WSJ Mag. | Welcome to The Golden Age of the Private Club
In 2003, when Soho House’s founder, Nick Jones, opened the private social club’s first stateside location in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, it was a relatively novel phenomenon. Until then, the city’s existing mix of members’ clubs harked back to the Gilded Age. They were regarded as exclusive social spaces where members of the monied elite could gather, gossip and close hushed business deals. But Soho House’s modern interiors, downtown location and all-around newness offered an attractive and exciting alternative to a younger generation. Membership thrived, and the business has expanded to comprise 38 global locations.
Nearly two decades since Soho House’s arrival, the city has become dense with private members’ clubs in a postpandemic bonanza fueled by demand from all sides. And more are on the way, across New York City and in other metropolitan locales.
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