Hedgeye: America is running out of places to gather:
Bars and clubs per capita have fallen over 60% since the late 1970s, and since 2001 a fifth of movie theaters have shut their doors.
Over the past two decades, the country has lost roughly 2,000 golf courses and 7,000 bars and nightclubs.
Catching live music now costs a pretty penny: top-tour concert tickets averaged $134 last year, up +42% from 2019.
So Americans stay in. Nearly 80% see friends and family less than three times a week.
Read that again.
America has traded their community for their couch.
America is running out of places to gather:
Bars and clubs per capita have fallen over 60% since the late 1970s, and since 2001 a fifth of movie theaters have shut their doors.
Over the past two decades, the country has lost roughly 2,000 golf courses and 7,000 bars and… pic.twitter.com/35pN349ApR
— Hedgeye (@Hedgeye) July 5, 2026
Rising costs close traditional third places and reduce affordable social options.
This leads to fewer in-person meetups and higher reported isolation.