(via Gosman's)
Gosman's in the early '80s (Jen Carlson Personal Collection)
The Gosman family, who have owned a prime 14-acre plot in Montauk for decades, have put their sprawling property on the market for over $50 million.
Gosman's has been a particularly charming staple in Montauk, especially as the area has become less blue collar and more of a popular summertime destination for the "yupster bro" set. Recent changes to the beach town include the takeover of the delightful old movie theater by spinning cult SoulCycle, to paint a picture of what's happening down there. But Gosman's has been part of the reason you could still go to Montauk and find the same Montauk you experienced in the 1980s. So this is very upsetting. Honestly, as for their restaurants, Gosman's has never been that spectacular when it comes to food, but location, location, location... and nostalgia.
According to The Real Deal, the owners are asking for $52.5 million, and whoever picks it up is going to have some power to change significant sections of Montauk. The real estate agent, Julia Prince, says the buyer "is kind of in a way going to be next Carl Fisher." In 1926, Fisher bought up a chunk of the East End of Long Island (10,000 acres) for $2.5 million, saying he planned to turn Montauk into the "Miami Beach of the North."
Prince called the Gosman's offering "iconic," and it is. The parcel for sale includes both developed and vacant land, featuring retail shops, restaurants, motels, vacant land, a huge parking lot, and an acre of beachfront property. Luckily, Montauk has zoning ordinances that will stop certain nightmare scenarios from happening.
(via Gosman's)
Gosman's Dock was founded in 1943 by Robert and Mary Gosman, "fish packers and agents for Fulton Market." It is a treasure, and hopefully zoning rules in The End will stop any crazy overdevelopment from happening... but even so, it's a real signal that the real Montauk is truly disappearing. Hang in there White's drug store and... what else is left, even?
