November / December 2022 Issue

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE NEWCOMERS ISSUE!

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Dr. David Gordon, a neurosurgeon recruited by Phelps and Northern Westchester Hospitals, and Marisha Pessl, a New York Times Bestseller ‘literary mystery’ author recently moved into Bedford.

Dr. Evan Goldstein, who runs Bespoke Surgical, and Andy Yu, a fashion designer and socialite have arrived on the scene in Katonah.

Stephanie Sandler, US President of the Frenchbased luxury-market research firm IFOP, and Libby Kountzman, who does design advisory, have put down roots in New Canaan.

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Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu, who together own and run the industry-leading, Brooklynbased Team Epiphany fullservice consumer marketing and public relations agency, are now Pound Ridge weekenders.

About to become a ‘newcomer’ himself, Sam Fertik is building a house for his own family in Pound Ridge, meant as a model to show what his Carbon Custom Builders can do. He’s developed a technique for residential building, involving commercial-grade components, to build a better house.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The Bedford by Martha Stewart - B&NC Mag President, Casey Kaplan, who is a top food influencer @nolagourmand, reviews Martha’s new restaurant at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

Exclusive Resorts / KauaiThe Gift Of Luxury Vacations Is The Best Legacy Of All… With Exclusive Resorts every vacation is perfect! Exclusive Resorts is a membersonly vacation club with a collection of more than 350 multi-million-dollar residences in 75 top-choice locations around the world. In Kauai, Exclusive Resorts owns several of the regal residence apartments at The Timbers, just a mile or two from the Lihue Airport.

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The Silvermine Group of Artists - The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society’s exhibition titled TheSilvermineArtColony andTheSilvermineGroup ofArtists, will run from November 17, 2022toApril29, 2023, and features a mixture of sculptures, paintings, drawings and prints done by 23 of ‘The Group’s’ artists.

Five fabulously furnished New Canaan residences are showcased on the iconic New Canaan Newcomers Holiday House Tour.

A Golf-Themed Wedding In New Canaan - Matt Ziance and Kate Stringellow, Sextons at the First Prebsyterian Church of New Canaan, are married.

Holiday HolidayCelebrations

At The Market you’ll find all the finest ingredients! Choose savory meats, fresh seafood, appetizing cheeses and crisp produce to prepare your holiday favorites.

No time to cook? You’ll find a variety of delicious, chef‑prepared entrees and sides in our Holiday Menus. Complete your holiday meal with a delicious, fresh‑from the‑oven treat from our Bakery!

Find charming gifts and festive decorations in our Gift Department. The Market is ready to help make your holidays fun and stress free!

This holiday season give the gift of professional organization

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OUT & ABOUT

THIS FALL SEASON WAS FILLED WITH FABULOUS EVENTS ALL OVER THE BEDFORD & NEW CANAAN MAGAZINE READERSHIP:

Lew Bakes, Michael Kaplan, Casey Kaplan, Haddasah Sweet, Rob Sechan, Hannelore Kaplan, Dean Bakes

CAFFEINE & CARBURETORS

HOPPFEST IN BEDFORD VILLAGE

Tory Tunnell, Jessica Capshaw, Christopher Gavigan, Joby Harold

JOHN JAY BARN DANCE

GRACE FARMS’ 7TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Jeff Muti, Martha Stewart, Andy Yu & Robin McCaine

BEDFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Hannelore Kaplan, Sam Ring, Casey Kaplan, Arielle Kebbel, Kodi Foster

COFFEE & CARS

Photo Carter Fish

Photo Peter Michaelis

Photo

Carter Fish

Photo Peter Michaelis

Photo Peter Michaelis

Katherine Boulud (center) with friends

Sharon Prince, with honorees: Nina Cooke John and Debbie Propst

Photo

Cristian Salazar

BRLA BARN TOUR

Roger Vincent, Wendy Belzberg, Lindsay Cain-Heron, Alex Hamer

Photo Rhonda Spevak

BRLA BARN TOUR

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS AT RIPPOWAM CISQUA

Photo

Peter Michaelis

BEDFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Spin Doctors headlined the successful festivalorganized by Destination 39.3

Photo Kristen Vallejo

Sisters Zan Young and Sara Haydock, with Liz Rini

Lauren Fischer (R) tours (from L) Sandriel Gentzel, lothryn Goldman and Jennifer Myers around her barn

Photo Kristen Vallejo

GRACE FARMS’ 7TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Photo Helen Houghton

NORTH SALEM BARN DANCE

Rosa and Zachary Schulman, Jane Love and Ed Isler.

Photo Lacy Kiernan

Guests gather to enjoy a cocktail party outside the Commons

Jeremy Sisto & Karyn Kelly

JOHN JAY BARN DANCE

HOPPFEST IN BEDFORD VILLAGE

Organized by oHHo, Flying Coffee, Benchmark Properties, and Bedford & New Canaan Magazine, the third Coffee & Cars was a hit with hundreds of people rolling up in style

COFFEE & CARS

Photo Peter Michaelis

Photo Carter Fish

Photo Peter Michaelis

Haddasah Sweet, Sue DeChiara, and Jeanne Collins tour The Glass House

Peter Bush aka The Bushman and Michael Kaplan

Bedford-ites enjoy a festive Fall evening on the Bedford Village Green

Thousands of spectators and cars showed to up to Waveny Park

Newcomers! WELCOME

In the now almost-three years since covid hit, one-third of all houses in the B&NC Mag area have beensoldtonewcomers- the vast majority of whom are young families!…Welcome!

To illustrate the evolution, we’ve featured four young newcomer families in this issue: Dr. David Gordon and Marisha Pessl; Dr. Evan Goldstein and Andy Yu; Stephanie Sandler and Libby Kountzman, and; Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu. And to lay out the ‘Welcome’ mat, our cover feature in this issue focuses on the New Canaan Newcomers Holiday House Tour’s five fabulously furnished residences.

You newcomers were drawn to the local lifestyle, with a location only one hour from New York City. You’ve paid covid-inflated top-of-market prices to join our ranks, including a record number of $5M+ homes. The greater-than-normal turnover will revitalize our community. We’d experienced a lowerthan-average rate of turnover, dating back at least to the financial crisis of 2008, so the community had aged.

Newcomers mean a lot more school-aged kids for the public and private schools. Newcomers mean thriving downtown shops and restaurants. Newcomers means work for plumbers and electricians, decorators, and landscapers. Newcomers means retail consumer and discretionary luxury spending…

Happy Holidays,

CASEY KAPLAN President

&DR DAVID GORDON MARISHA PESSL

David and Marisha might have chosen to move from Manhattan to Bedford with their 7, 5, and 2 yearold daughters, but the truth is David was recruited. He’s the new Chief of Neurosurgery at Phelps Hospital, Chair of Neurosurgery at Northern Westchester Hospital, and Regional Chair of Neurosurgery for Northwell Health in Westchester, and his arrival signals the availability of immediately-available world-class neurosurgery right here at Northern Westchester and Phelps Hospitals.

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREA CERASO

Davidgrew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as his dad was a neuropsychologist on the faculty at nearby Temple University. David went to Cherry Hill East public high school, where he found a mentor in an English teacher who turned him on to reading and literature. With that focus, David started out as an English major at Brown…and it wasn’t until he took a neuroscience course that his life took its current direction. On the first day of class the professor asked ‘who wants to stay and dissect a human brain’, and when David participated he was immediately hooked - for life. David recalls, “A bit later in my studies, when I first got to watch a surgeon clip an aneurysm and save the patient’s life…and sensed the technical necessity, procedural complexity, risk, stress, tension, and consequences…I knew exactly what I needed to be doing professionally. I went back to my dorm and called my dad, and told him I was going to be a brain surgeon!”

And David is not just any brain surgeon! While David is expert in treating the entire brain, he has a particular focus in cerebrovascular and skull base concerns - meaning the hardest-to-access underside of the organ. He specializes in open surgical and catheter-based techniques to treat issues including brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, stroke, and tumors. His diplomas are extraordinary: he went to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; began his residency in neurological surgery at the University of Washington, and then continued his training at the AlbertEinsteinCollegeofMedicine;andthen completed a fellowship in skull base surgery at Roosevelt Hospital; and another fellowship in endovascular neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead the neurosurgery effort for Northwell at Northern Westchester/Phelps. I was attracted by the exceptional skill of the doctors who were at both hospitals, and I was empowered by hospital and regional Northwell leadership to bring in select specialists to give the group world-class capabilities in every facet of neurosurgery. Any programmatic build is ultimately about the people - and we’ve assembled the best! We’re capable of the most complex procedures, and we’re focused on developing safer methods of accessing and treating brain disorders,” David explains.“Ourteamisdedicatedtocollaboration, and I believe that our team approach to analysis and treatment is the only effective way to treat the brain.”

“I understand that everything we do has to be perfect.Thatourpatientsexpectthebestresult, and that just very good isn’t good enough. It is brain surgery! Best practice requires a patientcentered, truly multidisciplinary approach, and I feel lucky to have such outstanding colleagues,” David says with a measure of pride and confidence. “But I also understand what our patients are going through - and that our empathy and compassion is an essential part of our care.”

When minutes and seconds count - as is often the case with aneurysm, stroke and other brain disorders - the proximity of top-notch neurosurgery is hyper-critical. Not having to go to Manhattan for this type of medical care can mean life or death. …And putting Dr. Gordon’s number in speed-dial - now - might be the difference when it matters.

Marisha

In poetic contrast to David’s life-saving heroics, Marisha is a professional killer. …Or at least she’s started each of her New York Times Best Seller thrillers with a murder. She’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics (Viking), which involves the hanging of a charismatic teacher at the St. Gallway prep school, Night Film (Random House), the serpentine investigation into the daughter’s death of a reclusive and underground horror filmmaker, and Neverworld Wake, about a group of teens stuck living the same day over and over, which will only relent when they solve the murder of one of their best friends. “I suppose I write ‘literary mysteries’, because I use the structure of a mystery story to investigate human themes of life, death, legacy, betrayal, loss, and everything in-between,” Marisha explains. “I’ve always loved the writing process, building a world and a cast of compelling characters from scratch.

I started writing when I was six - on my mom’s old Smith Corona typewriter – and even then, I was writing mysteries. To be a mystery writer is to be a magician, creating a magnetic illusion, diverting the reader’s eyes to be focused on this little red herring over here, while laying the foundation for utter surprise. Building a splendid magic trick – that leaves the reader breathless on the final page – is an art. And I’m always learning.”

Marisha grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, starting at the private Asheville School and graduating from the public Asheville High School. Marisha recalls, “We didn’t watch much TV at home.Watchingamoviewasafamilyevent-and about the only form of entertainment around.

I loved writing stories, but was also a theater geek, appearing in children’s plays from Oliver! to The I went to Northwestern for the film program there, but when I spent the summer between sophomore and junior years at a theater program in New York, the City’s pull was inexorable…and so I transferred to Barnard. I was an English Lit major with a minor in Playwriting, but got a job out of college working as a financial consultant at Price Waterhouse Coopers. Then I worked helping analysts at JP Morgan put together powerpoint presentations.”

“I used to write night and day - often while I was at work,” Marisha admits. “When I met David I was just about to release my second book, Night Film. It was love at first sight - for both of usand after three weeks of constant phone calls, David joined me on my European book tour. We had the best time!” David smiles and adds, “It was probably the first time I had off since the summer after I graduated college, and I was lucky to get to see Marisha doing the book tour. From the beginning, I’ve always seen her as a rock star. And now, being a full-time author and a fulltime mom and a full-time wife - all at the same time…she’s a superhero!”

The couple were married in 2015 and have three very precocious young daughters: Winter, Avalon and Raine. The girls have already taken to Bedford. Winter and Avalon are enrolled at Rippowam Cisqua, where David serves on the Board, and Raine is starting out at St. Matthew’s Preschool. The girls ride horses, and take ballet in New Canaan . Marisha smiles and says, “The kids already have the reading and writing bug. They each have their own typewriter. Winter already wants to be published.” David adds, “And we have a lot of music in the

house, and the girls have already formed a band. I play guitar - poorly - but we all have a great time singing Dylan and The Beatles, and making up new songs of our own.”

David and Marisha seem to have perspective. What another intellectual, former N.Y. Knick and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, called ‘A Sense of Where You Are’. David gets that what he does is special, but has managed to get ego out of the way and focus on service to others. He volunteers each year, going to Ulan Bator in Mongolia in order to teach Mongolian surgeons advanced techniques in neurosurgery. “I learn more from the experience than they do,” David says humbly. “I am constantly impressed by the honesty, transparency and stoicism of the Mongolians I treat. The way they thank me for my diagnosis - even when it’s a reality that’s hard to accept. I’ve learned about humanity and grace.” And Marisha adds, “Yeah, David may see me as a superhero, and what he does really does mean the difference between life and death for others, but at home we’re the typical family - entirely focused on providing a safe, supportive, happy and culturally rich environment for our children. …And we’ve found a real home in Bedford!”

The journey of a lifetime begins here.

&ANDY YU DR. EVAN GOLDSTEIN

Andy and Evan moved-in to the ‘crossroads of culture’ - across from Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and the John Jay Homestead, and next door to Caramoor - at the beginning of Covid…and they’re already directing traffic! They’re already their own ‘Seen In & Around Town’ for any publication - having already hosted some special events, and decidedly at the top of the A-list at what seems like every local party and charitable event! They’re the life of the party wherever they go!

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREA CERASO

Andywas born in Taiwan, where “My great-grandfather was very wealthy and had four wivesandsoIhavemanycousins. My grandfather was a congressman. And my father, who was spoiled and didn’t really work that hard, was an entrepreneur who retired at 45, and has spent his time painting for the 35 years since then. I grew up in a big house where the door was always open and there were always a lot of people around, and I see positivity and happiness from everybody.” After high school in Taiwan, Andy moved to Richmond, Virginia, with his mother and two brothers, because - however incongruous it may have been - an uncle, who’d been a Phd and Professor at Columbia, had opened a Chinese restaurant there and Andy and his mom and brothers were coming to help out. “I was good with art, so I went to Virginia Commonwealth University and majored in Fashion Design. As a senior I did an internship and then got offered a job at George Simonton. It was the late ‘80s and I loved the energy in New York City, so I moved from Virginia to New York. I did my first collection at 22 for Clique and it sold out in Barneys, Saks and Bloomingdales. I’ve designed for Magaschoni Cashmere, J Crew Luxury, Michael Kors, and many others. I’ve traveled around the world working in the fashion business as a designer and as a partner of a manufacturing company. And I’ve had sell-out collections on QVC in the United Kingdom and Italy.”

Andy is a character. Like Bedford’s-own Truman Capote. He’s blatantly flamboyant - designing everything he wears - from the giant textile flower he might attach to the lapel of a jacket he’s sequined to go with the outrageous sneakers he’s selected for a night out, to showing up for tennis in a smart black blazer with silver highlighting and with a translucent Louis Vuitton tennis bag. He’s uber social - and out and about in Bedford and New York City every day! He’s smart as a whip! And, in his friendly, humorous and entertaining way, he’s sometimes just as gay - or Taiwanese - as he wants to be, given the circumstances. He can sometimes appear to be flitting around,butassoonashemakeseyecontactandengages in conversation, he is revealed as thoughtful, serious and genuine. “I’m a happy person,” Andy declares. “I’m always positive and non-confrontational and courteous. I give extra effort to presenting myself, dressing special, and looking colorful. I feel like 95% of people like me and what I bring to the table!”

In addition to everything else, Andy volunteers for YAI, an organization involved in supporting children with special needs, often participating in YAI’s parent support groups. He also mentors younger artists coming up in the fashion industry, and is presently working with Alex Thrane developing SHMEAR. “Alex is a very talented young man who’s put together an exciting new line of cashmere outerwear. I’ve helped him with design, pricing, sourcing the 40% recycled materials and organic dyes, production, marketing and sales - we even have a few of the Brooklyn Nets wearing Shmear, and are already collaborating with a gallery in New York and selling online,” Andy says with pride about his student.

was born in Staten Island, grew up in Old Bridge, New Jersey, went to Madison Central public high school, and then college at the University of Wisconsin. With the life-long dream of becoming a heart surgeon, Evan moved back to New York, got his M.D. from Rutgers Medical School, and did his residency for surgery at Maimonides and a year doing cancer research at NYU. Along the way, he was married - to a woman. In 2007, he landed the coveted one-spot-a-year residency in heart surgery at Mt. Sinai…and at the same time he’d begun to see Andy. Evan reveals, “Two weeks into what would have been another six years of tortuous work to become a heart surgeon, Andy and I took a trip to Napa. We were sitting at a resort overlooking the world and drinking wine, and I had an epiphany. I realized I was chasing what I wasn’t. Personally and professionally. I was coming out. And when we returned to New York I told Mt. Sinai I wasn’t going to continue in heart surgery.”

“My old boss at Maimonades hired me to do general surgery…and I began a two-year process of researching surgical issues and procedures specifically affecting the gay community. I found that no one was talking about sex. Even when a gay man was consulting with a gay doctor. And there was no science behind the treatment of conditions endemic to the gay community,” Evan explains. “In 2009, I started Bespoke Surgical, and now we’re the leading surgical center for both medically advised and cosmetic rectal procedures, and have expanded the practice to include psychological treatment. I see about 75 patients and perform about 15 surgeries a week. And I teach other doctors how to do what we’re doing, as we’re at the forefront of this whole area of treatment.”

Evan has also founded a line of health care products, called Futuremethod, designed to support the way the gay community engages. “Do what you want - safely,” Evan says. “We have six healthy products, and as a company we’re trying to help push the narrative and educate the community.”

The couple are unabashedly adoring about their twin 10year old sons, Phoenix and Sebastian. Andy gives some background saying, “Our surrogate gave birth to our boys at only 34 weeks. When we finally got them out of the NICU in Los Angeles where they were born, we had to arrange a special flight just to get them back to New York. I needed to quit working to take care of them, they didn’t start speaking until they were three years old, and they were developmentally slower. When they were younger, I was managing the private teachers and half-dozen specialists they saw daily. Now, I’m managing two healthy boys, busy with school, ice hockey and tennis.” And Evan adds, “The boys are the center of our universe. Actually, when we purchased the properties here we needed an escape for Covid but intended to keep Manhattan as our home base. But after we spent a bit of time as a family up here in the country, the boys sat me and Andy down for a talk and asked if they could grow up here instead of in the City! We still keep an apartment in the City, but this is home now! We’ve built a pool, a basketball court and a tennis court so the boys are never short on activities, and we installed vegetable and flower gardens so the boys can participate and learn about real food. They’ve made lots of friends, and they love it here!”

About their trendsetting property redesign - all of the buildings are painted in the dramatic Benjamin Moore ‘Abyss’, which appears sometimes blue, sometimes dark gray, and sometimes black - Andy says, “It took forty people working here full-time to refinish and redecorate theinsideofthemainhouseandtheguesthouse,rebuild the garage, and redo all the landscaping, and we’re just finishing construction of the big party barn out in the front of the property. We’ve put a lot of work into making the house reflect our sensibilities.”

And about their busy social schedule, Andy remarks, “We wanttoliverichly,withart,fashion,entertainment,culture, and travel. We go to concerts several nights a week. And we want to share our experience with our friends. We’re even thinking of using our new barn to host visiting chef tasting dinners so we can share different cuisines with

groups of friends. We like people with a zest for life! Like Clive Davis - he’s 90 years old and works every day of his life! We like to take life to a different level!” This summer, Andy and Evan hosted Indian Prince Manvendra, the first openly gay member of any royal family: at a showing of a documentary and a reception at the Bedford Playhouse; a lively gathering at Glen Arbor Golf Club, and; a private partyattheirhousethatincludedthe‘cross-borderbuddy’ Congressmen, Sean Patrick Maloney from New York and Jim Himes from Connecticut, and a performance by the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York. And, before the boys came back from sleepaway camp, Andy and Evan threw a tented bash of a barbeque, designed by partyplanner-extraordinaires, Brett and Deanna at La Maison Fete, and featuring several food trucks, a DJ, and liquor and chocolate companies sampling their wares - which doubled as a birthday party for Martha Stewart! “Martha is my fairy godmother in Bedford,” Andy laughs. Evan - who had a limo waiting at the end of Martha’s birthday party to take him and a couple of friends up to see Phish at Bethel Woods that night! - comments, “Andy is a social magnet. He’s the best at making connections. He vets people, and if you’re cool enough for Andy - you’re ‘in’.”

The two are good tennis players - and fun to play with. They are each quite competitive - although each says the other is more so. And they prefer to play on opposing sides of the court, with Evan regularly questioning Andy’s ‘competitive’ line calls. And Andy is a superb chef - often bringing Chinese dumplings or some other delicacy - which either he or one of the chefs on their everbusy house staff prepared - as a housewarming treat or just to make meeting him for any activity seem more special.

Challengedtopickafewguestsforafantasydinnerparty, Andy immediately names, “Julia Child, the British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and then my friends who are always invited, like Martha, Richard Gere, Clive Davis, Angelina and Monte Lipman…” And Evan breaks-in, “This is going to turn into a real event! Andy’s going to start planning it now for next summer! I want to have Tom Petty, and Jerry Garcia, and Trey Anastasio from Phish!”

THE

HANNELORE KAPLAN Team

#1 Agent in New Canaan

TEAM LEADER HANNELORE KAPLAN TEAM Realtor, licensed in CT

&STEPHANIE SANDLER LIBBY KOUNTZMAN

“New Canaan wasn’t even on our radar screen until about five years ago, when friends brought us up one cold weekend in the Fall to tour the Glass House and experience Grace Farms,” Libby starts. “Cultural literacy and sense of place are important to us and we were amazed by these two capitols, and all the programming Grace Farms, in particular, has to offer. Then we went into downtown New Canaan for a bite…and we were sold! To us, the town feels so quaint and country - like Amagansett. …When our daughter, August, was born in 2019, we decided it was time to move out of New York City - and we realized Rhinebeck, where we’d been weekending and summering, was just too far to commute to the City. Then covid hit and houses shot up in price and became pretty scarce. It took us until Fall 2020 to close on a house, and we didn’t move in until March 2021.”

PHOTOGRAPHY CARTER FISH

“I’M A NEW YORK CITY GIRL,”

says Stephanie. “My father - anointed as the ‘King of Madras’ by Women’s Wear Daily - had a textile company in the garment center. My mother was in public relations, and worked for George Plimpton. I went to Riverdale Country School, K through 12. Then Washington University in St. Louis, where I double majored in Political Science and International Studies, with a minor in Spanish. And then, thinking I was going to be an entertainment lawyer or something like that, I went to Brooklyn Law School. …I guess I have fashion in my blood, and instead of entertainment law I got an internship at Chanel, and was then the youngest lawyer they’d ever hired.”

“And I’m from Pasadena, California,” Libby explains. “My dadwasaseniorexecutiveat Trane,andmymomwasan educational therapist and a docent at the Scott Gallery in

theHuntingtonLibrary.IwenttoWestridgeSchoolfor Girls in Pasadena and then to Washington University in St. Louis, where I first met Stephanie - although we didn’t start dating until we met up again in New York City 15 years after college. I have a graduate degree in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. I always knew I wanted to be in art and design. My career in architecture began in the offices of Frank Gehry and Richard Meier, and ultimately brought me to New York to work for Peter Marino on the CHANEL account…which is actually how I reconnected with Stephanie. When we started dating, I was design directing the retail portfolio at the Oculus at the World Trade Center. Then, when our son Alistair was born in March 2022, I decided to create a design advisory to partner with key real estate developers, architects, interior designers and private individuals on passion projects.”

“In our minds’ eye, we were looking to find a house from the 1700’s, but the practical reality was picking a somewhat cookie-cutter classic 20th Century Colonial that’s down a quiet, shared lane on the south side of New Canaan,” Libby recounts. “Libby took the generic box and has added the patina of age and mystery and a layering of elements that’s given the house the kind of warmth we were looking for,” Stephanie adds. “But the best part of this house is the little neighborhood on our lane. Three of the five families are European or have lived abroad extensively. There are lots of kids out playing together on the trampolines and in the adjoining yards. We already feel like a part of the community.”

August has lots of friends, including a group from a French music class we’ve been hosting. And we’re making friends doing local activities, like the monthly community dinners at Grace Farms. The Newcomers Club is a great resource, and emails lists of things happening around town. I play tennis at the New Canaan Racquet Club and Libby is a big fan of Spencer’s Dog Run at Waveny, where our dog Winston is a regular. We already feel ensconced in the fabric of the community, have fallen in love with ‘country life’, and recently had friends visit from San Francisco…who fell in love with New Canaan…and bought a house here!”

Stephanie is now US President of the French-based luxury-market research firm IFOP, and although she works from home, the job involves frequent travel to Paris and Milan. And Libby, also working from home, continues to build her clientele, with clients like Louis Vuitton. She has an eye for interiors and bringing a creative vision to life, oftentimes leveraging her deep ties with artists and artisans.

The couple are friends from their days at Washington University with Nathan Friedman, who is August’s and Alistair’s father. He lives in Manhattan but stays in New Canaan often, doing things like picking-up August from school on Fridays, and lunching with the family in town. “We’ve come up with a dynamic that’s thoughtful and feels good for all three of us,” says Stephanie. “We’re not trying to set an example - we’re just focused on raising happy and healthy kids.” Stated simply,

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&COLTRANE CURTIS LISA CHU

Coltrane Curtis is indeed named after John Coltrane. And he and his wife, Lisa Chu, have continued the family’s jazz-infused legacy in naming their boys: 10-year-old Ellington - after Duke, and 3-year-old Count - as in Basie.

The Chu-Curtis family bought their home in Pound Ridge at the start of the pandemic, intending then, as now, to use it as their country house; an easy one-hour escape for weekends and summer from their primary residence in Brooklyn. Then Coltrane’s mom, Gail, decided she liked the place so much she and her staff would take-up fulltime residence.

Based in Brooklyn, Coltrane and Lisa own and run the industry-leadingTeamEpiphany—anaward-winning,fullservice consumer marketing and public relations agency, specializing in brand strategy, experiential marketing, and social media amplification. Team Epiphany is comprised of 50+ people - who the company managed to keep through Covid, and the cutting-edge and trend-setting agency is back to doing tens of millions in revenues annually. For the 18 years that Epiphany has been the hottest brands’ agency-of-choice, Coltrane and Lisa have managed to stay at the center of the multicultural universe, navigate the evolution in social engagement, capture the minds and imaginations of the millennial generation—and count a lot of success doing it.

PHOTOGRAPHY CARTER FISH

Coltrane

was born in 1975 and grew up in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. “Pre-gentrification,” he notes. “My story is really all about my folks teaching me the value of hard work. My dad owned and ran a marketing agency called J. Curtis and Company - a lot like ours. He did sampling and promotion and had key accounts like RJR and Christian Brothers Brandy. And my mom had a big job in marketing with the American Diabetes Association. They managed to save enough to buy a house in Bed Stuy. At first it didn’t have a roof and we lived in the basement, but eventually we built-out the entire house and the top floor became my dad’s office.”

That brownstone in Brooklyn was the center of his world as he came of age. There, he dabbled in child modeling, including BurgerKingcommercialsandaWhitney Houston video, using that money to help foot the bill for private school. He started out in elementary school in a gifted program at Astor in East Flatbush and later attended Berkley Carol in Park Slope…before moving to Montclair, New Jersey. “All of a sudden, I was a bigger fish in a smaller pond. My dad turned me on to photography, and I used to go around shooting everything, trying to learn the craft. I won a national competition for an NAACP scholarship in photography, and I went to Morehouse College—which was life changing.”

Coltrane considered Morehouse to be the Harvard for young Black men, and it was the only place he applied. It took him 5 ½ years to graduate, but he became a fixture in Atlanta nightlife,gettingestablishedbyphotographing performing artists. This eventually led to a string of roles that shaped his professional development: a gig with Ralph Lauren, VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises, editor of Complex Magazine, developer at G-Unit’s apparel division, and MTV on air VJ. He credits the sum of these experiences with the inspiration and motivation behind his work with Team Epiphany.

wasborninOakland,California,spent her first three years in her family’s native Taiwan, and was raised in San Mateo, California. “My childhood was less eventful than Coltrane’s. My dad was an entrepreneur, my mom was a stay at home mom, and I was the youngest of two kids. I think, typical of the Asian-American experience at the time, my folks were always driving for success, and as kids we were always looking to ‘fit in’. I went to Aragon High School and was on the Tennis and Track teams, and then to the University of California Santa Barbara - and never felt like I ‘fit in’. Then I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology, and finally found my ‘fit’.”

“I always thought I wanted to be in fashion,” Lisa explains, “so right out of college I took a job doing photo production for Shoot Digital. I had the opportunity to work with clients like LVMH, working on one of the first e-luxury .coms. After two years, I joined a marketing agency to produce events, and played a big part in that agency’s development. I gained a reputation for producing unusually high-energy and effective marketing events.”

Lisa recalls meeting Coltrane at a party in Los Angeles. “I thought I’d met him before, but couldn’t place it. I didn’t realize I’d probably seen him on MTV.” She thought he was cool, and bursting with energy and ideas about marketing and culture… “And us!” Coltrane jumps in. “From the beginning I knew I was ‘dating-up’. And, in 2004, when we started to hang-out and to talk about starting Epiphany, I knew Lisa was ‘professional-up’ for me as well.” He knew how to create heat and energy, and had an influential rolodex, but Lisa knew how to throw a party and produce an event. She understood brands and how to run a business. Together, they could produce cuttingedge campaigns at the center of art, fashion and culture, for clients like DMX and Playboy. “It was, and is, the best situation ever!” Coltrane claims.

“Even with all of Coltrane’s connections, talent and enthusiasm, we had to establish our point of differentiation,” Lisa explains. “We understood the emerging power of influencers and influencer marketing and—with the philosophy and slogan ‘we influence the influencers’—started what was really the first agency focused on representing influencers and building influencer-brand partnerships.” While other agencies focused on pairing celebritieswithbrandstheycouldpromote, Team Epiphany worked with influencers who could create and lead trends. They understand and empower influencers, working with them as peers and treasuring them as a community of creators. They’ve been successful utilizing some of the unique aspects of influencer marketing to help build some of the world’s most iconic and significant brands.

TEAM EPIPHANY

Eighteen years later, having survived Recession and Covid, Team Epiphany has an impressive record representing a roster of clients including Target, HBO, American Express, BET, Airbnb, Audi, Nike, and Apple. Coltrane and Lisa are most proud of their team at Epiphany, working in their Brooklyn and Wall Street offices. Team Epiphany is about seventy percent female, and seventy percent minority-led.

work hard to maintain a loving, forgiving

Regarding their home in Pound Ridge, Coltrane remarks, “I guess I’m still looking for that feeling of ‘home’—for our immediate and extended families—that I had in that old brownstone in Brooklyn when I was a kid. And even though my kids go to school in Brooklyn, I want them to grow-up with the experience of going outside to play and riding their bikes around the neighborhood.”

Lisa adds, “A big part of why we picked this area, beyond the natural beauty and the quick commute from Brooklyn, is because we feel like we ‘fit in’ here.

Although there’s maybe still not a true diversity, more and more of our friends, and people who look like us, are moving up here and choosing this area over the Hamptons. We like being able to go to a local place to grab breakfast without it taking two hours and involving a see-orbe-seen vibe. We like the peace and quiet and all the parks and recreation. And most importantly, we love being able to just hang out with our family and friends.”

“We

and

thankful work environment,” says Lisa.

Todd Lampert

Gerard Gjertsen

Philip Toohey

Greg Williams

David Rucci

Arthur Zinn

Jason Gladstone Harvey Melzerr

NEWCOMERS

SINCE 1957,

the Newcomers Club of New Canaan has been dedicated to helping new residents connect with each other and get involved in the community.

THE CLUB’S PHILANTHROPIC EVENT, THE HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR, IS IN ITS 28TH BIENNIAL YEAR.

While the Tour is a fun and festive way to kick off the holiday season, it is also an important fundraising event that highlights the true spirit of the holidays. All proceeds go towards local charities that benefit the New Canaan community.

BY SUE DECHIARA B&NC MAG HOMES EDITOR

House 1

Entering through the large stone porte cochere, a front-to-back foyer welcomes visitors with expansive views. This gorgeous home is stately and homey at the same time, cozy, and yet classic.Once dubbed ‘Stoneleigh’,this landmarked 1903 massive manor house was carefully renovated and restored by its loving residents with the assistance and expertise of Lisa Hilderbrand. With a signature southern-inspired style, Lisa put her timeless touch on each room in a way that blends old-world charm with the finest modern luxuries. The vintage country estate calls to mind Tudor, Adirondack and Colonial styles – uniquely blended together to create a respite to be enjoyed.

The old-world oak paneled wing of the house, where the formal living and dining rooms, entry foyer, and office sit, are connected to the more contemporary mostly-white marble kitchen through a butlers pantry fit for the queen’s staff. Warm original floors and a Persian rug are combined with cool high-gloss lacquered blue cabinets and an expansive marble wet bar; carefully bringing together elements from each sides of the house to melt together in what was many visitors’ favorite space.

IT’S ALL IN THE

Leaded glass windows, extensive millwork, coffered ceilings, floor to ceiling paneling, a barn door, and a wrap around back porch are all details that set this home apart.

DETAILS

House 2

This stunning colonial is perched perfectly between two Harvard-five masterpieces. The traditional front exterior is wonderfully juxtaposed by a sophisticated contemporary interior and modern backyard. In addition to a three-car garage, the backyard boasts a second garage space, complete with a car elevator to house the couple’s many collector vehicles.

The interiors follow the principles of feng shui to determine the furniture layout and color scheme, and were also inspired by an extensive art collection.

The house features a front-to-back entry hall with a massive double story floorto-ceiling window wall.

Although everything about the home was first class, it was the owners’ 130lb Great Dane, Bella, that stole the show on tour day!

Located along the banks of the bucolic Silvermine River, this enchanting home’s soothing aesthetic is pulled together with wide-plank antique Belgian white oak floors and wooden beams throughout. Almost the entire first floor is open-floorplan and each space flows seamlessly into the next while they each have a unique vibe.

Unlike the other homes on the tour, visitors were welcomed into the full upstairs of the home as well. Similar to the first floor, the primary suite is filled with neutral, calming tones, while the children’s rooms are curated with bright pops of colors and whimsical details.The baby’s nursery was certainly a highlight.

This modern farmhouse is a tranquil retreat. The neutral palette is intentionally designed to celebrate lots of natural light that creates a clean, fresh, and welcoming ambiance, typical of designer Krista Fox’s style. Luscious fabrics, honed stone finishes, and natural-toned white oak wood floors add texture and warmth that blend seamlessly with the sophisticated furnishings.

Rather than a formal dining room, the owners opted for a billiards room, and added a secret door that leads to the firstfloor office.

The well-appointed outdoor entertaining space boasts a pool, firepit, and bar area, that allowed for visitors on the tour to enjoy smores and some delicious hot chocolate.

This elegant five-acre Georgian Colonial estate features grand rooms for entertaining that compliment the stately exterior grounds. Large French doors grace every room of the main floor making the transition from indoor to outdoor living seamless.

House 5

This is the home of New Canaan newcomers who arrived in 2020,and is designed by their also-newcomer sister-in-law, Townsend Lloyd,who is not only an incredibly talented interior designer,but also served as the Chair of the 2021 Tour!

Townsend blended her own unique flair with the owner’s love of modern décor and architecture. It was important to incorporate contemporary design throughout and incorporate color into each room either through fabulous art or punches of color in fabrics, custom carpets, or bold tableware.

The entire estate is powered by solar energy.

This year’s tour was a tremendous success; almost a thousand people joined in on the fun and helped raise funds to benefit ten deserving local organizations. The next

New Canaan Newcomers Holiday House Tour

will take place in December 2023!

Table Linens made in Italy

Made by the same family-run enterprise since 1920, our new linens collection comes directly from the hillsides of Northern Italy. The artisans use a unique hand printing technique following the ancient tradition of the Renaissance heritage.

SAM FERTIK

CARBON CUSTOM BUILDERS

Sam and Julie Fertik and their almost three year-old daughter, Emily, will be moving-in to the house he’s building in Pound Ridgeintending to stay for the long-term - and to use his house, and method of building, as a model to show what his company, Carbon Custom Builders, can do.

PHOTO CARTER FISH

Sam’s path to the building business was anything but typical. He was born on Long Island and grew up going to public school in East Brunswick, New Jersey. “I hated every minute of being a student…I don’t like being told what to do…and I’ve always questioned the routine way of doing just about everything,” Sam remarks. “I got B’s without doing any work, and started working in catering - with the caterer who did my Bar Mitzvah - when I was 14. On the first day, I worked a party for 800 people - and I was hooked! I worked something like 80 hours a week for the rest of high school, and was running a catering kitchen by the time I graduated. I went to the Culinary Institute of America, and got a job as an Executive Chef in someone else’s restaurant

right out of school. After a couple of years and realizing I needed to make more money, we moved into Manhattan and I started my own corporate catering business, which I grew into an enterprise serving 30,000 to 40,000 meals a week to large clients like Palantir and Blue Apron.”

“All along,” Sam continues, “I’d also had a hand in construction. I had a drafting table from the time I could draw, and had built a deck for my parents when I was 15, and done some contracting work in people’s kitchens. I tiled a kitchen the day after my high school prom! And when I started the catering business, I designed and built-out the entire catering kitchen.”

PHOTO RHONDA SPEVAK

We’d purchased a place in Vermont about a year before covid, at least in part so I could get into the construction business up there. When covid hit, and the entire catering industry evaporated, we moved to Vermont full-time and I turned my complete focus to building. We bought a large building in Brattleboro and renovated it to include 11 apartments, a coffee shop, and a place that serves the best falafel in Vermont. I contracted some other projects doing design-builds and renovations and, most importantly, I started building homes and commercial buildings developing my own techniques to build…better! I found that using better materials and components might be somewhat more expensive at the outset, but that the building would be more durable and energy-efficient in the long run. I applied methods usually reserved for commercial buildings, and started to use poured and reinforced concrete, steel structure, and commercial-grade windows and roofs, for residential builds.”

PHOTOS CARTER FISH

“By the time 2021 rolled around and Emily was turning two, my wife informed me that it was time to ‘move back to civilization’. We targeted the most rural place we could find within a one-hour or so circle of New York City and with good schools for Emilyand Pound Ridge was the ideal solution! We closed on our 3.5-acre parcel on March 21, 2021, and I’m on schedule to have our house ready to move-in by March 2023.”

The modern barnhouse Sam is building is a marvel! It’s an 11,750 square foot structure, with about 6,000 square feet of interior living space, an enormous garage, a massive basement, a complete machine shop and lift, an elevator, and large outdoor spaces. It will have 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, including two guest suites, an office, a gym, and a playroom. Sam explains, “For this project, we were inspired by a home Tom Kundig of Olson Kundig Architects designed in the Hudson Valley. I used about 3,000,000 pounds of poured concrete! The concrete walls are 8-inch thick, with significant steel rebar, and incorporate two separate 4-inch layers of foam insulation. The concrete floor in the garage is suspended over the workshop with 18-inch steel beams. I’ve incorporated solar and geothermal systems for heating and cooling. I used triple glazed, aluminum windows imported from Poland. The roof is standing seam metal, which has been insulated as well. Though the entire construction will cost about 25% more than what it would have cost to do a comparable stick-build, the house will require only 1/5th the energy of a traditional home of similar scale - forever!”

“I’ve designed and positioned the house to create a series of enjoyable experiences. From the long driveway the barn first appears…and it’s not until you get into the front courtyard and look into the twostory glass entry of the home that you realize the presence and size of the entire back wing of the home. The sun rises in the east and lights the front of the home all day, maximizing sun in the family living spaces and bedrooms, and making for a great spot to have coffee on the primary balcony in the mornings. The kitchen is a masterpiece of Gaggenau appliances and custom cabinetry by one of our amazing craft partners. The bedrooms are all individually zoned and the entire home is smart, allowing us to control energy usage and monitor everything from wherever we are. The dining room is an amazing expanse between two huge windows. You feel almost as though you are sitting in a field. Every space in the home is a special and unique experience…and at least a bit oversized - and, again, the way I build, there’s nothing like the solid feeling and the quiet I will have,” Sam declares.

PHOTO CARTER FISH

About his Carbon Custom Builders, Sam summarizes, “Ultimately, it’s all about how you will experience living in your home. I’m all about building a better house, and maximizing design, quality, comfort, longevity, healthy indoor air quality, and efficiency. Right now we’re working on two local houses - other than my own - that will alsobothbedeliveredin2023.OneonHalsey Pond in Irvington, and one on Hawley Road in North Salem. And I’m actively looking for developmentprojects,andforlocalcontract builds. We will collaborate with you and any architect you choose, to build the house of yourdreams-usingourmethodology.”

PHOTO RHONDA SPEVAK

PHOTO RHONDA SPEVAK

PHOTO CARTER FISH

moving westchester Houlihan Lawrence

Source: OKMLS, 1/1/22 - 9/18/22, single-family homes, Northern Westchester.

ARMONK BROKERAGE | 399 MAIN STREET, ARMONK, NY 10504

It’s

Ourstudentsgraduate withthecouragetohave apointofviewandthe skillstoexpressit,honed throughyearsofpractice.

THE BEDFORD by Martha Stewart

BY CASEY KAPLAN AKA @NOLAGOURMAND

Bedford’s haute cuisine…is now being served in Las Vegas!

MarthaStewarthasopenedanewrestaurantintheParisHotelontheVegasStrip-somewhat-eponymously named The Bedford by Martha Stewart. The open kitchen, dining areas, and overall design of the restaurant mimics Martha’s own home here in Bedford! …And the menu is all Martha! Her favorite recipes and her favorite foods - like her Mom’s Pierogies, but with caviar her Mom never contemplated - and her favorite drinks, like the Martha-tini!

Most important, the food and drinks are five star! …DINNER

In addition to my role as President of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine, I am also the #1 Food Influencer in New Orleans with my Instagram @nolagourmand. It’s something I developed while eating my way through New Orleans as a Tulane undergrad and graduate student. I call it nolagourmand, meaning nola = New Orleans, Louisiana, and gourmand, meaning a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much! …That’s me! …And as the Chief Eating Officer of @nolagourmand, I’ve now been on thousands of media dinners, and have been reviewing what I eat for a dedicated following for about a decade…

For cocktails

we tried one - or maybe more than one - of the Frozen Pomegranate Martha-ritas with Casa Dragones blanco tequila, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, sugar and salt rim - which was bright and tangy, and a perfect companion to any fried selection and to the fish; the Classic Martha-rita, with the same ingredients sans pomegranate juice and shaken - a classic indeed, the perfect blend for the perfect Margarita - although we reordered the Frozen Pomegranate version over the Classic; the Meyer Lemon Drop with Belvedere vodka, Meyer lemon juice and sugar rim - a sufficiently sweet selection and a delightful Drop that we all tasted with dessert, and; Martha’s Perfect Manhattan, with Woodford Reserve bourbon, sweet and dry vermouths, Angostura bitters and luxardo cherries, that was a hit with the two Manhattan-officiates at the table.

ForAppetizers

WestartedthefoodwiththeRicottaStuffedZucchini

Blossoms with lemon, spinach and ParmigianoReggiano…and someone nearly lost a finger going for the last piece…so we ordered a second to share. The Crab Cake - and I repeat I’m the #1 Food Influencer in the seafood-city of New Orleans - was the best I’ve ever had!!! Jumbo lump crab meat with roasted yellow peppers and celeriac slaw were encrusted in a breaded shell, for the perfect mix of rich flavor balanced with a hint of lemon. The Classic Nicoise Salad was, as it’s called, classic. The colorful fresh salad, olive oil-packed tuna, haricot verts, vermouth-dressed potatoes, hard-cooked egg and anchovy vinaigrette would itself make for the perfect meal on any other day.

Forpastas

we had the Lemon Risotto with caramelized fennel, which was creamy and light - the way it’s supposed to be; the Bucatini with lemon capers, anchovies and toasted sourdough breadcrumbs, which was delish, with al dente pasta, cooked in a tasty olive oil, and served with a woody, warm topping, and; Big Martha’s Pierogies (potato filling with brown butter) with Golden Osetra Caviar and sourcream…and then another two orders of that!!! Big Martha’s Pierogies, which border on the gnocchi side of things for their softness and the way you can really taste the potato, are a special tribute to Martha’s Polish descent. …And come to think of it, Big Martha’s Pierogies are - like the Crab Cakes - thebestI’ve everhad!!!

The mains

were spectacular! The 32 Oz. Prime Bone-in Ribeye and Martha’s Smashed Bake Potato are prepared table-side by a dedicated Chef. The way the Chef cut and displayed the steak was not just attractive, it serves the purpose of maximizing the perfect cuts without having to demonstrate one’s carving skills while drinking and dining. And the way he smashed the baked potato might not have been the thing that made it taste so good… butitdefinitelydidn’thurt(except,maybe,the potato!). The Halibut and Corn Chowder was sublime. The Halibut was simply perfect, and the corn chowder added a complimentary sweet flavor to the dish.

At this point in the meal, I was thinking that The Bedford was a pretty heavenly mix of the old Le Cirque’s tastes, style and elegance, and the flavors, hominess and comfort of NOLA-favorite Commander’s Palace.

The Dessert

By the time dessert rolled around, we were pushingupagainstcurtaintimetoseeTheBeatles Love Show - a must-see on any visit to Vegas - and so we skipped ice cream and after-dinner drinks… But - not to worry - we did manage to save room and time for three outstanding dessert selections: the Milk Chocolate Pistachio Tart with Sicilian pistachios and fresh whipped cream - that had a deep Dutch bittersweet flavor and was the right balance between mousse and fudge; the Classic Creme Brulee - which we would rate ‘better-thanClassic’ for its light brulee and thicker glazed crust, and; the piece-de-la-resistance, the Upsidedown Lemon Meringue Pie - which wasn’t really so ‘upside-down’ as it was delicious. The lemon pudding in this treat, which leaned from pudding to chiffon, came hidden under a bubble-shaped top made more of a marzipan than a meringue. It was exceptional, and in honor of The Beatles, I nicknamed it the ‘Yellow Submarine’.

FROM INSIDE MARTHA’S BEDFORD KITCHENFEATURED IN THE B&NC MAG MAY/JUNE COVER FEATURE

…And the dining experience was first-class!

I always like to be able to look into a brightly-lit, clean kitchen to watch a team of dedicated Chefs in clean white uniforms, moving with military precision, devoted to every detail of the food I’m going to eat…and getting it just right! And the dining area in The Bedford really does look and feel like Martha’s Bedford home - with the same subtle gray and putty tones, white marble tabletops, comfortable upholstery, and even one of Martha’s dark marble fireplaces with an American Bullseye mirror over the mantle.

Everything about The Bedford is most certainly Martha!

With her legendary attention to detail, she’s overseen every aspect of the restaurant’s concept, design and decor, and she’s determined each of the food and beverage recipes. …And, no surprise, like everything Martha does, The Bedford is a success!

…I’m starting a petition to get Martha to open her next The Bedford… IN BEDFORD!

NOV/DEC 2022

BEDFORD & NEW CANAAN 117Ellen Schwartz and Devin McCrossan are Licensed Associate Real Estate Brokers affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity Laws. Kaitlyn ‘Katie’ D’Ambrosio, Catia Leon and Kayleigh Mayer are Licensed Real Estate Salespersons on the Schwartz McCrossan Team. Compass is a licensed real estate

PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK KELLEY

The gift of luxury vacations is the best legacy of all...

Our family has the (luxury) travel bug. Like many of you, we’re always looking for the next adventure, or to check-off another cultural institution or historical site from our bucket list. We don’t want to spend too much of winter in the cold - unless it’s for ski-in/ski-out at some major mountain. And we always love to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other family occasions, not to mention the holidays, with a luxurious vacation.

With Exclusive Resorts every vacation is perfect! Exclusive Resorts is a members-only vacation club with a collection of more than 350 multimillion-dollar residences in 75 topchoice locations around the world. Whether we’re looking for beach, ski, city or country, the Exclusive Resorts residence is always perfectly situated, large and luxurious, and always amply appointed and equipped, including walk-to-beach, cart-to-golf, and skion/ski-off access, and bicycles, kayaks, paddle and surf boards, and whatever else you need to maximize the fun. And each Exclusive Resorts residence has

an on-site Concierge, who’s extremely knowledgeable about the locale. All you have to do is decide when and where you want to go…and your next hassle-free vacation is all set!

Exclusive Resorts means you can bring children and grandchildren for unforgettable experiences and lasting memories. ‘Home for the holidays’ or ‘gone for summer’ with the entire family - without the headache of owning a second home, and with the freedom of seeing new places or returning to old favorites. A special ‘milestone trip’ with each grandkid anywhere in the U.S. when they turn teen, and then another, anywhere in the world, when they graduate from high school. An annual excursion to someplace different and exotic, like the Galapagos or Kenya, with a group of friends, or to celebrate an anniversary.

Exclusive Resorts is the way you felt when you tried surfing in Australia, or when you went snorkeling in Hawaii and came up close to a few Green Sea

Turtles, or skiing at the top of Aspen Mountain, or biking in Bhutan - that feeling you’ll never forget! Exclusive Resorts is your grown kids telling you the trips you took them on when they were just kids to see the great cities of Europe really changed their lives. And Exclusive Resorts is getting to see that look of wonder on your grandkids’ faces when you take them to the place that will change their lives, too. Exclusive Resorts is that great picture of the entire family, out on the deck of the residence, in the sunset, everyone laughing and smiling - and the stories everyone tells about the big fish you all hauled in on that great trip to the Bahamas…or the summer you took the family to Wimbledon, the British Open, the Tour de France, the Grand Prix de Monaco and the French Open at Roland Garros all in the same year…or that perfect private dinner you hosted in the Exclusive Resorts residence for that family reunion, when you got to bring your own parents to celebrate four generations of your family - all together. …Your legacy!

And it’s surprisingly affordable! Like any club, there’s a one-time initiation fee - starting at $175,000 for a 10-year plan or $275,000 for the 30-year plan. Then there’s annual dues which are based on the number of nights you decide to travel each year - for example, for 25 travel days the fee is about $36,000. It’s simple. Predictable. And often significantly less expensive than booking comparable villas or multiple hotel rooms. In addition, each Exclusive Resorts Membership is inheritable and includes the immediate option for family sharing and gifting privileges.

In Kauai, Exclusive Resorts owns several of the regal residence apartments at The Timbers, just a mile or two from the Lihue Airport. Theresortsitsonahighbluff, overlooking a private beach and the Lihue lighthouse to the east and Lihue Bay and Pacific sunsets to the west. The multi-million dollar residences are, like all Exclusive Resorts residences, large and luxurious, and clean and light. Each of the three ensuite bedrooms was like a master, with great views and private terraces. The main living area and the main terrace seat more than the number of people staying in the residence, with space to luxuriate and space to work. The kitchen is modern and well-equipped. And the front hall includes a half-bath, a washer/dryer, and an extra closet. Each residence has a dedicated parking spot in the basement. It’s all first-class!

When we arrived the Concierge greeted us with a lei ceremony and welcome drinks, then took us to our residence, which was fully-stocked with all the food and goodies we’d requested… and a gift of champagne and birthday cake for the ‘significant birthday’ we were celebrating on this vacation. Throughout the vacation, the Concierge predicted our every whim and before we could even think to ask for something, it had been booked.

We watched dolphins playing along the shore every morning. We paddle boarded and kayaked - and maybe a couple of us even got pushed into the lagoon. We biked the entire property. There’s a full-service spa on premises - and we indulged!

The property offers two sets of pools: a pair of vanishing edge pools, with a large hot tub, perched on the bluff overlooking the beach and ocean at the resort’s main pavilion, and; another pair of even more private pools, joined by a hot tub, that are right outside the door of the Exclusive Resorts residences. There’s a ‘private’ beach with a path leadingdownthroughthelavafromtheresidences to the shore and a lagoon for kayaking and paddle boarding. And the whole thing is a part of the parklike Holukalu property, with miles of exercise and bike paths and a self-sustaining farm used to grow food for the resort..and, oh yeah, the best golf on Kauai - The Ocean Course at Holalkula. This Jack Nicklaus design is a great course on an exceptional piece of property! There are several holes set on a cliff overlooking the ocean, some meandering through the rainforest, and one adjacent to the Lihue Airport runway. Roosters and chickens and lots of exotic birds share the course, which sometimes seems as much botanical garden as a battlefield for sport.

Beyond the spectacular compound-like property and its amenities, we also wanted to explore Kauai. It’s the more lush and still most ‘authentic’ of Hawaii’s big five Islands, and is one of the top guaranteed-warm-weather vacation destinations on the planet.

THE NAPALI COAST

on Kauai’s northwestern shorebackdropforJurassicPark,Tropic Thunder, King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name a few - with its iconic Honopu Arch, is a bucket-list must-see! The Napali Coast features 3,000-foot sheer volcanic peaks, covered by rainforest in a unique glow of green, defined by steep walls and deep canyons, with waterfalls running into the surf, where black lava formations meet the Pacific’s sometimes 60-foot waves. But… it’s only accessible by boat or helicopter - unless you opt for the rugged 22-mile Napali Park hike.

The Exclusive Resorts Concierge had, of course, booked and choreographed our entire Napali excursion; knowing to send us in the morning rather than the afternoon so we would find more fish in the water and have calmer seas; on a big safe catamaran with motor and wind power, with a real friendly and informative crew and plenty of good food and drink, and; giving us the heads-up to stop at the original JoJo’s Shave Ice in Waimea before heading home.

The Root Beer Float, with a giant ball of shaved ice, soaked in root beer flavoring, placed over a cup of home-made Macadamia nut ice cream, with condensedcream on top of the whole thing, is a must-have while on Kauai.

sits in the southern section of the Napali Park, and has an observation deck on the southern rim with a view out over the 10-mile long, 1-mile wide, and 3,000-foot deep expanse. It’s the Grand Canyon, but with more colorful rock, green canyon walls, enormous waterfalls and tropical vegetation. The headwaters of the Waimea River in the Waimea Canyon are one of the wettest places on Earth, and you get a look at the 800-foot Waipoo Falls in the heart of the Canyon. The Exclusive Resorts Concierge knew to send us there an hour before sunset for the best viewsand to bring binoculars…and a sweater for the temperature drop up on the rim of the crater.

THE WAIMEA CANYON HANALEI

For another great day trip, we drove about an hour up Kauai’s eastern shore to Princeville, and then the Town of Hanalei - of Puff the Magic Dragon fame, and home to another JoJo’s Shave Ice and some other local delectibles - and then to the beaches at the northern terminus of the road. These are the beaches from the 1958 movie-version of South Pacific, with the ‘Bali Hai’ scenery and views of Mount Makana, that first put Kauai on the map. Waterfalls cascade from the cliffs overhanging one side of the road and feed streams that flow, sometimes right over the pavement, out over the beach and into the ocean just on the other side of the road. Right off the side of the road - one beach is more beautiful than the next! Some of these beaches are known for their world-class surf, while others boast wide white-sand swaths with gentle tides. So we took our Concierge’s advice and picked Lumahai Beach, which features a wide white-sand beach, a mountain-fed fresh-water sandy-bottomed lazy river feeding gently across one side of the beach that offers a calm, chest-deep swim in the current which meets the ocean at a jetty of black lava, where there’s a nice but short break for body surfing or boogie boarding in the surf near the river’s mouth, and then a more regular set of small waves down the ¼-mile or so length of that beach cove. Let’s just say that not everyone took leaps off the lava into the ocean, or used the boogie boards we had brought from the residence to brave the bigger curls…and yet each of us still can’t stop talking about that memorable day at the beach.

We decided to go off-premises for dinner the night of the milestone Birthday we were celebrating and, of course, our Exclusive Resorts Concierge had arranged the best table at The Beach House, a 15-minute drive away onthebeachinPoipu;wherethesurfers entertain all day, and where the whole dining crowd stops everything and walks out to the beach to cheer the Sun’s retirement each evening. But the best, most convenient, and most luxuriousrestaurantontheIsland,forbreakfast,lunch or dinner, is actually Hualani’s - the restaurant located in the common pavilion, right on-property and steps from our Exclusive Resorts residence, overlooking the ocean. Colorful cocktails made for tasty toasts. Delicious dishes made for grateful gourmands. Every meal felt like a special occasion!

…Another perfect Exclusive Resorts vacation. No hassles. Perfect location. More-than-comfortable luxury accommodations. Lots of fun activities for everybody. Reservations wherever and whenever. And great golf! Another epic family celebration! Another paradise explored! Spectacular sights! Wonderful memories!

...Another jewel in our Family’s legacy!

Stonewall Farm

Granite Springs, NY

Once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire the largest privately held property in Westchester County less than 1 hour from New York City. This spectacular property encompasses 740-acres made up of 18 separate parcels and is currently dedicated to breeding Thoroughbred racehorses. At the forefront sits a 24,000-square foot main residence and 4,000-square foot pool house that overlooks trellised walkways and exquisite formal gardens. This is the epitome of luxury for horses and their owners with limitless potential for highest and best use of this property. Listed by Nikki McMann & Hope Mazzola.

Listed for $100,000,000

CANCER KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. NEITHER DO WE.

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We put the emphasis on living.

A GOLF-themed

New Canaan

Wedding

PHOTOGRAPHY TAYLOR KEMP

Matt Ziance and Kate Stringfellow’s first date, in June 2020, was something of a disaster. Because of restaurant closures, a beach pass mishap, and heavy traffic on I-95, they spent about two-and-a-half hours sitting in the car. But the conversation flowed - and the connection was apparent. Matt called his folks later that night to tell them he’d met the love of his life. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

Matt grew up in Pennsylvania and was living in Stamford. He’s a self-proclaimed ‘golf fanatic’, saying “I started playing golf as a kid, and really looked up to my dad, who was also a golfer - and even played with the PGA Tour Player, Rocco Mediate. I even had a job in Marketing at the Golf Channel - although they didn’t hire me to play golf. I’m about a 12 handicap, and I can’t get out there enough. Kate understood my enthusiasm and I was impressed when she right-away announced that she wanted to take up the sport so she could share going golfing with me.”

“It was the height of the pandemic and there wasn’t that much else to do,” Kate recalls. “I grew up in New Canaan, but I’d never played golf. I took a few lessons and had some sessions at the range, and then we started to play on a couple of local courses. On the 6th time I played, on the 3rd hole at Oak Hills Park Golf Course in Norwalk - my 93rd hole of golf - I had a hole-in-one!”

“IfIhadaringwithme,Iwouldhaveproposed right then and there on the 3rd at Oak Hills!” Matt declares. “I took it as a sign - and as an inspiration for our golf-themed wedding. And of course I’d captured the hole-in-one on my ‘Ace Cam’ - which I use on every Par 3 just to capture the freak hole-in-one.”

A few months after ‘The Ace’, Matt orchestrated a proposal which involved a trip to Nashville, the couple’s favorite Country Western artist, Spencer Crandall, singing ‘My Person’ to the couple in a private candle-lit venue, and Matt popping the question on one knee.

WAS A

Reception THE MASTERS-THEMED SENSATION

Matt and Kate’s wedding was held at the First Prebyterian Church - where, as the Sextons of the Church, they now reside. The reception was a Mastersthemed sensation. The Masters announcer Jim Nantz recorded an opening video. There was a Mastersbased logo and Masters branding on everything from the placards to the cookies. Inspired music included Matt walking down the aisle to the tune ‘Augusta’. Kate picked Masters Caddy uniforms for the little ring bearers and flower girl, and the ring was presented in a golf ball ring box. Matt wore a Masters Green Jacket to enter the celebration, and Kate put on a Golf Caddy Bib - and the couple opened the party with a ceremonial putt!

THE ILVERMINE

Group of Artists

In 1906, Solon Borglum, the renowned sculptor - and brother of Gutzon Borglum, who carved Mount Rushmore - purchased a modest farmhouse on the eastern bank of the Silvermine RIver. Attracted by Borglum and the bucolic surroundings, other artists, including Addison T. Millar, D. Putnam Brinley and his wife Katherine, Richard B. Gruelle andhissonJuustin,CarlSchmitt,andFrederickC.Yohn,soon followed. They formed the Silvermine Group of Artists, with the chartered purpose being “to stimulate the zeal for and advance the attainment in painting, sculpture, and other fine art among the members by cooperation and exchange of ideas, and generally to encourage the appreciation of art by the public.”

The Silvermine Group of Artists, also known as the Silvermine Art Colony, differed from most art colonies in that the artists were invited to apply for review, and achieved membership to ‘The Group’ by a unanimous vote. The artists worked independently and brought their work to weekly peer critiquespriortoexhibitingtheirworkintheColony’spopular annual end-of-summer exhibitions.

Solon Borglum died in 1922. In the years between 1906 and 1922, a total of 68 accomplished artists spent at least one summer in Silvermine.

Upon Borglum’s death, members of the Silvermine Group of Artists, together with other local artists, writers, editors, and creative individuals, re-formed as the Silvermine Guild of Artists, with the re-stated and more expansive mission of supporting the arts, providing year-round exhibition space, and establishing classrooms to teach art, pottery, and dance. They raised funds and purchased the Silvermine property where the Silvermine Guild of Artists remains in operation today - 100 years later.

The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society’s exhibition titled TheSilvermineArtColonyandTheSilvermineGroup ofArtists, will run from November 17, 2022toApril29,2023, and features a mixture of sculptures, paintings, drawings and prints done by 23 of ‘The Group’s’ artists; including notably several of Borglum’s sculptures, Leo Dorn’s woodblock prints, and Edmund M. Ashe’s Spirit of the Pool, which was exhibited at the 1913 New York Armory Show. The exhibition is curated by locals Susan Gunn Bromley and Ed Vollmer, both longtime researchers and collectors of the Silvermine Art Colony art.

The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society is one of New Canaan’s cultural crown-jewels. It’s located at 13 Oenoke Ridge Road in New Canaan, and is open to the public Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment on weekends and in evenings. Under the strong leadership of CEO Nancy Geary, the institution puts on exhibits and maintains a permanent curated collection, sponsors programs and performs library services, all focusing on preservation, modernism, education and community.

The Museum’s historic buildings include: the 1825 original Town Hall; the 1764 Hanford-Silliman House that includes New Canaan’s first licensed Tavern; the Cody Pharmacy, New Canaan’s first drug store; the Rock School, New Canaan’s first one-room school house; the 1875 Rogers Studio, a National Landmark; the Tool Museum, home to the only Hoe-Acorn press in Connecticut, and; the Little Red Schoolhouse on Carter Street, New Canaan’s last operating one room schoolhouse.

The Museum also operates the 1960 Gores Pavilion in Irwin Park designed by ‘Harvard Five’ architect Landis Gores.

SILVERMINE

Welcome to Extraordinary

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