Business

Few small businesses in East Hampton Town have been more adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than fitness centers, which were shut down from mid-March through the end of August. During that span, several closed their doors for good and more may soon follow.

The latest real estate transfers.

From a winter surge in house rentals to a spring shutdown of in-person showings and a subsequent boom in sales that continued through Christmas week, the pandemic led to an unprecedented year in the East End real estate business. 

In the pandemic's early days, the owners of two Long Island businesses, Ken Wright of Wright and Company Construction in Bridgehampton, and Matthew Aboff, who has 32 painting supply stores across the Island, stepped up big time when it became known that a severe shortage of personal protective equipment for the Island's health care workers was looming.

The week's real estate transactions.

Khanh Sports, an athletic gear and equipment rental store that's been a fixture in East Hampton Village for 24 years, will close in February because of a steep rent increase, Khanh Ngo, the owner, said. 

The week's real estate transfers.

Suffolk County will use $1.6 million in federal funds to provide grants for East End small businesses and renters economically impacted by the pandemic, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Friday.

A mix of the holiday spirit and a desire to pierce the pandemic gloom with strings of twinkling lights has led to a record-breaking boom in Christmas tree sales, according to several South Fork vendors, and left those who waited too long scrambling to find a tree.

AMAGANSETT

Craig Anderson to 53 Red Dirt Road L.L.C., 53 Red Dirt Road, November 2, 2020, $1,927,000.

125 Barnes Hole L.L.C. to South Fork Country Club, 125 Barnes Hole Road, Oct. 27, 2020, $1,225,000.

9 Ocean Lane L.L.C. to CG88 Associates L.L.C., 9 Ocean Lane, Oct. 30, 2020, $1,625,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

Estate of Phyllis MacPherson to Stephen and Susan Baird, 50 Bull Head Lane, Oct. 16, 2020, $2,100,000.

Kevin Mance to Anthony McDevitt, 570 Lumber Lane, Oct. 26, 2020, $4,840,000.

EAST HAMPTON

With Hmptns, a new line of CBD products including Accabonac Harbor lotion, Two Mile Hollow extract, and Butter Lane tincture, two South Fork residents are seeking to add cachet to the burgeoning market for therapeutic treatments made from cannabinoids, chemical compounds derived from hemp.

Even with much that characterizes the holidays curtailed, the shopping season has been suprisingly strong on the South Fork, according to several shopkeepers. "People are making a conscious effort to shop locally," said Gwen Waddington, an owner of the Wharf Shop in Sag Harbor.

The week's real estate transfers.

For those seeking to shop locally this holiday season, the Village True Value Hardware Store in East Hampton now has a special section of locally made products.

Marine fishing industries that have experienced significant economic losses because of the pandemic can apply for federal grants through New York State's fisheries relief program starting on Tuesday. The application period ends on Dec. 31.

About the size of a gumball, the gem most likely came from a batch of clams dug in Mattituck, according to Bryan Gosman, a co-owner of the fish market, who hopes to raffle it off to raise money for the Montauk Food Pantry.

Hoping to add some East End flair to the holiday season, Valerie Smith, the owner of the Monogram Shop on Newtown Lane in East Hampton, decided she wanted a window display of gingerbread houses with a classic cedar shingle architectural style. She commissioned Brenda Nibley, a Utah resident and the owner of gingergiddy.com, a company that makes gingerbread house kits, to bring her vision to life.

An East Hampton gym closes, and the Chamber of Commerce organizes a holiday shopping campaign to help local merchants.

The latest property transfers.

The scramble to find a refuge during the pandemic has led to surging home sales and prices, bidding wars, and an ongoing boom in the East End real estate market, according to third-quarter reports from several real estate agencies.

The latest property transfers.

The Sagg General Store, the historical building on Sagg Main Street in Sagaponack that is occupied by Pierre’s Market and the village’s post office, is on the market for just under $4 million.

E — E Home, a new store on the southwest side of Amagansett’s Main Street, looks alluring from the outside, but it is upon stepping inside that a feeling of having strayed into a museum or an artisan’s studio hits.

These prices have been calculated from the county transfer tax. Unless otherwise noted, the parcels contain structures.

While the cancellation of big summer events and limits on social gatherings put a major dent in their business, caterers on the East End report that things are picking up in a different way as wedding couples and private clients find ways to cut down their guests lists to hold more intimate celebrations.

A culinary weekend in Sag Harbor, new beauty products for Black women, and a co-working space reopens in East Hampton.

As the pandemic continues, temperatures drop, and people prepare to spend more time indoors, East End homeowners are clamoring to upgrade ventilation systems with air filters and purifiers, among other devices to keep their homes as Covid-safe as possible.

These prices have been calculated from the county transfer tax. Unless otherwise noted, the parcels contain structures.

The Hamptons Realty Group, a fixture on Main Street in Amagansett since 1984, rolled up its signature red awning and vacated the space it has long occupied this week. The firm is still very much alive and prospering, said its owner Htun Han, but the pandemic has changed the way it is doing business.

The Suffolk County Aquaculture Lease Program's 10-year review advisory group will hold a public meeting on Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. via Zoom. Members of the public will have the ability to comment.