Hamptons.com Launches A New Live Stream Camera At Iconic The American Hotel In Sag Harbor

Hamptons.com happily announces a new live stream camera that has been added to its viewing arsenal of keeping us all in the know for what is happening at strategic locations in our area.

This recent addition reminds us yet again that, “Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” (Ziad K. Abdelnour), or now with the technological advances of live streaming, just switch views!

The camera, mounted at the iconic The American Hotel located on Main Street in Sag Harbor, shows a view running up Main Street from the pier. For those who visit or frequent this historic and quaint village, the placement of the camera will prove particularly helpful in accessing the parking spots along Main Street, especially during the “season” as parking in this old whaling village seems to always be a challenge.

Hamptons.com has been providing live stream camera views for a number of years, beginning with cameras located at Cooper’s Beach, Main Beach, the corner of Route 39A, and recently on Shelter Island at the South Ferry as well as the Long Island Aquarium in downtown Riverhead. The cameras have been an instant hit with viewers near and far who can check on weather, beach and wave conditions, traffic and road conditions, foot and ferry traffic, or just relax viewing and hearing the sounds of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

The Most Popular Spot In Town

According to a bit of history relayed by The American Hotel owner, Ted Conklin, “After the Revolutionary War, the James Howell Inn burned and Nathan Tinker built his house in 1824 (the shop and townhouse side) to which he added a building for mixed commercial use in 1846. The American Hotel name dates from 1876. The business effectively devolved into a sleepy small boarding house after 1911. I bought the building in 1972, traded in the coal stove and outhouses for more modern conveniences and opened July 4th 1972.”

Conklin undertook extensive renovations to the deteriorating structure, including enlarging and installing a new, modern kitchen, restoring the dining rooms to their former elegance, and updating and restoring the eight guestrooms, thus quickly establishing the Hotel as the place for delicious cuisine; an extensive wine list which was awarded the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award Wine List; cigars and accommodations – truly the locale where everyone certainly does know your name and wants to see and be seen! Under Conklin’s care The American Hotel remains an integral and vibrant part of the history of Sag Harbor.

The camera, mounted at the iconic The American Hotel located on Main Street in Sag Harbor, shows a view running up Main Street from the pier. (Photo: Eileen Casey)

This was no small undertaking for Conklin, who has maintained the highest standards for guests and visitors alike for more than 40 years, and since the Hotel had not had guests since the 1930’s, nor sold any legal liquor since the first World War, the Hotel as imagined and instituted by Conklin have only continued to enhance a visit or stay at this tremendously regarded establishment. That famous porch where everyone loves to sit, dine and people watch was originally added around 1876, along with a bar and dining room.

The warm ambiance and hospitality has always been a cornerstone of the Hotel’s proud history under Conklin’s guidance, and some might even consider the lobby to be their own living room, where one can enjoy a glass of wine, play checkers or backgammon, enjoy musical entertainment, or merely sit on a comfy chair or couch and watch the world go by, because if you visit Sag Harbor but not The American Hotel, you may well have forfeited an encounter with some of the most interesting (and sometimes famous or infamous) faces of the past, present and future decades.

Catching up with Conklin, we posed just a few questions:

Why the installation of a Hamptons.com live stream camera on the hotel?

TC: The web cam is the result of Joe Kazickas’ persistence. I’ve meant to do it for years, but Joe convinced me to let him make it happen.

Can you describe some of the more interesting evenings or encounters that have taken place at the Hotel over these many years?

TC: Well, here’s my sanitized response – as a good publican, events and observations are privileged and for others to relate, but we are proud to have served the community and virtually everyone who has passed through the Hamptons in the last 50 years.

Well-known for your community involvement, any upcoming events The American Hotel will be participating in?

TC: We are hosting a launch for Keith Hernandez’s memoirs on May 26, along with a book signing and luncheon, and a Peter Mondavi Wine Dinner on July 12, with more events to be announced.



The American Hotel is located at 45 Main Street in Sag Harbor. For more information, room and dining reservations, call 631-725-3535, or go to www.theamericanhotel.com.