Gen Z Ditches Hamptons for Global Adventures: The Rise of Post-Pandemic Wanderlust and Social Media Bragging Rights

Edited by: TJVNews.com

For decades, the Hamptons represented the quintessential summer escape for young, ambitious New Yorkers. Renting a house from Memorial Day to Labor Day was not just a tradition; it was a rite of passage for those seeking to network, relax, and embrace the luxurious East Coast lifestyle, as was noted in a recently published report in The New York Post.  Immortalized by shows such as “Sex and the City” and reality programs such as “Summer House” the Hamptons epitomized what it meant to live the high life in the summer months. However, The Post report indicated that for today’s Gen Z, the allure of the Hamptons is fading as a new breed of young travelers emerges, driven by post-pandemic wanderlust, a strong American dollar, and the insatiable desire for social media clout.

Chloe Hechter, a 23-year-old New Yorker, perfectly captures the shift in priorities among her generation. While her parents still frequent the Hamptons every weekend, Chloe and her friends have other ideas. “Everything is about social media now and everyone wants to be discovered as an influencer,” Hechter told The Post. This sentiment reflects the new reality for Gen Z: travel has become less about proximity and tradition and more about the experiences they can showcase on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Today’s young adults are seeking destinations that provide unique content opportunities for their social media feeds, whether it’s an isolated beach on a Greek island or a hidden gem in rural England. The Post report revealed that Hechter and her peers still indulge in the occasional Hamptons holiday, such as the Fourth of July, but their focus has shifted toward more exotic and far-flung locations for the rest of the season. Gone are the days of splurging on a $120 lobster salad or $29 guacamole in East Hampton. Instead, they are venturing to places that offer both adventure and a sense of exclusivity — destinations that, in their minds, will make their followers take notice.

The rise of Gen Z’s travel ambitions coincides with broader post-pandemic trends that have redefined what it means to “get away.” After years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, young adults are eager to explore the world beyond the well-trodden paths of their predecessors, The Post report said. Fueled by a strong U.S. dollar, which has made international travel more affordable, and a desire to curate their own personal brands, this generation is eager to set foot in less mainstream locations.

For many, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour were the perfect excuses to take a trip abroad, as Hechter noted while speaking to The Post. But these excursions are not limited to Europe’s traditional luxury destinations such as St. Tropez or Mykonos. Tony Abrams, who runs the high-end travel company Four Hundred, has seen a notable shift among his clients. “People want to go off the beaten path,” he explained to The Post. “They want to feel like they have discovered a place that is not widely known… they want to be the Christopher Columbus of something.”

Indeed, today’s “cool” travelers are posting from places like Paros and Antiparos in Greece, Marbella in Spain, or the scenic Cotswolds in England. These lesser-known but equally stunning destinations are becoming the new playgrounds for young adventurers. As per the information provided in The Post report, unlike previous generations who were content with the tried-and-true destinations of the rich and famous, Gen Z wants to create the sense of “discovery” — to be the first among their peers to post that idyllic seaside shot or panoramic countryside view.

The shift away from the Hamptons is not just a cultural one; it’s having real-world effects on the area’s iconic rental market. The rise of global travel, combined with lingering post-pandemic economic decisions, has left many homeowners and real estate agents grappling with a market in flux. In fact, The Post report indicated that the influx of rental properties on the market — many of which were purchased during the pandemic — has led to a significant drop in prices, with some homeowners seeing as much as a 50% reduction in rental costs.

“A lot of people bought during the pandemic and then decided they wanted to travel or they needed rental income so the market is saturated,” Michael Waltz, a long-time East Hampton homeowner, told The Post. Waltz, who has listed his property for rent since 2017, sees firsthand how the changing travel preferences of young New Yorkers are impacting the local real estate landscape. While the Hamptons once thrived on young professionals willing to rent for the entire summer, today’s short-term renters are increasingly opting for shorter, more sporadic stays.

“It definitely shifted this year — people didn’t want to commit out here,” Waltz explained to The Post, reflecting on a season where securing renters became a struggle, a contrast to the consistent demand he had experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent surge of “revenge travel.”

“Brokers told me if you get any offer you should take it… even an offer coming in 50% lower than the listing,” Waltz added when speaking to The Post, This reality is emblematic of a broader trend in the Hamptons market, where property owners are being forced to accept significantly lower rental rates just to fill their homes. In previous years, homeowners could rely on having their properties snatched up by eager renters as early as February. However, this year, homes sat on the market for far longer, with some not securing tenants until late spring or early summer.

The slowdown in the Hamptons rental market can be traced back to a surge in property buying during the pandemic. As urban dwellers fled cities for the safety and space of the Hamptons, many decided to purchase homes, often with the intent of renting them out later, The Post report said. This influx of properties available for rent has created an oversupply in the market, with many homes now competing for the attention of fewer renters.

Susan Breitenbach, a broker at Corcoran Group, explained that property owners had become accustomed to the elevated rental rates that characterized the pandemic era. “Owners got spoiled with COVID pricing — everyone thought they could cash in and rent their house,” Breitenbach told The Post. However, with the pandemic subsiding and more travel options available, renters are no longer willing to pay top dollar for long-term Hamptons stays, forcing landlords to lower their expectations.

This trend has led to homeowners accepting lower offers for shorter stays. “People split up the season and took less money this summer,” Breitenbach told The Post, noting that renters benefited from the oversupply, often securing better properties for longer periods at significantly reduced prices.

“Now that people are freer to travel than a couple years ago, why not do summer vacations in the Hamptons and Europe,” Compass real estate broker Evan Kulman told The Post. Kulman explained that the changing tastes of renters who are now splitting their summers between domestic and international destinations.

“The Hamptons will always have the allure of being a destination place, all year long,” Kulman noted. The appeal of the Hamptons—its luxury, exclusivity, and proximity to New York City—remains strong, even if current trends are causing temporary disruptions.

Kulman, who has already secured leases for next summer, is confident that the Hamptons’ allure will endure. While the market may be experiencing a short-term adjustment, the area’s reputation as a premier summer destination is unlikely to wane in the long term. “It feels like it will be a more robust summer season,” Kulman told The Post, pointing to early interest and renewed demand for 2025.

For renters, the cooling Hamptons market has presented new opportunities to score deals on high-end properties. Content creator Tita Loyek and her husband are among those who took advantage of the shifting dynamics, according to The Post report. What’s more, the report in The Post said that Loyek and her husband didn’t feel the need to lock in their rental months in advance, as had been common in previous years. Instead, they waited until April to finalize their booking, a strategy that would have been unthinkable in the past when competition for Hamptons homes was fierce.

“We were late in the game,” Loyek admitted to The Post, reflecting on how they approached the rental market much later than usual. But, with the rental market in flux, their timing actually worked in their favor.

“The owners really wanted someone for the whole summer,” Loyek explained to The Post, which allowed her and her husband to negotiate a deal. They secured the same price for a Memorial Day to Labor Day rental that they had paid the previous year for only two months. This substantial discount highlights one of the biggest shifts in the Hamptons market: an oversupply of available rentals and a softening demand for full-season leases.

While Loyek enjoyed a full summer stay, she noticed that her experience was becoming less common among her peers. “I saw a lot of creators who did a month in the Hamptons, but I noticed a lot of people are going out just for the weekend,” she remarked to The Post.

As the 2024 summer season comes to an end, it’s clear that the Hamptons rental market is undergoing a period of recalibration. Homeowners who once relied on the steady demand of summer-long rentals are now facing a more uncertain landscape. The post-pandemic world has given renters greater flexibility,

This optimism is shared by other brokers who believe that the Hamptons, with its combination of luxury, natural beauty, and social scene, will continue to attract high-end renters, even as preferences evolve. While the current market may favor shorter stays and lower prices, many in the industry expect a rebound as travel normalizes and renters once again seek the full summer experience in the Hamptons.