Insider Life: Pandemic "revenge spending" - Florida's risky real estate - SoulCycle's CEO on her new role

TGIF, y'all. In this week's edition of Insider Life, we're bringing you our top reads from the intersection of luxury, culture, and travel. Today, we'll introduce you to a woman who quit her corporate job to start a travel business, tell you the risks of moving to Florida, and show you how some NYC renters are scoring big on apartments.

Let's get to it.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. For more of our newsletters, sign up here.

Singapore is now ranked the best place to be during the pandemic, bumping New Zealand from the top spot for the first time. The Southeast Asian island nation took the lead on Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking thanks largely to its increased vaccination and nearly nonexistent COVID-19 cases.

Here's what makes Singapore so special.

Betting on Florida real estate could be a big mistake. South Florida is facing a climate crisis as rising sea levels imperil real estate in coastal areas. About 1 million homes - more than 10% of the state's residential real estate - will be at risk of flooding by 2100.

These are the risks for new Florida transplants and investors to consider.

SoulCycle's new CEO Evelyn Webster took the helm in December after a tumultuous year: the company had to shutter studios for much of 2020, and was faced with allegations of a toxic workplace. Since joining, she's been asked "what on earth were you thinking?"

Webster explains exactly what she was thinking when she took the role.

The pandemic was the impetus for many renters leaving NYC, opening units and dropping rents - and creating an opportunity for other renters to upgrade their living spaces for less. Nine New York City renters share the apartment deals they've snagged during the pandemic, from saving up to $800 on rent to negotiating months free and new appliances.

See their pandemic scores here.

In America's white-hot real-estate market, people are doing whatever they can to score a home - and in Silicon Valley, that meant dozens of hopeful home-buyers camping in tents overnight in hopes of nabbing $1.2 million townhouses. Their experience is a symptom of a larger problem in the US - demand is outpacing inventory.

See the homes residents were vying for.

Throughout the pandemic, the luxury market has proved more resilient than predicted. Total luxury sales dropped an estimated 17% in 2020 versus the 35% drop that was initially forecast, thanks to pandemic-inspired "revenge spending" and explosive sales in China.

Here's how those changes saved the luxury industry.

After working as an investment banker and an Uber exec, Sarah Groen knew it wasn't for her. In 2018 she pivoted to the travel industry, launching a private luxury travel business - and she says she's never been happier.

A look inside Groen's successful business.

Plus...

• A 310-foot superyacht had to navigate narrow Dutch canals to get from a shipyard to the sea. See pictures here.
• A Florida couple tried to host their wedding at a $5.7 million mansion that wasn't theirs. Then the owner showed up.
• Vaccinated US travelers will be able to visit Europe this summer, but their travel may be restricted. Everything you need to know.