Photo: Read McKendree/Sound View
When Erik Warner, co-founder of Eagle Point Hotel Partners, purchased the Sound View Inn and restaurant in Greenport last year, he knew that he was not only buying a property, but a treasured part of the North Fork’s history. With that in mind, he set about renovating the buildings with the aim of preserving the spirit of the much-loved hotel and restaurant.
“I learned from a very young age the importance of leaving a place equal to or better than you found it,” said Warner. “I wanted to make it a little bit better than it was while also making sure it still feels as though it’s part of the North Fork.”
The now-completed renovation is a testament to Warner’s commitment to his goal. At the hotel, all guest rooms have been redesigned and still open directly onto a waterfront deck with access to a private beach on Long Island Sound. The restaurant, renamed The Halyard (in nautical terms, a halyard is a line used to hoist a sail) has been brightened up with pale oak floors and whitewashed ceilings and walls. What hasn’t been changed are the dining room’s sweeping views of the Sound, which can also be enjoyed from the deck.
There is a nautical-themed library and next season Jack’s Shack, a poolside bar named after original owner Jack Levin, will open. The piano bar at the Sound View has been left mostly in its original state.
“We didn’t really touch the walls of the piano bar at all,” says Warner. “And we kept the original piano. It has so much history and we spent thousands of dollars restoring it. There’s music in those walls and changing the piano would have made the space feel different. We wanted to keep the sound that piano created in that space.”
Warner has also devoted a lot of time and effort into providing unique entertainment for his guests and for members of the surrounding communities. One of the things closest to his heart is Sound View’s collaboration with Joe’s Pub, a performance venue located in New York City.
Joe’s Pub showcases both emerging and established performers from all over the world and Warner has worked with them to bring some of these musicians to the Sound View.
“When I took on the Sound View project was thinking with some of my colleagues about what we could do in terms of having artists being a part of this amazing and inspirational place,” said Warner. “And that’s where the idea of having a collaboration with Joe’s Pub came to mind. One thing led to another we’re now in our fourth week with this partnership.”
Warner’s musical background — he played piano and saxophone when he was younger — shows itself again in the “Music + the Moon” events held on Sunday nights at the hotel’s pool.
“We put up a big screen and replay one of the more famous classical music concerts from the past 20 years,” says Warner. “People can watch the sun setting and the moon rising during the concerts.”
Another unique amenity at the hotel is the herd of bicycles available for guests to use to take a ride into Greenport or, as a few guests have done, a ride out to Orient Point.
Award-winning Halyard chef Galen Zamarra will even pack a lunch to fit right in the basket attached to all the bicycles.
Reaction to the newly renovated hotel and restaurant has been extraordinarily positive, says Warner.
“I’ve had folks come in and become tearful when they see how we’ve respected the history of the place,” he said. “I feel like we did what we set out to do, which was to pay homage not just to the past but to the present environment. We walked a very fine line to achieve this and people who have been coming here for decades feel as though the space was honored.”
Warner intends to remain open throughout the winter and is looking into starting an artists in residency program for musicians who live in urban environments.
“I want to give them a place to come to that is the exact opposite of the intense environment of the city,” he says. “There is inspiration in being connected to the land and the sea simultaneously; inspiration that only comes when you’re staring at something as intensely beautiful as Long Island Sound.”
The next Joe’s Pub at the Sound View will be held on September 2 and will feature jazz musician Chris Pattishall. Check Sound View’s Facebook page for all upcoming events.
