Episode 268 - Sydney Sadick

July 2, 2026 | Discussing Spotlight Magazine's 5th Anniversary and the July 4th Weekend

This week, as we prepare for July 4th Weekend in the Hamptons, we are joined by Sydney Sadick, founder of Spotlight Magazine, to celebrate five years of building a community-first Hamptons publication that still feels fresh in an Instagram and TikTok world. Sydney shares why she launched Spotlight after years in luxury media, how she thinks about quality and credibility in print, and what it takes to land cover stars who genuinely represent the local scene, including Brooke Shields on the anniversary cover. We also talk luxury lifestyle trends, brand pop-ups, and why some iconic names feel like “everyday” brands in Europe but a true splurge in the U.S.

Then we shift into our weekly Hamptons real estate market update with the latest contracts, new listings, and inventory, followed by a practical holiday weekend guide: Southampton Village parade timing, where to grab fireworks info, and what’s on around Montauk, East Hampton, and Westhampton Beach. You’ll also hear a few local favorites, from free concerts in the park to restaurant picks when you want great food and the right summer energy.

We make it simple and fun: what to do, where to go, and how to enjoy the East End without wasting half the day figuring it out.

About Happening in the Hamptons Real Estate Podcast

Happening in the Hamptons is powered by Saunders & Associates, the #1 locally owned real estate brokerage in the Hamptons, and Hamptons.com, the Hamptons’ leading lifestyle brand for what to do, where to go, and what’s happening across the East End.

Each week, Happening in the Hamptons covers the people, properties, market trends, events, restaurants, local businesses, charity happenings, arts and culture, and community stories shaping life on the East End. From Hamptons real estate and homes for sale to weekend events, waterfront living, village life, and local lifestyle coverage, the podcast brings a grounded, local perspective to one of the most iconic markets in the world.

Subscribe to Happening in the Hamptons wherever you listen to podcasts.

Join the conversation and follow for all the latest in Hamptons real estate!

YouTube
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok

Transcript

Welcome, Sponsor, And The Heat

Steve Glick 0:06

It's Thursday, everybody. It's time for another Happening in the Hamptons podcast, our weekly breakdown of the Hamptons Market, new listings, and events on the East End. We're sponsored today by New York Title Abstract, the Hamptons leading title insurance firm. Visit NewYorktitle.com. I'm Steve Glick with Dave Rattiner, and we're here today with Miss Sydney Sadick of Spotlight Magazine. Sydney, good morning.

Sydney Sadick 0:28

Good morning. How are you?

Steve Glick 0:30

Happy 4th of July. Happy 4th of July weekend.

Sydney Sadick 0:33

Saunders and Associates has the best air conditioning in all of the Hampton. So this is where to be this weekend.

Steve Glick 0:38

Yeah, it's nice and cool in here. It's 90 degrees outside. It's going to be a hot one this weekend. Um, and there's a lot going on. Sydney,

Spotlight’s Five-Year Anniversary Party

Steve Glick 0:46

we just had an amazing party last weekend, kicking off the summer and celebrating five years of Spotlight Magazine. So tell us about that. How's it been?

Sydney Sadick 0:56

It was so fun. We've been partnering on this event together for the last couple of years, and we always say that each year is the best one, but I really feel that way. We really top it off.

Dave Rattiner 1:05

This was the best one. 100%. Yeah, this was by far the best party. This was so good.

Steve Glick 1:10

Yeah, it was great. We had it at an amazing property, 27 Fresh Pond in Sag Harbor. This was a $15 million modern, modern estate, and it was awesome. We had you had the cover. Who was the cover?

Sydney Sadick 1:22

Brooke Shields, supermodel, icon, entrepreneur, actress, and Hampton's resident. She grew up actually in Southampton above Herricks, the hardware store. Fun fact.

Dave Rattiner 1:33

So really?

Sydney Sadick 1:34

Yeah, she did.

Dave Rattiner 1:35

Oh, that's crazy. I didn't know that. So she kind of lays low as a Hamptons resident.

Sydney Sadick 1:39

She does, but she's around. I mean, she's working a lot, but you know, she was just so easy to work with, and it was so important for us during our anniversary year to have someone on the cover represent this community. And it gets harder. Like as you are, you know, five years into a magazine, 35 cover stars later, we're in a small community. Yep. So it's hard, but we were so honored to have her, and people have just been so excited. The issue officially hit stands and on the streets today.

Steve Glick 2:06

Oh, really? Okay, great. And where can we find this? Because I know you distribute it everywhere. Everywhere.

Sydney Sadick 2:11

We are in 400 drop points between West Hampton and Montauk in front of every store in Southampton. We're at all the jitneys, the train stations, the restaurants, hotels. And if you happen to be riding the Hampton Ambassador tomorrow, you might get lucky and get a spotlight tote bag with exclusive merch. Oh, wow. And our magazine. Yeah. On your seat.

Dave Rattiner 2:30

I see it all over the place. I'm looking through it right now. It's a hundred pages. Yeah. It's a huge magazine.

Sydney Sadick 2:35

Our biggest

Why Spotlight Puts Community First

Sydney Sadick 2:36

one ever.

Steve Glick 2:36

Sydney, you started the magazine five years ago. You're celebrating your five-year anniversary this year. What made you go into publishing a magazine?

Sydney Sadick 2:44

Well, first off, I spent my entire life in the Hamptons. I'm a born and bred New Yorker. I've been coming to the Hamptons since my mom was pregnant with me and her belly. So this is home. But I've also spent my whole career in luxury media. I worked for many of the quote unquote competitors for over 12 years. I kind of saw what they did mostly not to be critical, but a little wrong versus right.

Steve Glick 3:09

Okay.

Sydney Sadick 3:09

And I said, I wanted to start my own. I was just tired of working for everybody. And I felt that there was a lack of a publication that really still focused on the community. A lot of them are now maybe owned by nationwide companies and they're focusing on bigger trends, but we're celebrating the people, the places, the brands, and the local community.

Steve Glick 3:29

And I love the magazine. It's a great read. So if you're looking at you're going to the beach and you want to pick up, there's a lot of magazines to choose from. Spotlight, you pick it up. It's a great read. It's a fun read. You find out a lot about the local community out here, um, local celebrities like Brooke Shields. there's always what I like is great accounts to follow on Instagram and great podcasts to listen to. So you really give an insight of, you know, like what to involve yourself with in the Hamptons and who to follow and what's trending.

Sydney Sadick 3:58

I think it was also really important in a world where Instagram and TikTok are dominating how we get our news, that if print is going to be successful, we have to adapt how the magazine functions so that when people are reading it, it doesn't feel so old school and it feels a little more Yeah, they interact with it as interactive as if you are reading Spotlight on your phone. So we hear that a lot that like the legacy Hamptonite

Making Print Work In A TikTok World

Sydney Sadick 4:22

loves us, but the next generation millennial doesn't feel like they're reading their grandma's publication. They still feel like it resonates with them.

Dave Rattiner 4:28

I love that this is gonna sound strange, but you really are a luxury expert. I mean, like this magazine brings out so many brands, some all of them are so luxurious, but some of them are like I've I haven't personally heard of them, but then when you look into it, you're like, oh my God, like look how beautiful this is. So, how do you get do these guys come to you? Like, how do you find these niche luxury brands? How do you find these guys?

Sydney Sadick 4:55

So, some that maybe seem niche to someone who's not in fashion, but you're like a luxury consumer.

Dave Rattiner 5:02

Fair enough.

Sydney Sadick 5:03

You know, you probably would probably know, but at this point, what's that?

Dave Rattiner 5:06

No, I'm just kidding. Well, look, we do the I know what that is.

Sydney Sadick 5:09

Super popular PJs.

Steve Glick 5:10

You will know when your daughters get older, you'll know what rapid is. But look, we do the event with Lalique, right? And uh, I was unfamiliar with them. But when you like Dave said, when you look at when you look at the history and see what they put the product they produce, it it is an amazing luxury brand. They're a huge global brand. Um, last year we we partnered with Etro and Etro again is this fashion brand that's iconic and it's been around for a while, and it's really high-end in luxury, and it's you know, really bringing these brands to life and seeing at these events, you get to touch it, feel it, and it it was just a great collaboration that you put together.

Sydney Sadick 5:45

Well, thank you. And the two things that those two companies have in common is that they're such household names in Europe, and these are companies who, you know, are very well known in the US, but it's a different situation, whereas in Europe, they're part of like the everyday shopping culture, where here they're more of a splurge. So it's fun to be able to take both of those

How Luxury Brands Fit The Hamptons

Sydney Sadick 6:06

brands that are super expensive and make them feel a little more attainable by bringing them and adapting them into the lifestyle that is these homes that are part of the Saunders listings.

Steve Glick 6:17

Well, you always have your finger on the pulse, and this weekend is probably one of the biggest weekends in the Hamptons, July 4th weekend, and 4th of July is falling on a Saturday. The beaches are open, they look beautiful. As we're looking on our Hamptons.com cameras, it's gonna be 90 degrees. Yeah. There's also a lot of new stores, restaurants opening up this season in the Hamptons. Can you give us a little insight of what to look forward to? Anyone coming out to the Hamptons?

Sydney Sadick 6:41

Yeah, I mean, I was just having this conversation with my mom when I was driving out that the Hamptons today is a lot different from the Hamptons that I grew up in. It was a lot more local in the sense that the stores, the restaurants were only venues that you could really get if you come out here. Now there's such a big connection to Palm Beach. You see everyone who's there popping up here, everyone who's here popping up there. But I really felt that this summer, more than the last five, we're seeing even more new openings, both in fashion and restaurants.

Dave Rattiner 7:10

Yeah, I agree.

Sydney Sadick 7:11

Buy Estias, now it's Sun Life, right? Babe's Diner in the old Jack's Coffee space, Jack's Coffee Fresh Direct, that's now Sam Edelman in Southampton, East Hampton, the whole town has shifted. Chanel's back, Violet Gray's in. There's a lot of turnover happening right now. And I think it's giving, it's it's giving the Hamptons great publicity and that we're not just a place, I guess, now for the residents, but for a lot of tourists to come, which I don't remember also, even before COVID. We I don't think we ever really saw tourists here, right? So I think that there's a lot happening and we're providing a lot more opportunity to make the Hamptons more than just a local destination. We're becoming really a tourist destination, which is bad and good. Um, but there's a lot to do. And I think this weekend, you know, it'll be the busiest ever, and people are going to be shopping or at the beach. One of the two.

Steve Glick 7:58

I see. I see. And when you drive around Southampton Village, you know, there there used to be a lot of vacancy. Now they're all these pop-ups are coming in. There's art galleries, there's new fashion clothing brands popping in. Even in Sedg Harbor, you drive around. There's like big brands that you would see, you know, on you know Fifth Avenue that are coming out here to the Hamptons now.

Sydney Sadick 8:16

Yeah, Ragan Bone, Delling.

New Shops, New Restaurants, More Tourists

Steve Glick 8:18

Yeah, so it's great to get like, you know, a different flavor. it's like a smaller pop-up, I guess, of the the flagship stores, but there's there's different designs and and they carry a different product out here for the Hamptons, which is nice to see.

Dave Rattiner 8:30

With all that being said, though, there's a lot of the old school stuff. I mean, there's a lot of the old school stuff. Like they still we still do like unbelievable fireworks events. Main Beach is still the same thing, you know. Cooper's Beach is still the same thing. Like, you know, the roads, everything is just it's just everything's been elevated, in my opinion.

Sydney Sadick 8:49

But that needs to stay here forever.

Dave Rattiner 8:50

That local is going to. Like when we we Steve and I were talking about this the other day too. We were on a drive on the way to a listing, and we were just looking out the window and just describing how beautiful it is. You couldn't believe how beautiful it is. And it's like, yeah, man, it's the Hamptons.

Steve Glick 9:05

And that's why people come out here too. Fresh air, the beaches, driving around. It's just a breath of fresh air to leave, you know, to leave a major city like Manhattan to come out here. It's like it's just like heaven.

Sydney Sadick 9:16

And it's community in New York City. We're all a little more anonymous. I'm there during the week, and I'm so happy to come here and see all the familiar faces each week to always have something to do, and it's fun.

Steve Glick 9:26

Yeah, yeah. Like tonight's the other thing, it's fun. Tonight we're doing Saunders, we sponsor concerts in the park at Agawan Park in Southampton Village. Typically, they're on Wednesday nights tonight for a reason. Um, they're it's a Thursday night, and they're featuring Nancy Alice, and it's a free concert, and the whole community comes. They enjoy few mu free music from 6:30 to 8:30. And it's like a great sense of community. There's kids playing, there's families, blankets, there's wine, there's pizza, and like everybody's just having a good time. And they do that every single week. And then I also know Main Beach, they do live music as well on the beach. So, and these are just great local free events supporting local businesses, local artists, and it's just a great sense of community that still exists.

Dave Rattiner 10:08

My advice like if you're living here or visiting here, it's like you really have to savor it, you really have to enjoy it. Like last night I had a birthday party for my daughter at Long Beach, and this the sunsets were so beautiful. It was like it was just unbelievable. Yeah, and we're sitting there and we're like, we should come here tomorrow just for an hour. You know what I'm saying? And tonight we're gonna do that, and it's gonna feel like I had a whole other day because it's such an intense, you know, experience just to experience you know, a few hours at the beaches here. It's like having a whole vacation in like that one hour. So you really want to you really want to save your summer while you're out here. That's good advice. My advice to people.

Steve Glick 10:47

Um, so Cindy, we have the you know, how many more issues are coming out this summer? I know we just launched this you know five-year anniversary of Brooks Shields on the cover.

Free Concerts And Savoring Summer

Steve Glick 10:55

With there are other issues this summer we have to look forward to, right?

Sydney Sadick 10:58

We've got three more. We're back to back for the rest of the season. So our next issue will come out on July 24th. Okay. We have another Hamptons famous local gracing our cover.

Dave Rattiner 11:10

All right.

Sydney Sadick 11:10

Not gonna share who that is, but it's a good name.

Dave Rattiner 11:14

It's not me, is it? No.

Sydney Sadick 11:15

I mean, like, not know.

Dave Rattiner 11:18

You put in so much work, you know. It's like I don't, you know, it's just it blows me away. Like, it's so easy to cheat. You could it's so easy for you to like buy a license of a of a photo of something, slap them on the cover. Others do that. I know they do, but you like I remember on your last your cover with Hil Hilaria or Hillary? Yeah, Hilaria, yeah. Hilaria Baldwin. I mean, it was like a full photo. She was like Vogue magazine in the city. Like you did the whole nine yards with her. You brought her in, you interviewed her in person. We do that with all of them. I mean, I value that so much with your magazine. I really value that.

Sydney Sadick 11:53

That's really sweet. I appreciate that. I mean, to me, like we have to invest in our product and we have to make it look and feel the best. And our reader is smart and educated and knows the difference between quality and right.

Dave Rattiner 12:07

And that's the definition of luxury in many ways.

Sydney Sadick 12:10

It is. So I appreciate you saying that.

Steve Glick 12:12

And you work in it too. And they could see you even distributing your magazines as well. Like, oh, I know we run into you all the time, like, what are you doing? Oh, distributing your own magazine, which is awesome to see. That's right. We saw that. I wish I could say I was like, oh, there it is.

Sydney Sadick 12:24

I wish I could say I'm lifting. I definitely cannot do that. I have a great team of guys who do it, but I'm definitely going around and checking and making sure that our piles are straight, that we're allowed to be in each place. Like, if you're not monitoring every inch of your business, you know, things can fall through the cracks.

Steve Glick 12:40

Well, it really shows that you care about the magazine, and we were excited to partner with you five years ago when you first started, and we're looking to continue that relationship for the next five years and then beyond. So um, congrats again on the guys. Absolutely. Um, so this is a real estate podcast. I'm gonna talk about the data real quick. So um, the past week, 30 listings went into contract. Last year, 32 listings went into contract, small decrease of 6%. But two years ago, there were 18 listings that went into contract. So we're increased there of 67%. The breakdown of the 30 transactions, there is one between 10 and 15 million, four between five and ten million, five between three and five million, eight between two

Upcoming Spotlight Issues And Quality Control

Steve Glick 13:22

and three million, ten between one and two, two hundred million. Dollar volume was ninety-four million, last year was 142 million, a decrease of 34% two years ago. Dollar volume was 58 million, an increase of 62%. 26 new listings came out of the market, so a little bit of a it's still a lot, but lower than other weeks. So that just decreased the market by four listings. The breakdown of the 26 new listings, two over 20 million, one between 15 and 20, one between 10 and 15, four between five and ten, three between three and five, five between two and three, eight between one and two and two hundred million. Inventory is at seventeen hundred and forty-seven total listings, thirteen hundred and ninety-one active, and three fifty-six in contract. So another active week in the Hamptons. I mean, this has been continuously seeing 30 plus listings going into contract, pretty much 30 listings coming on the market. So it's good to see those round numbers. So that's crazy. Dave, this weekend is 4th of July. It's a Saturday. We're celebrating America 250. That's right. If you haven't noticed, um, it's everywhere, everywhere you go.

Dave Rattiner 14:29

Talk about the Saunter's Parade. So the 4th of July parade.

Steve Glick 14:32

It's not the Saunter's Parade, but so the setup. So Southampton Village is the place to be for July 4th. On Saturday, they have an amazing parade. This parade lasts, I would say, almost two hours. I'm clocking it at two hours. I think I'm gonna clock it this year. Um, it starts at 10 a.m. My advice is to get there at

Hamptons Real Estate Market Numbers

Steve Glick 14:54

9 a.m. by 9:30, you're not gonna be able to park. I think they're shutting down the streets. But nonetheless, it is a it is a great parade. And in front of the Southampton office, we set up, we're setting up 100 white folding chairs for people to sit and enjoy the parade. Um, and then our office is gonna be opened with with food and air conditioning. Um, all kinds of gifts, all kinds of things.

Dave Rattiner 15:17

Tons of giveaways.

Steve Glick 15:18

If you're looking for some swag for some 4th of July, red, white, and blue swag, please stop by our office. Hats and flags and anything, America, we're celebrating this Saturday. So it's a great time. So Southampton Village, that's where you want to be. But Dave, what else? There's fireworks somewhere, right? Well, yep.

Dave Rattiner 15:36

If you go out to Hamptons.com, there's an amazing fireworks guide that's called the Hamptons Fourth of July fireworks guides. right right on Hamptons.com, right if you go there. And so Saturday, July 4th at 9 p.m., you have the stars over Montauk Fireworks by Grucci. prime viewing locations are at Gosmanstock and Gin Beach. I recommend Gin Beach if you do that. then on July 4th, you have 4th of July Fireworks Cruise on the Viking Classic in Montauk to see those actual to see those actual fireworks. Friday, July 3rd at the Devon Yacht Club. You have the Devon Yacht Club fireworks and Amiganset. that's a private event, but you can see the fireworks at from f from Fresh Pond Beach, which is a public beach. It's like right next to the Devon Your night is this? That's July 3rd. Oh manana tomorrow. Yep. And then that's it for this weekend. Um, but the fireworks guide goes on all the way. Oh no, sorry. Also July 4th, you have the East Hampton fire department fireworks over Main Beach. That happens at dark, right at Main Beach. And then in West Hampton Beach, you have the West Hampton Country Club fireworks. That's also July 4th. That's where I'll be. That's that's the one.

Steve Glick 16:52

Yep.

Dave Rattiner 16:52

That one's cool. Um, and you have, let's see, there's a carnival somewhere, right?

Steve Glick 16:58

There's a couple of carnivals.

Dave Rattiner 16:59

July 2nd, you got the North Sea Fire Party. That's a good one. Carnival slash fireworks, uh, July 2nd and July 4th. You can have fireworks, so you'll hear them tonight or July 4th, or you can go over there for the carnival. Um, and then in Southampton Village, you have the Southampton Village Independence Day Parade. We talked about that. Yep. Um, just going through the Sag Harbor

Southampton Parade Tips And Saunders Swag

Dave Rattiner 17:20

Yacht Clubs, John A. Ward fireworks, that's at 9 30. That's all on what this is all this weekend. All this information is on Hamptons.com. Veronica Chumby put together a great 4th of July fireworks guide. This is the gold standard for so there's nothing else to do this weekend.

Steve Glick 17:38

Go see fireworks and go to the beach.

Dave Rattiner 17:40

Yeah, well, you know, yeah. Or if you have Snoop Dog stuff Snoop Dogg tickets at Surf Lodge. Snoop Dogg. But you probably don't have those tickets. Surf Lodge. Yeah, Snoop Dogs at Surf Lodge. I'm obsessed with them. Yeah, we all are. We're for all millennials.

Sydney Sadick 17:53

Let's get a Saunders and Spotlight table.

Dave Rattiner 17:56

Wouldn't that be great?

Steve Glick 17:57

Surf Lodge.

Dave Rattiner 17:58

Snoop Dogg well we have at Bay Street. There's this great show. We were just talking about how cool Bay Street is. There's this great show. Cagney, Hollywood's tough guy in tap shoes. I heard it's great. This is a great thing to do over the weekend. There's tickets at Bay Street Theater in Sack Harbor, you can go do that. Um, you have DJ Samantha playing at Callissa's at 10:30 p.m. We're fans of Callissa's. We we love Callissa's. We want to like blow that place up. We think that that place is great.

Steve Glick 18:26

Such a great vibe. It's always fun. The food is great, it's fabulous.

Sydney Sadick 18:29

Someone was at our party.

Dave Rattiner 18:30

Oh, really? Oh, she was there.

Sydney Sadick 18:32

She invited me for dinner.

Dave Rattiner 18:33

Oh, I wish they got great food there. Meeting to do, I wanted to do like a restaurant review for Hamptons.com. You should go. I'm doing that. I will do that. So make sure I'm going to go. I promise I'll do that this weekend. Okay. Um, and that's what's going on in the Hamptons. So if you want anything else, let me know.

Steve Glick 18:51

Oh man, Dave. Jam packed jam-packed weekend. It's all on Hamptons. All right, well, look it's all on Hamptons.com. Check it out, but definitely

Fireworks Guide And Weekend Events

Steve Glick 18:58

enjoy the beach. Enjoy July 4th. Sydney, before we leave, is there any um, you know, what's your favorite restaurant to go to out here in the Hamptons?

Sydney Sadick 19:05

My favorite restaurant is certainly Bibloket. I just love the view. I love it. I know. My go-to order is nothing original if you are a Biblok regular. It is endive salad, Cajun chicken, chocolate mousse, that's the one, sparkling water, and that's it. But then for like a more locally, you know, I love shippies. I think they make great salads in Southampton and just the energy, right?

Steve Glick 19:31

It's a lot of its energy. A lot of its energy food. Yeah, the food's great. My my go-to is a Cajun chicken at Bible K. We go to Shippies all the time. Also get they have a great chicken sandwich there for lunch.

Sydney Sadick 19:43

And and and I miss the old, and they should be back. The space is open in Southampton, and I can't find a Cinnabon that Cinnabon is fun that competes remotely with those things. So

Favorite Restaurants And Final Cheers

Sydney Sadick 19:55

we should bring it back. Find them, Dave.

Dave Rattiner 19:57

Well, you know, I don't know. The only thing you could I could say is Kalisis, you know, did the Oh carissa, yeah.

Sydney Sadick 20:04

Yeah, but Cinnabon, but yeah, but it's not like it's not legit.

Dave Rattiner 20:10

It's like the you know, delivered, you know. Like I like it when it's made in the place and you know the guy and he's been doing it for a million million years.

Sydney Sadick 20:17

He made every cake, you know.

Steve Glick 20:19

All right, guys. Well, enjoy the weekend, happy fourth of July, and stay cool out there. Yeah, I'm Steve Glick, and that is what's happening in the Hamptons.