As someone the same age as the original Summer House crew, I can say it: they’ve officially aged out of their summer antics. What started as a show about young New Yorkers hustling during the week and letting loose in the Hamptons has shifted into something else entirely—think less grind, more influencer drama.
Bravo seems to agree. Enter Next Gen NYC, the network’s answer to a fresher, younger take on the party-hard lifestyle. These new cast members aren’t just younger—they’re an entirely different generation. Kyle Cooke is nearly two decades older than Gia Giudice and Riley Burruss, and yet they’re still orbiting the same Bravo universe. While Summer House followed millennials stumbling into adulthood—engagements, babies, startups—Next Gen NYC rewinds the clock to a crew still living off their parents and partying like it's their job. And honestly, it kind of is.
'Next Gen NYC' Are the Freshmen to 'Summer House's Senior Class
Similarities exist between early Summer House and Next Gen NYC. While one takes place on the beach and the other is in the city, they both share the fast-paced intensity of New York. No, Summer House didn't have any "Bravo babies" like this show, but the cast of characters that we watched embark on a summer of fun that was filled with a mixed-friend group of close pals and newbies to the bunch. And no, there are no direct one-to-ones of the Wirkus twins on Next Gen NYC, for which we should all be grateful. We have a playboy like Kyle in Charlie Zakkour. The "it couple", like Lindsay Hubbard and problematic boyfriend Everett Weston, is Ariana Biermann and Hudson McLeroy. We've got Brooks Marks as the "token gay," like Stephen McGee. And while we can hope that Georgia McCann will outlast a season, her trouble-making is like Cristina Gibson's. Each individual in the Next Gen NYC cast is ambitious, utilizing their skills to dominate their generation's aspirations, such as bitcoin and social influence. And yet, we're not here to watch them rise in the ranks. We're going to be talking about the nights out, the hook-ups, and the fights.
Those things, over time, have become a tad uncomfortable to watch on Summer House simply because of where they might be in life. Like a man called “Orgy Beast” is sharing a wall with a woman about to give birth? But Next Gen NYC’s cast of friends has a lot of time to make those young adult mistakes before they reach the next big steps, and we question their life decisions. So go for it, Charlie. Hook up with another cast member's sister. It's incredibly awkward, and no matter if literally everyone tells you to stop, you're still going for it. Now, Jesse Solomon, maybe tone it down with the ladies on Summer House. Heed those warnings from the other women you're sharing a home with.
'Next Gen NYC' Restarts 'Summer House'
Though it may feel like an eternity ago, Summer House only began its long run in 2017. In that time, the show has evolved. New faces were welcomed into the friend group. The goal of summer fun began to shift as each individual's life changed. And so, Summer House became different. It wasn't about young adults having fun. It was about adults adulting. There are some stars, like Paige DeSorbo, Lindsey Hubbard, and Amanda Batula, who could easily graduate to new cast members of The Real Housewives of New York City. So, rather than resetting Summer House with a new cast, Next Gen NYC is taking the baton and running with it. Next Gen NYC is essentially showing us the work week before we watch the weekends on Summer House. Do we really want to be watching Kyle at pitch meetings for Loverboy or Carl Radke spend every waking moment trying to launch Open Soft Bar + Cafe? Likely not. Next Gen NYC is testing that out for us. We're going to watch Charlie in the crypto world, major scandal aside.
The connective tissue has been established that, if Next Gen NYC takes off, they could be spending their weekends in a shared house right next to their older generation counterparts this summer. It's just an inevitable crossover that Bravo is salivating for. Will it be uncomfortable watching the kids dance as Kyle plays a DJ set? Absolutely. But that's why we tune into Bravo reality. It's our escape from reality. Summer House had the advantage of watching brand-new characters emerge. Next Gen NYC has a stigma of their famous mothers casting a shadow over their rising-star children. We know they'll be popping up, so fans will be tuning in. Will the kids of Next Gen NYC break out on their own? Thankfully, with petty drama around every corner, they will have no problem owning that reality star moniker. Hopefully, they will learn from the "elders" of Summer House on their journey to Bravolebrity.
