Posted by Leonard Steinberg on February 22nd, 2014

Once you’ve achieved great wealth, often a painful lesson sets in: without your health that wealth is pretty useless, although it certainly helps to be wealthy if health is important to you. Have you noticed how health-conscious the wealthy have become not only in weight and appearance-obsessed New York, but pretty much everywhere? Even in butter-and-cream France where the food has always been exceptional (although some would argue, not exceptionally healthy)the wealthy have access to certain foods that 10 years ago were simply impossible to find.

Those over 60 years of age used to kinda give up and blow up, considering a paunch and second or third chin a sort of badge of honor to display their wealth…..or have it surgically removed. Across the globe we see people of all age groups diligently working out in gyms, running, cycling, taking walks:  I barely know a very wealthy person who has not recently visited a spa, taken a cleanse or is sans personal trainer. Being healthy is of course possible on a low budget, but much of the health craze requires big spending. Those delicious Blueprint Cleanse drinks are not exactly cheap, but they are good for you. The world’s obsession with youthfulness translates to great health, and real estate has to cater to this growing need.

In the past, Manhattan luxury buildings used to incorporate small gyms knowing most owners would barely use them. Today that is not the case: Building gyms are becoming larger and more sophisticated, and many are over-subscribed. Luxury buyers are beginning to ask about humidification controls, steamers, saunas, filtered fresh air and the like much more regularly. The awareness of the components that make for a healthier life are often at the forefront of the very wealthy. Toxic buildings and environments will soon be a thing of the past in luxury buildings…..some buyers now ask what kind of paint is on the walls. Dolly Lenz’s pioneering DELOS building on 11th Street is a huge proponent of all these concepts and more.

The wealthy also want access to the very best medical facilities: I have had Manhattan buyers move to New York primarily because of our excellent healthcare……at a price. I sold a very high end apartment last year to a couple who were moving to New York specifically for a lengthy medical procedure. The wealthy have always been drawn to medications and ‘procedures’, but recently this has hit a fever’s pitch. High-tech IV treatments and preventative medicine are growing trends. Longevity clinics are growing in popularity too. New York’s outstanding medical services are a strong lure to the aging wealthy too.

I have always loved the ridiculously beautiful Hotel du Cap in the South of France: 10 years ago, the average diner would have ordered a Coca Cola on the terrace: today they are drinking a detox juice instead. At Paris’ Le Bon Marche’s food hall who would have ever thought you would be able to buy a Detox juice and organic oatcakes?