of the old house as possible and lovingly brought it back to life. Once you enter the front door, to your right is the dining room with a brick fireplace. Note the pine floors and wood beams that extend from points on the walls, surround the doors and cross the ceilings. Note the doors and windows, most of which are original, again beautiful warn wood that you cannot begin to recreate. To the left of the front door is a study. A narrow steep staircase leads you up to the two bedrooms, one small with a peaked ceiling and one larger with a wood beamed ceiling. Modern bathrooms on each floor are the only signs that speak to the modern world.

Walk through the doorway to the kitchen and you've entered the 21st century. The transition is not as stark as you would think. Yes, there are all the modern amenities you could want. And yes the ceilings are higher and the rooms bigger. But note the subtle color transition in the floors and walls, the beamed walls and ceilings and the wide plank floors. Wander into the living room with a stone floor to ceiling two-sided fireplace that has a sun-soaked sitting room on the other side. The ensuite bedroom upstairs is an oasis with a stone fireplace extended from the one below and a deck overlooking the vineyard.

To get a look at how old meets new, click on location N206. Please feel free to contact me about this location and others at info@locatethis.net or 631.805.6252.

Symbiotic Relationship

You have to give kudos to anyone who has a healthy respect for their environment. What drew these homeowners in was the property. Just look at it. It's lush and green with mature growth trees. And just look at the house. It blends in as if it has always been there just hanging out with the trees. It's like the house has it's own private forest. It feels like a camp, albeit a bit more upscale with its hammock, fire pit and outdoor shower. Bird watching is on the camp program. Bird feeders are everywhere.

Outdoors meets indoors when you walk inside. There are lots of windows. In fact, one side of the house is almost all windows. From the living room you can walk out to a recreation room of sorts with games and a wood burning stove. There is a full wall of glass doors between the two rooms and then glass doors to the outside. I love a house that you can see through from one side to the other. It really makes it feel seamless between the two environments. You can walk outside from the kitchen as well where you find a deck patio with dining and lounge seating.

There is plenty of room in this camp. The kids room has two sets of bunk beds and plenty of camp cubby holes. The upstairs bedrooms are great with white wood floors and uncluttered furnishing. The owner wanted the feel of being in a tree house. I imagine opening all of the windows and lying on the bed. You can look out at the tree limbs and the birds perched on the feeders strategically placed high up in the boughs.

The overall feel of the house is swedish modern with white walls and light wood floors.  There are black trim accents with the lighting fixtures, fire places, glass doors and the stairway. The furniture is a combination of leather and wood. The exterior is all natural wood which enables the house to blend in so well. The same exterior wood is used for the walls of the recreation room. 

Yes I do believe the desired effect was not lost on me. I'm just wondering if they have camp counselor positions available. To view location N205, click on photo albums. For any inquiries please feel free to contact me at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252.

The Point Of It All

Go north young man! Okay, technically it's east, due east from Manhattan. They call it the north fork, the final frontier. I'm talking the furthest point of the north fork. Turn off onto a gravel driveway and see what it's all about. Beautiful mature trees, a weathered shingle home, lush gardens, a pool in the back forty away from the house. Talk about quiet and away from it all. And can we talk about the gardens, the artist studio and the screened guest room. As you walk past the pool, you come upon a stand alone studio. Talk about inspiration. I expect great things from this artist. Take a few steps further and there are gardens with metal sculptures and a place to rest your head in the form of a freestanding screened guest room. I'd be  taking naps between paintings. Actually, as soon as summer starts I'd move out there so I could let the night air and sounds lull me to sleep.

Should we move inside the main house? First, make your way past the pool, up the stone walkway to the back deck. Imagine dining alfresco under a pergola covered with flowering vines. The deck is quite romantically covered with flowers blown from the vines. The homeowner was tending the vegetable gardens while I was snapping away. The brunch will start with a caprese salad fresh from the garden please.

Slip into the side door and feast your eyes on the kitchen/dining area. I know I've mentioned before how much I like the kitchen to have a seating area. I love to make dinner while I gossip with friends. This kitchen does it right with a dining table and a chaise lounge. The peaked ceiling and french doors to the deck create a bright open space. The mustard walls with white and pale green trim bring the brightness down a notch which is quite soothing. I picture the owners breathing a sign of relief as they make their morning brew and stare out the window at the lush estate they've created.

The owners are adept at the use of color. The living room has rust colored walls with brown leather furniture and a pale blue cushion in the window seat. All this is accented with shades of white and black in the form of pillows, rugs and black and white photos. The accent colors are carried into the den. It just all makes sense. Windows in all rooms make a statement, the den with floor to ceiling windows, the living room with a large window seat and the kitchen with a wall of french doors. 

The hallway to the upstairs picks up the color blue and creates such warmth. Follow the staircase upstairs to a wall of floor to ceiling black and white photographs. You'll find two bedrooms, an office and a bathroom. I am pretty sure I would choose the blue room. The paint treatment is exquisite and sure to illicit dreams of frolicking on clouds. 

Clearly the owners get the point of it all. Their home represents their life and what a life it has been. You can take a lesson from their lives by clicking on location N204 under photo albums. Feel free to contact me with inquiries at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252.

Farm House Hospitality

What images does a farm house conjure up in your brain? Big Old Rambling House? Check! Vegetable, herb and flower gardens? Check! A barn and various other out buildings? Check! Two kitchens; one for summer and one for winter? Check! A homemade berry pie on the kitchen table? Hmmm! Would you settle for a large glass jar of nettle tea?

Upon arrival at this historic landmark, I was first given a tour of the back gardens. I love a gardener who can recite the names of every plant and their uses. I lean toward the "that's pretty, let's plant it" method. And don't ask me what anything is named.The gardens are lush and green and you can tell that by  mid-summer all sorts of things are going to pop up. Looking around the back yard, there are several out buildings. The one that really caught my eye was the white barn. I opened the barn doors and wandered upstairs. There is a sitting room with chairs, an old three sided crib/couch and lanterns strung up. The upstairs barn doors open out and there are screen doors that were designed to tuck into the doorway. I envision a barn party in my future.

I entered the main house through one of the kitchens. That is where I was offered nettle tea which apparently is good for what ails you. The home owner grows it in her garden (of course). Off the kitchen is a den which leads to a living room which leads to a dining room. That's the rambling part I mentioned. Anyway, not only does the homeowner have gardening acumen but she is a very talented painter. Her talent as a painter comes in many forms, as an artist as well as an interior painter. She is a master at doing paint treatments on your walls. Her dining room is a perfect example. The gray muted walls are a beautiful backdrop for the window settee, gray and white sofa and dark wood floors. And if you saw her gorgeous paintings, you would want to get a package deal, walls and artwork.

Oh and there's more. The second kitchen is all dark wood including the walls and cabinets, the opposite of the bright white kitchen I first entered. I was then lead up the back stairway to the bedrooms. Old farm houses always have two stairways. Again I got that rambling feeling as one bedroom lead to the next. I came down the front stairway and ended my visit exiting out the front door.

I was sent away with a brew of nettle tea and a bag of fresh nettles to brew some more. Now that's hospitality. View location N203 under photo albums. Feel free to contact me about this location at info@locatethis.net or 631-805-6252.

A Day at the Beach Part 2

I found another sunny day. Shocking I know. This sunny day was not nearly as warm as "A Day at the Beach Part 1" but it was sunny nonetheless. I promised to highlight some north fork beaches in my last posting. The north fork is not known for soft white sand beaches that go on for miles. The beaches are usually rocky which can be equally beautiful and striking. As in my last beach outing, I started at the furthest point. In this case it is Orient Point. And I started with one of my favorite spots, Orient Beach State Park situated on Gardiners Bay. Entering the park, you drive a couple of miles with water and beach on one side and a wildlife estuary on the other side. The road ends at a sandy beach. One thing that is convenient about state parks is that it has all of the amenities, bathrooms, food, picnic tables, etc. There are also sandy trails  running off the beach. I produced a fashion catalog shoot at the park. The staff are very accommodating, fees are low and there are plenty of places to shoot. It's best to shoot weekdays during the summer when it is less congested.

I proceeded west to Youngs Rd Beach. This is a small beach at the end of a road with striking huge boulders. Next I traveled to Trumans Beach. Trumans is a good sized rocky beach with a lot of sun bleached driftwood. Continue on to Norman E. Klipp Park in Greenport. Norman Klipp Park is a combination rocky sandy beach with a large parking lot and bathroom facilities.

Of course all things lead to Shelter Island for me. I just had to mention Shell Beach. I love this beach because it is beautiful, quiet and off the beaten trail. It is a peninsula with a dirt road down the middle and a beach on either side.

I have included links that mention even more beaches and permit requirements on the north fork. Most of the beaches I mentioned have bathroom facilities. All beaches require permits for parking and shooting. Photos of these beaches as well as beaches from "A Day at the Beach Part 1" can be found at Location East End Beaches under Photo Albums. As always, I can be reached at info@locatethis.net with any inquiries/questions.

Beach House

Okay it's a block from the beach but who cares. I can still see the beach from the deck. This house has a contemporary aesthetic with an open floor plan. The sliding glass doors open onto the deck which conveniently faces the water. The owners have thrown some color into the mix with pale green and eggplant in the kitchen and burnt orange in the bar. The dining table allows for the view and the living room area has a fireplace for those October evenings. There are three bedrooms on the 1st floor and the large master suite is upstairs. The master also has a deck where the view of the water is stunning. View this North Fork beach house under photo albums (N202). As always, please feel free to contact me about using this location for  photo shoots, film or events.

North Fork Fan Club

I had the pleasure of speaking with the owners of Buyers Connections Realty Corp in Mattituck.I met Nicholas Planamento, one of the owners, over a year ago when I was looking for a location for a photo shoot. Just last August Nick partnered with Joan Bischoff van Heemskerck and opened Buyers Connections. I sat down with them to talk about their love of the North Fork and their favorite spots.

What is the attraction of the North Fork?

Joan: It’s the ag (agricultural) land. It is a real good fit with what the new generation is looking for right now. I think there is a sense of unhappiness with the way life has become so commercial and so remote from what life really should be like. I think the North Fork fits in greatly with the concept of this new generation that likes to participate rather than sit back and relax in luxury. That and its proximity to New York City and Boston. In a very densely populated area to have such a little jewel of rural and natural beauty is incredible.

Nick: What I love about the North Fork is the sense of History. This part of Long Island for the most part has been unaltered for thepast 400 years. Many of the original families live here.

What are some of your favorite spots?

Joan and Nick: The Hummingbird Reserve . There is a little cottage high up on the bluffs above the sound. The owner has been hanging bird feeders for the last 20 years and has cultivated this whole colony of hummingbirds. There are actually three little bungalows. It feels like Costa Rica. It would be a fantastic shoot location. It’s phenomenal. The ride out takes you through a beautiful meadow, cross-fenced farm fields and woods. He has several acres. Little hummingbirds just swarm around right in front of you.

Joan: I am a member of the Oyster Pond High Rod and Hunt Club. When you go out to Orient especially in the winter when no one is around the marshes and fields are absolutely stunning.

Nick: Yes, there is also Orient Point County Park. It’s a wonderful place just to walk along the sound shore. Often during winter you see seals swimming in the Long Island Sound.

How long have you both been out here? What brought you here?

Joan and Nick: 2000. From Fairfield County, CT.

Nick: I am from Westchester County originally. I have a relative that owns one of the larger farms on the North Fork. It’s a vineyard, Martha Clara. The plan was that we would work together to get the business going.

Joan: For me it was exciting to be part of this start–up wine region. I am from Holland originally. When I was a student in Holland at the university I was the head of the wine council. As a young man, I would go to France to visit a lot of the big wine houses and buy wine for the club. When I came here and I tasted his (Nick’s) cousin’s first Voigner I thought it was amazing that that could be made here. It’s such a great wine.

What is the concept behind the name of your company, Buyers Connections Realty Corp ?

Joan: Buyers Connections was founded because we wanted to do things a little bit differently than real estate has always been done. Nicholas and I have gotten to know so many people. We like to bring people together and that’s why the word connection is important. If you find a place where you connect the right people and then you make a sale and a commission that is a great added pleasure. It’s not about aggressively selling a house. It is about bringing people to the North Fork that belong here.

Nick: I think also sharing our enthusiasm for the community. I think the goal is to connect people with different services and point them in the right direction. It’s sort of being a good neighbor, which is really representative of the North Fork. People are very helpful here. They will hold the door for you and smile.

The word “connections” is very important. Most importantly in real estate it is a buyer who fulfills the transaction between the seller of real estate and the actual buyer. We work as buyer’s brokers, which means that a customer can actually hire us to represent their interests but we are still a full service traditional real estate office. We just felt that one of the important things was not to have our names on the door because as you grow in a community people will obviously know who we are anyway. Also to acquire other associates to work with us you want to have an even and fair playing ground or work environment.

John: The different hamlets have such a distinct character. The traditional way of doing real estate where the people come to see listings and buy or not buy a house…it’s too complicated an area to do it that way. You really need to let people get to know the individual aspects of each part of the North Fork and see if they like it here. You have sound front, vineyard land and farmland. People from the city can have a romantic idea about living near a farm and then after a month they don’t like the dust and the noise.

So this business was born out of your love of the North Fork and a desire to offer a business that is representative of you and the North Fork?

Nick and Joan: Absolutely!

You are part of the North Fork Promotion Council among other organizations.

Nick: Joan is the Secretary/Treasurer of the North Fork Promotion Council. We are both active in the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce. And I am part of the Mattituck Historical Society where I am an officer.

Joan: It started with the Love Lane Group (Mattituck). We formed the Love Lane group to let people outside of this area know about us.

Nick: Going back to your question about favorite places, Love Lane is one of mine. It’s a great little pedestrian area. It’s tiny but that’s what I love about it.

Joan and Nick: < Doug Geed (channel 12) uses it as na backdrop whenever he needs the feel of a Norman Rockwell town. He has a program called “The East End”. He will interview a wine maker or most recently he did a segment on Catapano Dairy Farms about their award winning cheeses.

Joan and Nick: It (North Fork Promotion Council) is a group to help promote the North Fork outside of the area. It was originally the Southold Town Promotion Organization. Each town or hamlet has its own chamber of commerce, historical societies and civic organizations. The NFPC brings one voice to all of these organizations to the areas outside of the nregion.

How do you see the North Fork evolving in the next 10 years?

Nick: I wear rose-colored glasses all the time. I would absolutely love to see the North Fork mirror or rival the Hamptons but on a different level…keeping its really rural beautiful charm. It’s such a great place. People should be able to see it. I just don’t know to the degree the investment will happen that moves things forward where it rivals other wine regions like Napa.

Joan: You are going to see a lot more cooperation. The North and South forks should love and embrace each other. The tourism dollars can be used to manage the growth.

Part of the reason I am here is to talk about the North Fork for photo shoots, film and events. Do you think of the North Fork as being film-friendly?

Nick: Absolutely, from the standpoint of an opportunity to do any sort of media or film I think it is a wonderful place. I was on youtube last night and searched under Mattituck. I found a video a local kid made where he was singing a song with the entire backdrop of breakwater beach and boats. It was great to see and it got me thinking about what the North Fork has to offer. Chrysler did a shoot at Bedell Vineyards a few years ago.

Joan: The North Fork Promotion Council arranged a deal last year for a production on public property. The North Fork needs opportunities for commerce. The small stores need a certain level of revenue to maintain their business. Now more than ever. The council will do whatever it can to help people find locations here. You have the commercial vineyards and farms and then the real estate.

Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.

This interview is such a tease. It's only fair that I leave you with photos of a North Fork home sporting an amazing view of a local vineyard ( N201 under photo albums). Can't you just picture yourself sitting by the fire with a bottle of local wine.