Image via Complex Original
The desire to hang out with an elite inner circle does not end at the red carpet. Many a New Yorker dreams of rubbing elbows with the rich on the regular as members of the private—often historic—clubs strewn throughout the city. Unlike sweet-talking your way past the velvet ropes of one of the most coveted nightclubs, however, gaining entry to one of these bastions of hush-hush sophistication takes a little more determination. With the right amount of dough—and the proper pedigree—you too can be granted entry. From old money haunts to modern-day yuppie retreats, here are 10 of the most esteemed, expensive, or exclusive social epicenters you’ll want to be a part of in the city that never sleeps.
Metropolitan Club
Address: 1 E 60th St.
This gated Fifth Avenue clubhouse is an old one. It started in 1891, when some of New York’s then most powerful lads—J.P. Morgan, William Vanderbilt, and William C. Whitney among them—decided scorned financiers needed an all-gentlemen den of their own. Although relegated to the Annex until 1940, ladies joined the clandestine action early on. Rumor has it members shell out around $5,000 a year to savor the perks of this millionaire’s pow-wow, yet still don’t dare show up sans jacket and tie. Once inside, don’t be surprised if you run into political celebs like Bill Clinton.
Harvard Club
Address: 27 W 44th St.
Yet another reason it pays to be at the head of the class: the possibility of joining Midtown’s posh, neo-Georgian-style Harvard Club. Graduating from this Ivy League heavyweight not only opens firmly closed doors in the competitive work sphere, but it also offers the possibility—once you rock the mandatory interview, of course—of hanging out with fellow students, instructors, and alumni in an old-timey library crammed with way too many books to read in a lifetime.
The Explorers Club
Address: 46 E 70th St.
Pioneering astronaut Sally Ride, aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the first men to reach the North and South Poles have all been rewarded for their adventurous achievements with membership in the Explorers Club. Want to be like them? Then start watching the Science Channel, because mad exploration skills are mandatory for inclusion at this Upper East Side mansion teeming with artifacts like elephant tusks and an immortalized polar bear.
Soho House
Address: 29-35 9th Ave.
A London-bred phenomenon, Soho House New York appeals to tony creative and media types who pay $1,800 a year for thrills like working on their laptops with cocktails around the rooftop pool. Once you make it beyond the waiting list limbo of this six-floor urban getaway set in an old Meatpacking District warehouse, you’re rewarded with an airy restaurant and guestrooms tricked out with rainforest showers.
Norwood
Address: 241 W 14th St.
In a circa-1847 mansion lined with fireplaces—the Andrew Norwood House—straddling the West Village and Chelsea, A-list creative folk congregate at the London-inspired Norwood. Although a networking nexus, it feels more like a grand, multi-story home you wish you lived in full-time. In the quiet garden, you may finally finish reading that book.
CORE
Address: 66 E 55th St.
In Midtown, over-the-top CORE caters to big spenders, the ones who don’t blink an eye at a $50,000 initiation fee—nor the $15,000 that needs to be replenished yearly. Instead, they revel in an art collection flaunting pieces from Andy Warhol and Alexander Calder, along with private theatre screenings, a spa, and a light-filled library. If you up your game and your tastes, there’s a chance you can experience this finer life.
Yale Club
Address: 50 Vanderbilt Ave.
The world’s largest clubhouse is this 22-story neoclassical Midtown marvel. Without a Yale degree or New Haven teaching stint, a legacy connection through parents and grandparents—or a generous Yalie pal who brings you around—is the only hope for wannabe members eager to park themselves in the rooftop dining room after a game of squash.
The Montauk Club
Address: 25 8th Ave.
Stained glass windows and mahogany woodwork are among the design glories of this circa-1891 Venetian Gothic building located on a leafy block in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. Perhaps because of the paltry $15 monthly fee, it’s especially popular with the on-the-rise, under-35 set, who smoke cigars on the balcony of the Card Room.
The Union Club
Address: 101 E 69th St.
New York’s oldest boys’ club, which originated in 1836, spawned the equally swank Union League and Knickerbocker Clubs courtesy of disgruntled members. After all these years, women are still persona non grata, but plenty of high-powered men still take a load off surrounded by this Park Avenue masterpiece’s marble mantels and backgammon boards.
The Setai Club
Address: 40 Broad St.
Well-being goals unite the members of this Financial District oasis. For nearly $500 a month (and a whopping $5,000 yearly due), fitness buffs get unlimited access to the state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga classes, and the Aqua Grotto hydro jacuzzi.
