Harbor Books Closing Only Temporary

Harbor Books, one of two bookstores in Sag Harbor, may be closed, but it won’t be for long, according to owner Taylor Rose Berry.

On Friday, February 1, Berry said she had found a new Main Street space, although she would not divulge the location, pending finalization of her lease, and said she expected to reopen by Memorial Day.

“I’m committed to having a bookstore in Sag Harbor,” she said. “It’s a very literary community.”

Berry sent shock waves through the community in November when she announced she was looking for a new space. Although she stressed at that time that she did not intend to close her store permanently, many assumed the worst, given the high rents charged for commercial properties across the East End.

The shop, which opened in the former BookHampton space on Main Street on Black Friday 2014, closed last week after Berry was unable to negotiate a new lease with her landlord, Ted Seiter. Knowing that the lease would end in February,  Berry used those last two  months to  reduce inventory, return unsold books to publishers, and otherwise prepare for the move.

Berry stressed that she and Seiter were parting on good terms. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Ted,” she said, adding that she held no grudge against him for trying to maximize the revenue from his building.

Berry added that she had known since the end of 2017 that she would probably have to find a new space. “It was no surprise,” she said.

Rumors on the street have said that an East Hampton cosmetics store is eyeing the location, but Seiter’s real estate agent, Hal Zwick of Town and Country Real Estate would not comment. Canio’s Books remains in its current location on upper Main Street.

sjkotz@indyeastend.com