In the Hamptons, residents shield privacy with trees — not technology

Hamptons homeowners for whom privacy is a priority are turning to natural approaches — not high-tech features — to ensure their peace of mind: hideaway locations, long driveways and landscaped barriers. The Wall Street Journal reported that roughly two-thirds of homes currently under construction in the Hamptons are going for more traditional features with privacy up high on the list of desired amenities.

One technique comes through landscaping, which serves to create a barrier, which can be creatively crafted, lest trees look like guard soldiers, the Journal reported. “People do prefer greenery to gates,” Ernie Cervi, an executive managing director at the Corcoran Group, told the Journal. “It gives you a good screening and it is great all year.”

Another strategy comes through the layout of the home in relation to a long driveway — a so-called “flag lot,” means to resemble a flag waving from a pole. These lots set properties back away from the road. Residents told the Journal that this helps separate them from the hectic crush that they experience in the city. [WSJ] — Zachary Kussin