Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel has given fans a rare peek inside her luxurious Florida abode—while opening up about what it’s like to live with her daughter, Bryn Hoppy, in the Sunshine State mansion.
Frankel, 54, who is a lifelong New Yorker, revealed in April that she was planning to relocate to Miami full time with her daughter, later explaining that she had been deeply “unhappy” in the Big Apple for several years.
Though the TV personality still owns homes in New York, including an apartment on the Upper West Side and a sprawling farmhouse in the Hamptons, she insisted that she plans to use those properties only when she needs to be in the city—and will use her Florida home as her primary residence.
Soon after moving into her opulent dwelling, which is one of two properties that she owns in the state, Frankel doubled down on her dislike of New York when she issued a brutally honest takedown of the Hamptons, declaring that something is “off” with the area this year and noting that it no longer offers the glamorous sanctuary from city life that it once did.
But while Frankel appears much happier in her new home state, previously describing her Florida abode as the “nicest house” she has ever had, she has now confessed that there are some downsides to living in the opulent abode with her teenage daughter, particularly when it comes to protecting her peace.
In a video posted to her TikTok account, the former reality TV star could be seen filming herself in the living room of the property, with the TV on full volume in the background as her daughter watched the hit show “Yellowjackets.”
“It’s amazing to feel wanted in the home that you bought and paid for after being broke for most of your adult life, yet feeling like a prisoner in your home because your daughter has hijacked the show that you turned her onto,” Frankel said.
“It’s blasting on full volume in the middle of the house, and I don’t want to spoil it, so I will hide in a closet by myself because I asked her if she wanted to have lunch, and she said, ‘I want to watch the show.'”
While teasing her teen, Frankel walked around her home to reveal that it was covered in light wood flooring and sprawled across two floors.
Her property perfectly blends a modern finish and cozy aesthetic thanks to its white and tan theme.
The second floor features a wooden railing. Frankel also shared a glimpse of one of the upstairs rooms, which featured carpeting, a large dresser, and a couch.
The TV personality then showcased the living area of her home from the second floor.
The living area came complete with a large wooden built-in, which held the large TV. There was also a striped rug and a gray coffee table.
Though she made her name in reality TV as one of the leading stars of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise, Frankel has since established herself as something of an online tastemaker, winning over fans with her opinions on everything from budget fashion to chicken salad.
She has even turned her focus to real estate of late, opening up to Realtor.com® about the areas that she believes will become major new hot spots now that the Hamptons has become increasingly overcrowded.
“I predict that smaller charming towns throughout the U.S. will start blossoming more. Certain towns like Sag Harbor and Nantucket Town have become insufferable with crowds and traffic,” she explained.
Frankel then noted that the reason many people were drawn to the Hamptons was because of its exclusivity. Its distance from New York City meant that only a certain few people were willing to travel there, helping it to retain an elite status.
However, that has since changed, she said. It’s a shift that she believes will see more people turning their backs on the exclusive area, where homes are regularly listed for upward of $50 million.
“People will start moving to places where they’re not traffic prisoners in their homes. In a place like the Hamptons, the nuance was always that farther out east was more exclusive than, let’s say, Westhampton,” she said.
The social media sensation then listed the East Coast spots that are likely to see a huge influx of visitors in the coming years, urging fans to head out for a weekend getaway while they still can.
“I predict more people will sell and move, and that places like Remsenberg, Westhampton, and Quogue become more desirable,” she said. Many of these areas are closer to the city and, therefore, much more convenient to reach, despite not boasting immediate beach access.
“The difference in a car between Westhampton and Amagansett is over an hour to be in a beach town with restaurants and shops. The towns I mentioned are also closer to New York City and airports,” she went on.
As for her own personal move to the Sunshine State, Frankel reassured fans that she feels entirely “at peace” with the decision, explaining that she knows the move was the “right” one to make, both for her and her daughter, while noting that her displeasure with how the Hamptons has changed did not have any bearing on her relocation.
“Moving to Florida is irrespective of having a Hamptons and a New York City home. It’s right because I have a community there, and I love the light and water. It’s simply a new home base. Most importantly, my daughter is happy, which is all a parent wants and needs,” she said.
Although Frankel is still getting the hang of the Sunshine State, she has already fallen in love with one of Florida’s biggest perks: the weather.
“Feeling like I’m outside even when inside all year long [is one of my favorite things about Florida]. I get depressed being inside all the time in the winter, as a homebody who rarely leaves the nest,” she revealed.
The mom also opened up about how her stunning new property has helped to transform her mental health for the better.
“My new home is exquisite. I really put my heart into its design, and it also represents peace,” she explained. “I really did risk my emotional well-being having all my operations in the center of my last home. I will never do that again.”
Her admissions came just days after she took to TikTok to reveal that her days in the Hamptons had come to an end.
“So today was my first day at my new home in Florida, which is exquisite. I can’t believe it! We will talk about that another time, but it’s the nicest house I have ever had,” she said in her video.
“For me to get here today, knowing that all summer I am going to be in the Hamptons, and I just have to be here for certain obligations and for Brynn, but to get here and say to myself, ‘I am staying here. I will go back to the Hamptons when I have to, but I am staying here.'”
Frankel confessed that her friends used to have to “drag” her out of the Hamptons, adding that she used to even want to spend her winters there.
However, her stance on the upscale enclave has changed drastically in recent months, largely, she said, because of how many people are flocking to the Hamptons during the summer, making the once-exclusive area feel “suffocating.”
“This summer, all the videos people are posting about the Hamptons being off, the traffic is suffocating. It’s horrible on Montauk Highway. You have to drag me to go deep in the Hamptons. The traffic is suffocating. It’s the Bermuda Triangle.
“The vibes are not vibing, people feel disconnected, it’s a choppy summer, it’s crazy. People are highlighting what the Hamptons isn’t,” she said.
Her shocking stance on New York’s hottest getaway area came after Frankel laid bare her feelings around “loneliness” and admitted that she has been “unhappy” for quite some time. She felt she needed to make a move to pull herself out of that extended period of sadness.