The Hamptons Summer Heats Up

By: Lieba Nesis

While the New York Post’s Steve Cuozzo slammed the Hamptons for its pricy exclusivity he definitely got a lot wrong.  Firstly, there are no benefits that cost a measly $500, there are bathrooms on the East Hampton beach, the air conditioned Jitney is far from sweltering, there are quiet and intimate restaurants and the traffic is manageable.  Yes you will never be invited to Michael Rubin’s White Party or Gwyneth’s barbecue but there are lectures, book signings and outdoor movies open to the public.  Most of the United States can’t afford the $1,000 a night per room motels but innkeepers have two months a year to make back their money.  The Hamptons is close to Manhattan, full of high end moguls most of whom are non-felonious and contains great clothing and food shopping-with its Citarella outposts able to deliver service promptly and efficiently.  Cuozzo fallaciously claims the Hamptons is empty in August despite the saturation of nearly every hotel and restaurant at top prices.

At the top of the food heap is Bilboquet Sag Harbor which continues its reign as the premier hotspot with lines out the door and a thousand person waitlist for table reservations.  So maybe you weren’t invited to the preternaturally young Geraldo Rivera’s 80th birthday party in Hampton Bays on July 4th-the guy hasn’t even lost a hair.  But recounting the events of the weekend of July 7th reveals the Hamptons social stature-beginning with Southampton Hospital’s Summer launch party hosted by Jean and Martin Shafiroff at their Southampton home from 6-8 PM on Friday July 7th.  Jean, a Hamptons staple, wore a splendid floral Dolce dress, as she spoke of the importance of the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, a 125-bed edifice that admits more than 6,000 patients annually and has about 25,000 emergency department visits each year-50% occurring during the summer.

A planned $305 million relocation to 15 acres on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton is slated for 2025, while another $40 million satellite East Hampton Emergency Department is scheduled to open in 2023-it’s nice to have billionaire philanthropists John Paulson and Martin Gruss in the neighborhood along with a host of anonymous givers.  Alex Donner donated his singing skills to an evening that was bursting with energy as guests such as Larry Leeds and Ginger Feuer, Ramona Singer, Candace Bushnell,  Fern Mallis, Jeffrey Banks, Sylvia Hemingway, Elizabeth Steimberg, Pamela Morgan,  Lucia Hwong Gordon, Ruth Miller, Chris Arlotta and Mario Pecoraro, David Hochberg, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Norah Lawlor, Michele Herbert, Arnie Rosenshein and Paola Bacchini, Jim Coleman and Melanie and John Wambold fraternized enthusiastically.  Maria and Ken Fishel who hold nearly a dozen events at  their mansion in Bridgehampton joined the Hospital festivities along with their newly wed debonair son Bradley Fishel and his effortlessly elegant wife Alex-as guests noted their undeniable glow.  Love was in the air along with some prominent politicians including the always fashionable Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright and Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

Saturday July 8th was no less fun-filled with Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theater holding its first event in four years honoring Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and the rarely seen Julie Andrews at $750 a ticket.  Maria and Ken Fishel once again took over Saturday evening with the 19th Annual Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) “Hamptons Happening” held at their estate with cocktails beginning at 7 PM.  Since its inception in 1976 SWCRF has raised more than $100 million in its bid to eradicate cancer under the tutelage of Dr.  Samuel and Marion Waxman.  For $450 a ticket the evening was replete with food from Tao Group, Lavo, and T-Bar, along with a lively DJ, an epic 300-person crowd, and a goody bag that contained Burberry perfume and caramel popcorn-the Hamptons bargain of the century.  Cagri Kavner, owner of El Turco East Hampton, provided VIP food for special guests Elton Ilirjani, Jean Shafiroff, the Fishel family, Pamela Morgan, and Soren and Maria White.  Honorees Ralph Scamardella, Anna Zuckerman, Lori and Scott Levine and Denise Albert donated money, time and goods to ensure this event was the unique success it was.

My weekend concluded with a delightful luncheon at magnificent philanthropist Janna Bullock’s oceanfront Southampton mansion in honor of celebrated designer Frederick Anderson’s birthday.  Bullock is a premier hostess who genuinely enjoys welcoming guests to her Hamptons abode with a lavish food setup, drinks and a contagious warmth-along with a pivotal Carvel ice cream cake. With summer whizzing by the Hamptons scene continues to thrive with close to ten events per weekend and a sizzling nightlife scene in Southampton, Montauk and Sag Harbor.