“I’m a born and raised city person. Like, please,” Erin Lichy emphasizes in the season 15 trailer of the Real Housewives of New York City. It’s a territorial title she takes seriously—which includes where she sources her groceries.
“If I’m in New York, I want to eat what’s from the soil here. I don’t want it shipped in, so I try to shop small,” Erin, 37, tells Women’s Health ahead of the show’s October 1 premiere. “The butcher I use, everything is from the Hudson Valley. I love going to the Union Square farmers market and getting fresh food. When I’m in the Hamptons, I’m at the farmer’s market almost every single day.”
On camera, Erin is just as thoughtful about her food. (A fight about cheese? Yes, please.) But this season promises even more drama—no charcuterie plates needed. In the trailer, Erin is shown defending herself from newbie Racquel Chevremont, confirming a mystery pregnancy, and accusing husband Abe of “lying.”
But when the going gets tough (conflict is, after all, one of the Real Housewives’ core tenets) Erin likes to step out for some New York City air with her family—which includes Abe and their three children, Levi, 9, Layla, 7, and Elijah, 4.
“Doing things that I love—like taking a walk with my daughter in Central Park—that fills me up,” she says. “Then I’m like, ‘Okay, now I can go back to the grind.’”
Curious about Erin’s life off-screen? Here’s what to know about the Real Housewives of New York City star’s workout and diet.
She does a combo of cardio and strength training.
Erin jets off to her Northwest Woods abode for the summer, which allows for a more consistent fitness routine. “I’m doing classes all the time,” Erin explains. She rotates between Barry’s Bootcamp, The Formula X Meredith (a combination of HIIT, Pilates, functional training, and barre), and running on the beach, which she says, “is great for when I want to clear my head.”
Back in the city, sticking to a regimen of any kind is tricky for the realtor-designer-entrepreneur-reality star. “I try to fit it in at least five times a week, maybe four,” she says. “If I’m really busy, like when it’s New York Fashion Week, I’ll do a workout from home on YouTube.”
With filming added to an already-jammed schedule of parenting and professional duties, Erin does her best to keep fitness in the mix. “It’s hard,” she admits. “Sometimes it means waking up at 5:30 [a.m.]” But once in a while, she can incorporate a workout into the series itself. “I’ll be like, ‘I’m going to do this workout. If you want to do a scene, bring the girls,’” she says.
Cast members Sai De Silva and new “friend of” Rebecca Minkoff, have joined her for Pilates, while Ubah Hassan has gone toe-to-toe with Erin on the tennis court. “She’s really good,” Erin says. Good enough to give Erin a run for her money? She laughs. “No.”
She doesn’t overthink her meals.
When it comes to eating, Erin prefers a healthy mix. “I eat a lot of protein, I have a lot of veggies and fruit and I love to incorporate a salad most days, but if I’m craving something, I won’t stop myself from having it. Last night, I was at Zero Bond and I had steak frites and pasta and a bunch of apps.”
On non-filming nights, Erin does the cooking herself, using the tried-and-true approach of sneaking veggies into kid-friendly food, like blending beets and ricotta cheese together and calling it “Barbie pasta sauce.”
When the Real Housewives of New York is in production, Erin leans more on outside help. “We don’t really order in that much, but every so often, we’ll get my favorite sushi. And my nanny’s an incredible cook. So I’ll teach her my dishes and she’ll know exactly how to do them.”
She doesn’t shy away from a good cocktail.
Part of Erin’s routine includes an adult beverage on a night out or while relaxing at home. She was a tequila drinker before switching to mezcal, since only mezcal is generally 100 percent agave (while tequila can contain other additives like coloring and syrup). “I always liked tequila, but once I got educated about the difference, I realized mezcal’s a step up,” she says. “By law, tequila only has to be 51 percent pure agave, so the other 49 percent is often additives.”
“There are tequilas that are additive-free but you have to look for them,” she adds. “I was like, ‘Well why do I have to search for them? All of them should be.” And just like that, the Lichys entered the mezcal space, launching organic, artisanal brand Mezcalum in 2023.
“I love it clean with minimal ingredients, so I’ll drink it with a little fresh grapefruit or no-sugar mixers,” she says. “The important thing is preserving its natural flavor and not drowning it in sugar.”
Spending time with her kids keeps her grounded.
In 2023, Erin’s first season (technically, RHONY’s 14th) was part of a complete cast replacement and reboot, the first in Real Housewives history. The pressure of being documented on camera combined with the high expectations of the Bravoverse was a lot to manage at the time.
"I remember being anxious at certain moments. Leaning on my friends got me through," she says. "Isolating yourself and being alone with your own thoughts can be dangerous, so I’d talk through it. Sometimes, it’s not as bad as you think. Once you’re on the other side, you’re like, ‘Wow why did I put myself through that?'"
Not only did Erin lean on her friends, but her castmates, too. “We were all in it together. That was the best part,” she says. “I don’t know how new people come into an existing cast, navigating that must be incredibly intimidating. With us, we all came from the same place—we had no idea what we were getting into. It bonded us.”
During especially difficult moments, Erin spends time with her children, an experience she calls “grounding.” She also meditates, although it’s “not always easy.”
Hitting just the right notes of cattiness and vulnerability, the reboot was widely considered a success, with the cameras picking up again earlier this year for season 15. On-screen sparring aside, Erin says, “This season was easier. It was more fun. I’ve got my bearings now and I know what to expect.”
