Out East, temperatures are rising — and so are the prices.
The cost of a “girls’ weekend” in the Hamptons has now blown out to several thousand dollars as aspiring content creators fork out big bucks to elbow their way into the hotspots hyped up on social media.
The Wall Street Journal reports that an individual can drop at least $3,823 in just three days if they splash cash at the pricey places beloved by their favorite New York City-based influencers.
“The Hamptons is like Disneyland now,” self-described “zillennial finance expert” Haley Sacks told the publication. “It’s so commodified, and you need to go to all these places to check a box so you can post on Instagram. And they all cost a lot of money.”
“The content aspect is really new,” Sacks added. “There’s a lot of pressure right now online of this idea of sameness, and the sameness pushes people into debt because it forces you to spend to keep up with a certain crowd.”
hotspot is a favorite for influencers and aspiring content creators. David Benthal/BFA.com/Shutterstock
But for the hordes of bright-eyed Big Apple youngsters who step off the Jitney armed with their smartphones and credit cards, the steep costs are a small price to pay for access to an elite scene — and enviable social media content.
“It feels like you’re a part of some exclusive club,” New Yorker Noelle Conforti, 26, told the Journal. “You almost feel like you’ve made it in a sense because you’re there and you’re partying with really fun and cool people that you typically see on social media.”
For those who don’t have their own house in the Hamptons, the biggest cost is accommodation, with the Journal reporting that gal pals pay up to $1,500 each to bunk down for three nights in a shared motel room. Others squeeze into rental houses, which are also exorbitantly priced.
Conforti told The Journal that her group of friends paid $3,700 for four nights in a three-bedroom share last summer.
However, the accommodation merely functions as a place to sleep, with the vacationers stepping out — and paying up — to capture content for their social channels.
Among the go-to places: Carissa’s The Bakery, where a matcha latte and an almond croissant will set you back $15, and a Tracy Anderson workout class costing $75.
Those heading to Montauk can expect to pay $97 for a lobster cobb salad at Duryea’s, while bottle service at Surf Lodge is a eye-popping $950, per the publication.
Round Swamp Farm, an organic market in Bridgehampton, is also an essential stop, thanks to its $32 guacamole and $16 chicken salad, both of which have gone viral on TikTok.
Also factored into the cost of a girls’ weekend: hair, makeup and clothing.
Big Apple-based Francia Cooper, 33, told the Journal she does serious grooming ahead of a Hamptons weekend.
The wellness entrepreneur will buy new extensions for $180, fake eyelashes for $120, and treat herself to a Russian manicure and pedicure for $250 all for a Hamptons trip.
Many visitors also flock to the brand-name boutiques that line the main streets of Southhampton, East Hampton and Sag Harbor to indulge in a spot of shopping.
However, some merely pose out front, mindful that they’ve already spent too much money on their weekend away.
“If you don’t take a selfie in front of the little Chanel boutique house-looking store, then I’m not sure if you even went to the Hamptons,” Conforti quipped.
