The Biggest Lifestyle Trends in New York This Year

If you want to know what’s big in the world of lifestyle right now, take a look at New York. For the last few decades, New York has been the epicentre of new trends, from fashion and food to fitness and work culture, setting the pace for the rest of the world to follow. 

And every year, these trends get turned on their head. Grind culture and social networks? They’re so out. Anti-hustle and micro-socializing? They’re so in. 

As for what anti-hustle and micro-socializing actually refer to, however, we’re going to take a look right now. Here are the top three biggest lifestyle trends in the Big Apple this year, giving you a little taste of what’s shaping the city that never sleeps.

Cafe Working (But Not As a Barista!)

According to a recent report, cafes in high-traffic New York City locations generated over $1.5 million last year, and there’s a good reason for this. 

Across the city, a notable lifestyle trend has involved workers leaving their traditional offices or home setups for the city’s vibrant coffee culture, using their public Wi-Fi and conducive atmosphere to up their productivity – and feel a little more comfortable in the process. 

Perhaps this is also why VPN companies have experienced a boom recently! Many of the same remote workers use ExpressVPN for privacy, ensuring their data isn’t going to be stolen while connected to public networks – so if you’re thinking of doing the same thing, you might want to browse the market for your own protection.

Micro-Socializing

Micro-socializing is essentially the opposite of big, crowded nightlife. Rather than having massive parties out and about town, many New Yorkers are choosing to have smaller, curated gatherings where you actually get to talk to people rather than shouting over the music in a club.

It might not be flashy or glamorous, but if you’re part of a friendship group that values meaningful connections and quality time together, it’s certainly a lot more rewarding than the typical night out. Plus, it’s less expensive – and in a city like New York, where the average cost of living is 130% over the national average, that’s certainly a big plus.

Anti-Hustle

Lastly, anti-hustle. What do we mean by that? Well, while the last few years have been dominated by the ‘grind culture’ – where long hours and constant side hustles were glorified – in 2025, New York has turned that on its head. It’s now no longer cool to always be busy. On the contrary, this trend is all about embracing downtime and focusing on meaningful work rather than sheer output. 

Think a leisurely brunch instead of back-to-back meetings, or starting a new yoga class instead of starting a new side project. Across the city, New Yorkers are increasingly valuing balance and mindfulness, looking to enjoy life outside of their careers despite living in the heart of the ‘city that never sleeps’. 

That nickname might have been appropriate a few years ago, but in 2025, it seems that New York is finally getting a good night’s rest!