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What’s Sparking Conversation This Week? | 02.26.26
Snow Flurries, Snow Worries: How Much to Plow? What’s Renting Now? Good News for Sag Harbor’s Main Street; Designing Martha Hits Palm Beach, Here’s What’s Sparking Conversation This Week …
How Much to Plow That Driveway?
February is the shortest month, but boy does this snow thing feel l o n g.
Fernando. Fernando. Blizzard Fernando. (Has no ring to it, by the way.) That’s your Hot Topic if you live on the East Coast — especially on the East End of Long Island: The snow. How do we get rid of this snow ASAP?
Bomb Cyclone Is Winning
While snowbirds in Florida are at the beach juggling coconuts (and the occasional falling iguana when the temperature goes south), New Yorkers are battling it out for the last snow shovel at Lowe’s — and dibs on someone who will plow your driveway and walkway for less than $250.
Yes, that sounds like the minimum post-blizzard number from our informal Spark Poll (five friends out East all said the same thing: “At least $250”), which of course is much higher than a non–bomb cyclone snow removal. What happened to the days of $50 cash? Or $75/$100, pay whenever?
What did you pay for plow service and driveway/walkway cleanup? And were they reliable? Extra credit if you share.
FYI: We found a lot of beauty in the snowstorm photos shared by Spark friends, fans and photographers. East End pics here, and NYC photos by Sonia Moskowitz here. Check them out.
From Town Supervisor to Frostbite Freddy — Van Scoyoc’s Snow Serenade
And … if you are at your wits’ end over the weather and need a good laugh, see what former East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc is stirring up on Facebook, posting as Frostbite Freddy Is Back, playing a guitar riff and singing a song titled:
“No More Snow.”
(Here are some of the lyrics:)
I’m Freddy Frostbite, that’s my name
I shovel snow for personal gain
I make a living off the white stuff
Let me tell you people, I’ve had enough
I said No More Snow, I said No More Snow.
You get the idea.
Always fun to see “the other side” of an elected official once they leave office. Well, almost always fun. At least in Peter’s case, it is.
What’s Up With the Summer Rental Market Out East?
If you’re wondering how the summer rental market is faring with all this snow, we have an update:
“The rush for great summer bookings is definitely on,” says Dawn Watson, real estate broker at SERHANT.. “We’ve seen greater activity this year than in recent memory, rivaling and sometimes beating the demand for rentals during COVID.”
Watson says the push is driven by the big Wall Street bonus season (a story we covered in Spark) and “the scramble for properties close to Shinnecock for the U.S. Open.”
But how are these rentals flying out the doors with all this snow?
Watson says summer rentals are often snapped up sight unseen. She encourages FaceTime showings at the very least, “just to make sure the place is appropriately represented in photos.”
What’s Flying Off the Rental Shelves?
“From the bottom of the market — think about $30K for the season — to those premium properties listing for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The most desirable locations, generally speaking, are those that have pools and are in villages or on the water.”
Watson also says they’ve seen additional outreach lately from those “sick of the snow,” but “they have not made it out in person to look at properties this past week.”
The burning question: Does a house for rent have to be plowed for a broker to show it?
“Yes!” says Watson, though she “has had her share of sinking past her knees in order to show a house.” Same for having house photographs taken to list — clear a path.
Bottom line: Bite the bullet. Pay the plow person if you want to rent your house.
The American Hotel Legacy Will Live On
The snow didn’t stop the folks in Sag Harbor from honoring Ted Conklin, longtime proprietor of The American Hotel, who revitalized the village by creating and maintaining a world-class establishment for more than 50 years that became the hub of the Hamptons.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, a memorial and celebration of Conklin’s life took place at Bay Street Theater (see our full coverage here).
While so many wild and wonderful things were said about Conklin, the confirmation by Dan Rizzie that everyone was thrilled Conklin’s wife, Susie, would carry on the hotel’s legacy and usher The American Hotel into its next era was a big comfort to the community. Even if everyone in the theater had already heard the good news, it bore repeating. Sag Harbor needs the reassurance.
Clam Bar Owners Promise to Preserve The Corner’s Local Charm
And now that the Clam Bar owners — husband-and-wife restaurateurs John and Kelly Piccinnini — have stepped in to take over The Corner Bar, following Jimmy Smyth’s retirement on Feb. 8, Sag Harbor got another bit of reassurance recently: the Piccinninis’ promise that dramatic change is not on the menu.
In a press release about the changeover in ownership, the new restaurant stewards say Corner favorites like the signature burger and fish and chips will remain front and center. The mahogany bar gets refurbished, not replaced. Some space-saving booths will be added.
In other words, they aren’t going for a big redo — just some upgrades, a thoughtful refresh. Same name. Same local vibe. Same unpretentious soul.
The Corner stays a reliable mainstay on Main Street. Sounds like a win-win for the community.
Martha Meets Designing Women (and Men) in Palm Beach
There are a lot of Hamptons and NYC peeps down south — especially this week and next — for the designer show house openings that typically show in NYC and the Hamptons, and this time of year, in Palm Beach.
Kips Bay Brings the Wow
The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach (to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County) opened Feb. 25 with 26 designers, two houses, and a visit by Martha Stewart.
Stewart told Jayne Chase, host of “Good Day Palm Beach,” the show was “very eclectic,” with “so much to see … very varied, very surprising, definitely worth a visit — and Kips Bay is definitely worth your support.”
She also teased: “You won’t believe what you’ll see from the back of that house.” Makes us want to hop on a plane.
Holiday House Heads to Wellington
Opening March 3, Holiday House Wellington Designer Showhouse returns to South Florida with its inaugural Wellington Designer Showhouse: two properties at Palm Beach Polo Club in The Farrell Companies’ new development. Cutting-edge décor by about 20 top interior designers will raise critical funds for breast cancer research.
We at Spark love Iris Danker — breast cancer survivor, designer and artist — who started Holiday House. (And on a personal note, we started Spark Hamptons IG last year right after attending and shooting Holiday House in Palm Beach at The Colony Hotel. Full circle.)
That’s all that’s sparking conversation this week — have an item for us? Please send it along: angela@sparkhamptons.com
Oh, and save the date: Spark Hamptons Saturday Spring Salon, April 25, The HUB, Bridgehampton. Follow us at SparkHamptons.com for upcoming details.
Life is short. Make Sparks.
Angela LaGreca – Editor/Co-Publisher, Spark Hamptons
angela@sparkhamptons,con
