When Covid hit in March 2020, Manhattan elites and Upper East and West side city dwellers drove the exodus out of NY and fled to their Great Gatsby mansions in Long Island and hammocks in Long Beach.Â
If you canât get away from property and state taxes, at least find a better view!
Now they are retreating to another destination that is not only closer but more quaint and seemingly friendlier with less glam and glitz than Southhampton booze and SoulCycle.
Situated between the Hudson and the Pocantico Rivers, only 30 miles from Manhattan and less than one hour away, if you can get out of the city on a good day, the Westchester village of Briarcliff Manor is an extremely affluent yet stealth wealth hidden gem. If youâre a true billionaire, that is your cup of tea and true style.
If you feel the need to impress anyone, you are not impressive. People donât remember you for what you do or say most of the time, rather they remember you for how you make them feel with their hospitality. If you want to get away from attention, you are living the most secure and stable life and thereâs no better place than here. No pressure to join though. NYC is tough enough.
Since the pandemic began, the top 1% and ultra-wealthy have grown their wealth to a collective $13 trillion and counting. The top 1% are collectively worth more than the bottom 50% and a large share of the middle class and their nest eggs have witnessed a meteoric rise as stock markets have boomed in 2020â2022 with a record number of SPACs, IPOS, M&As, and low-interest-rate palooza environment.
Although the wealthy havenât been afraid to spend and shop until they drop, this has led to a staggering wealth divide that has only been exacerbated by inflation. Americans reported being in the best financial positions of their lives in November. That number has since plummeted.
Thankfully this spending hasnât all been to please and impress, instead, enticed by an urge for normalcy and peace, something that cannot be replaced and has been lost in an age of social media, PR stunts, and paparazzi.
This upstate village of New York, Briarcliff Manor, and up north, North Salem have become the new Montauk and Miami for the top 1%+ who crave suburbia and ânative ties to outdoor activities for adult and childrenâ without the buzz. Life is short, Miami must be overrated at this point.
According to the mayor, there have been increasing demands for recreational activities more than ever maintaining a small village feel billionaires arenât afraid to buy into.
North Who?
Surprisingly, in Briarcliff Manor, the median household income for RESIDENTS, not those who own a 4th beach or weekend home there is $181,125 which is nowhere near the equity-based compensation that makes up the bulk of several of the part-time residentâs earnings.
In North Salem, it is in a similar ballparkâââa stark difference between full-time residents and those that have a house for boredom or fun. Bill Gatesâ daughterâs property, the Evergate Stables is worth $16 million alone.
Known as the âBillionairesâ dirt road, this hidden secluded dirt road is home to many celebrities and business tycoons from Larry Fink, Georgina Bloomberg, David Letterman, and Richard Gere to name a few.
A surge in prices and sales in this town indicates the stealth wealth revolution seems to be coming in hotter than ever as real estate has taken a different turn into the real comfortable way of living for elites.Â
This comes to show, at the end of the day, we are all human and just want to feel loved, comfortable, safe, and private the more popular we get. The more secluded and unknown the zip code, the better.
As lockdowns brought an influx and desire for more land, space, and peace, the top 1% did so as well. Some fled to $500m yachts and others to 8 figure horse ranches.
This is certainly a sign of the times and a new wave of living we can at least learn from celebritiesâ spending habits that are usually notorious for faltering and looking too good to be true.
Nothing can replace peace and a true sanctuary. The dirt road is valuable.
Take the path untraveled to yield the most.