The rich ditch hotels, Santa Claus’ North Pole home, and rare whisky struggles: Lifestyle news roundup

In 2024, the luxuries industry has seen a noticeable decline from the post-pandemic boom: inflation, political instability, and economic disruption mean that consumers are tightening their metaphorical belts and not spending nearly as much on real life designer belts.

If you’re looking for Christmas or Hanukkah presents for your loved one – especially if you’re a fan of extremely expensive items promoting dubious health claims – look no further than this year’s Goop Holiday Gift Guide.

It’s Santa Claus’ busiest time of year. He’s running drills with the reindeer, overseeing the elves’ toy production, and making the final call on which children are naughty and which are nice. And now, on top of all of those responsibilities, Santa is apparently staging his house for Zillow.

A Manhattan townhouse that was once home to celebrities including Bob Dylan, Mary Tyler Moore, and Mike Nichols recently went on the market for $7.25 million – in what might be only the fourth instance of the property’s deed changing hands in decades.

The market for rare and fine whisky is facing a “downturn of painful proportions,” according to an annual industry report from Scottish financial advisory firm Noble & Co, which comes as the market for luxury goods continues to experience setbacks due to global political and financial instability.

Scott Bessent – a hedge fund manager and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Treasury Department – has a passion for expensive real estate.

There are few aspects of home ownership that are as polarizing as homeowners associations: for their proponents, HOAs are viewed as a way to raise property values and improve quality of life for everyone in the neighborhood.

Prospective homeowners in the five most expensive towns in the United States need to earn at least $1 million annually to afford to buy property, according to a recent report released by GOBankingRates.

When Taylor Swift fans left the record-setting Eras Tour, it turns out that a lot of them took a “Getaway Car.”

In honor of Swift’s 35th birthday – which falls just days after the conclusion of her two-year world tour – Uber (UBER) released data on how Swifties traveled to and from the pop superstar’s concerts.