suffolk county

A BIG EMPTY SCOOP IN EAST HAMPTON… PLUS FINDING MY FURRY FRIEND A HOME!

Just what East Hampton needs before the season… another commercial property going vacant.  Yes, the scoop is that Scoop is shuttering it’s doors on Newton Lane in the next weeks.   The two decade old luxury retailer is holding an inventory liquidation sale right now.   Known for their eclectic brands of high end duds,  rumor has it that the retailer will be shuttering all their doors in the next few weeks.   According to reports, they already shut their Soho outlet sometime earlier this week.

Soho…Soho??? Is that anywhere near the Tanger Mall in Riverhead?   Damn, I’ve been living here in the Hamptons too long.  ANYWAY, it’s time to get your butt to the store before their inventory is gone!    If you can’t make it, you can always go to their website www.scoopnyc.com,   where the discounts have already begun.

Speaking of sales and saving money,  the clock is ticking for Suffolk county homeowners looking to file for a property tax grievance.   The deadline is end of business day this Monday the 16th.   If you want more information, you can go to the NY State website and then click on your individual town.    You can also do a quick google search online for one of a number of tax reduction services.   Most of them don’t charge anything unless you actually get a reduction.   If you do, they’ll take about 50% of your first year’s savings.   Check with each service about their individual fees and procedures.

Meet Mattie!!!

Finally, a little bragging from me.   For the next few weeks, I’m working together with the folks at Gimme Shelter Animal Rescue in Southampton to feature an adoptable “Pet of the Week.”   You can see the ad in Dan’s Papers or follow me on Twitter or Instagram.   While I’m sure some of you out there would have preferred that I sponsor a “Penthouse Pet” of the week, I thought it would be more beneficial to feature the one that would likely be better company!    if you want more information about my buddy Mattie, check out www.gimmeshelteranimalrescue.org.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

IF THE TAXES ARE TOO DAMN HIGH…. AND THE BEST TOY EVER FOR YOUR POOL!

Time to take back the bills… 7 days left!
Well if you’re not still celebrating the big holiday…Cinco De Mayo… allow me to remind you that time is running out to appeal your property taxes!  Yes it’s in 7 days and the timer is ticking like Mona Lisa Vito’s biological clock.    So what to do?
Well there are plenty of services (just google) who do not charge up front, but rather take a percentage of what they save as a fee. For do-it-yourselfers, you can get information from the various town websites about how to determine if your assessment is fair.
One thing most of these websites suggest is to get an evaluation form a
professional appraiser.   If you need a suggestion about where to find one, try calling your real estate agent or ask a friend.
Don’t deny you want to try this!
Meanwhile, if you save some money by appealing what about
buying one of the must haves for this upcoming summer season.
Pool climbing wall.. yeah you want one!
No, it’s not a new Ferrari or even a fancy new mood ring!  It’s a climbing wall for your pool!!!  Yes, since slides and diving boards are now passé among pool owners and the cause of so many injuries and higher insurance there has to be something else to add to make more waves in the neighborhood.  All I can say is look at these pictures and tell me you don’t want one! LIAR!  Of course you want one.  Well these are from a company called Kerplash and they start at about $8000. But what better way to get over your fear of water and heights than to climb one of these suckers!!!   If you want more information you can check out their information HERE!

Yes, a quick but informative chatter today.  See you all hopefully on Wednesday!

Spring Clean Up Time…. and are you Dirty Dining??!

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz’.  I wonder where the birdie is?   The little bird it’s on the wing.  No that’s absurd the little wing is on the bird”  – Curly Howard

Yes, spring is beginning to poke its head in the Hamptons.   That of course means time to get your  house and home ready for the avalanche of new friends and guests that seem to appear about the same time as the tulips and daffodils bloom!     But as we all know, those bulbs and flowers don’t bloom themselves.   A beautiful garden takes prep!  It also requires a spring clean up and recently I discussed this very topic with the talented and affable Frederico Azevedo from Unlimited Earth Care in Bridgehampton.     Here are some of his basic suggestions to make sure you have a house beautiful!

Speaking of seasonal clean ups, there are a few food establishments on the East End that need to get their acts together.   In case you missed the headlines, there has been quite a stir in the city lately with the home of the “cronut” Dominique Ansel bakery... (I’ll have cronut hold the Mickey please)…. and Per Se having lots of drama with health inspectors.    So that got me thinking (yes occasionally that happens),  “Self,  are the restaurants in the Hamptons clean?”

This is a better image then seeing a mouse in a kitchen, right?

While it would be great to see those grades on windows like they have in the city, no such thing exists in Suffolk County. So naturally that means you need to go on the web and do some snooping of course!  Now, I’m happy to report that while all my favorite establishments have received a clean report card, there are others in the Hamptons that weren’t so lucky.  So what are some of the violations?  Well, not to gross you out but apparently inspectors found everything from moldy cheese, improperly stored fish and poultry, uncovered rodent bait stations to some employees who don’t like washing their hands!!!     So, who were the guilty parties?  I’ll never tell you need to go the link here and see for yourself.   Be careful,  you might not like what you find!!!