The Manhattan luxury market may be going strong, but wealthy New Yorkers still want to flee the city’s freezing winter temps.
“New Yorker snowbirds are divided into three categories: the ones seeking the sun and warm weather, the ones seeking the snow and skiing, and the ones who love to do both,” Douglas Elliman broker Jacky Teplitzky tells Realtor.com®.
While South Florida, namely Miami and Palm Beach, is a standard destination for affluent snowbirds, where else are elite New Yorkers headed this snowy season?
Puerto Rico is becoming more popular
This Caribbean island and U.S. territory has become increasingly popular with wealthy New Yorkers.
Sonia I. Christian-Bendt, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York Properties, says she has traded skiing in Aspen for the sunny shores of San Juan.
“I absolutely love spending Christmas in San Juan followed by New Year’s—try getting a hotel reservation for New Year’s Eve, it’s almost impossible—followed by the immensely popular annual San Sebastian Festival in Old San Juan in January,” she tells Realtor.com.
Christian-Bendt mentions Puerto Rico native rapper/musician Bad Bunny as a reason the profile of the island has risen in the past few years. She says she recently tried to buy a ticket for his Coliseo de Puerto Rico run in San Juan but “all 30 shows were sold out.”
She notes the Condado neighborhood and Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve outside of San Juan, as two places that are popular with the city set.
“These two very affluent areas are just a short flight away from New York that offer beach, warm weather, golf courses, and fantastic restaurants,” she says. “Also these two areas attract a lot of world-famous celebrities.”
She says that Puerto Rico native pop star Ricky Martin lives in a Dorado Beach condo, which happens to be the in same building where she leases a place for her winter holiday.
“I was in the same elevator with him and started my usual chatting not realizing it was Ricky Martin!” she says.
“New Yorkers have long been coming to Puerto Rico, but the interest is clearly growing now, especially as an alternative to South Florida,” agrees Will Bennett, Puerto Rico resident and CEO of Three Rules Capital, which is developing Esencia, a new luxury community in Cabo Rojo with 900 branded residences and three hotels including Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Homes start at $2 million.
He points not only to the island’s “stunning and diverse natural beauty from mountains to rainforest to pristine beaches to bioluminescent bays” but its favorable tax incentives, too.
“We’re seeing new price records and asking prices above $60 million, which would’ve seemed outrageous just a few years ago,” he says.
Aspen and Vail have long been popular
While for decades Aspen has been the primo destination for wealthy snow bunnies who prefer skiing to sunbathing, Vail is close behind in popularity.
“You don’t need to fly across the Atlantic to experience the charm of Europe’s famous ski destinations,” Teplitzky says. “I’m finding that many high-net-worth individuals are prioritizing domestic travel for their vacations, like Vail, for example. It brings European ski glamour stateside, without all the hassle of cross-continent travel.”
St. Barts shows no sign of losing its appeal
Saint Barthelemy, a stunning French-speaking Caribbean island also known as St. Barts and St. Barths, has been popular with the wealthy set for decades and shows no signs of losing its appeal.
The list of celebrities who winter there is very long: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Mariah Carey, and Nicole Kidman are just some of the A-listers spotted on the yacht-filled 11-mile long isle over the years.
But the less famous flock there too.
“St. Barths is the place to be in the Caribbean,” asserts Teplitzky. “New Yorkers love to sail in the Caribbean, so you will find them on their yachts doing the Caribbean Island hopping.”
The small island is surrounded by reefs, offering plenty of diving and snorkeling in its stunningly clear turquoise waters, while gourmet French restaurants and Gustavia’s designer shops round out the appeal to those with cash to burn. The island doesn’t have a golf course, so avid golfers usually stay in Anguilla.
Frances Katzen, founder of The Katzen Team at Douglas Elliman, agrees that the Euro-vibed Caribbean isle is the place wealthy Manhattanites prefer to congregate.
“St. Barths keeps coming up in conversations,” she tells Realtor.com “It’s the closest you can get to New York energy in the Caribbean with its Michelin-level restaurants, high-fashion boutiques, yacht culture, and a tight-knit scene that feels like the Upper East Side, just with sand and turquoise water.”
She says the ultraluxury market there is going gangbusters.
“Homes are in perpetual demand, and the rental market is booked out months earlier than usual, especially for waterfront villas with private staff,” she says.
Texas has become a wellness center
The Lone Star State isn’t just for cowboys anymore. City folk surged into the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, in search of wide-open spaces and fewer restrictions.
Now Manhattanites are choosing Texas for their winter getaway, seeking out the slower pace, Southern charm, and land that stretches on for miles. Bonus points for a city like Houston or Austin, where they can also get restaurants, spas, and cultural events.
“Wealthy New Yorkers aren’t just chasing warm weather anymore,” says Douglas Elliman agent Mark Menendez, who has lived in New York and now reps Texas real estate. “They’re seeking places that make their bodies and minds feel better. Wellness has become the real luxury driver, and it’s influencing winter decisions far more than people realize.”
He says he is seeing wealthy New Yorkers head to the Lone Star State during the cold months for the “breathing room, the calmer pace, and the ability to live without the constant overstimulation of the city.
“Houston in particular gives them space, culture, and exceptional medical access while still feeling grounded.”
He mentions favorite neighborhoods like Uptown, Montrose, and the Heights, but that “it’s really the broader lifestyle shift that’s pulling them in, not any one spot or spa.”
Hawaii is a balmy escape
Hawaii is a perpetual favorite for those seeking to escape frosty Northeast winters. The weather is balmy year-round, the waters are clear blue, the landscape ranges from mountains to jungles to cities, and the people are known for being friendly and welcoming.
“Hawaii continues to pull a certain kind of New Yorker who wants high-end living surrounded by deep nature,” says Menendez.
He says many are “trading Miami for Hawaii” seeking a quieter, more restorative stay. He sees his clients following the same path that he himself has chosen: Miami traded for Hawaii, which was replaced by Costa Rica, which was bumped for Texas.
“It’s not about escaping winter anymore; it’s about choosing a better way to live, even if only for a few months,” he explains.
Arizona becomes a hot spot for second-home owners
With stunningly dramatic red landscapes that include the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Monument Valley, the state has plenty to offer the wealthy city dweller looking to escape freezing temps.
Alex Dodge, property manager of Skyeview, a luxury resort on Camelback Mountain, says New Yorkers pour in during the winter months.
“They want something that feels exclusive and hidden but still close to great restaurants and everything happening in Scottsdale,” he tells Realtor.com.
Dodge says many visitors are so enamored of the area that they don’t want to leave—and end up plunking down for a second home.
“We’re seeing more guests use their stay as a trial run before buying in the area, which has been increasingly more popular for East Coast residents as they consider purchasing a vacation home in Phoenix or Scottsdale,” he says.
Australia gets a new spark of interest
Some rich New Yorkers don’t mind a 30-hour flight (there are no direct flights from NYC to Australia). In fact, that is much of the appeal. (It helps if you can afford first class or have a private jet.)
“The last year has been intense politically, globally, financially, and [clients] want to feel far away from it all,” Katzen tells Realtor.com.
“That’s why I’m seeing a wave of interest in Australia. Sydney and Melbourne are in peak summer when New York is hitting its coldest stretch, and there’s this renewed excitement about the lifestyle there, between the waterfront restaurants, the growing arts and design scene, and the effortless outdoor culture. Weather plays a role, but it’s more about a reset.”
She’s seeing clients purchasing third or fourth homes there too which “wasn’t as common before.”
“The market is tight and prices are holding, and they feel confident about the long-term investment,” she says.
And then there are some who can afford to leave frigid Manhattan but are choosing not to.
“Even those with the means to jet off somewhere glamorous are feeling a bit fatigued by all the political noise,” says Katzen. “Some are escaping halfway across the world, but others are doing the exact opposite and staying put.
“After a year like this, ‘quiet and close to home’ is the new luxury for a lot of wealthy New Yorkers.”