And You Thought New York Was Different Than The Rest Of The Country

Happily, teens in New York are just as weird about prom as those kids profiled on MTV:

Jenna Cossuto spent $2,400 on her custom-made dress. She’ll rent a 22-seat stretch Hummer to transport her closest friends to privately booked Gotham Hall.

And then it’s off to the swanky South Street Seaport at Bridgewater and afterward, a party in Crobar’s VIP section before a long weekend in a Hamptons beach house.

But this once-in-a-lifetime weekend isn’t for Cossuto’s wedding.

It’s for this 17-year-old’s senior prom.

“You only do prom once, and I’ve been planning this for over a year,” said Cossuto, who will graduate from Leon Goldstein HS in upscale Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn.

She’s part of a growing generation of teens who think of prom as the end all, be all of their young lives.

“Teens think of prom as their Oscar night. They want to look and feel like celebrities,” says Gina Kelly, fashion director at Seventeen magazine.

. . .

“I’m not sure exactly how much I’ll spend, but probably thousands and thousands,” said Cossuto. If she gets all she wants, the total will exceed $10,000.

“My parents are just happy that I saved up myself for the dress, and they’ll obviously help me pay for everything else I need.”

Her mom, Susan, rolls her eyes, but says she and her lawyer husband are happy to give their only daughter all the things they never had while growing up.

Beyond the designer Jovani dress, which includes multi-carat Chopard diamonds, Cossuto got $550 Gucci shoes, a matching handbag, tanning sessions, eyebrow shaping and professional hair and makeup for the big day, June 7.