New York · Culture and clubs
Has New York Hit Peak Members Club? What the Hollywood Reporter Found
By Eden · October 2026
In May 2026, Carson Griffith and George Gurley asked a question in The Hollywood Reporter: has New York hit peak members club? Their answer, from the people who run the clubs, is no. One founder says of the boom, “this is the beginning.” Here is the story in short, and what it means if you are choosing a club.
From old guard to new wave
The article starts with the Gilded Age institutions, such as The Colony Club, The Century Association, Doubles, the Union Club and the Metropolitan Club. They worked like urban country clubs. You needed sponsors, you waited, and admission could take years. The dining room was not the draw.
Soho House changed the pace in 2003. You could apply and be inside within months, sometimes weeks. Ludlow House and Dumbo House followed. Then, in the past few years, a new wave arrived that the authors say filled two gaps left by the pandemic: the loss of “third places” between work and home, and a surplus of empty office space.
A short timeline of the boom
2020 · Zero Bond. It opened in a former Brooks Brothers factory, founded by restaurateur Scott Sartiano. It has two floors, multiple bars, workspaces and an omakase room, and it was built for people who like a good time.
2021 · Casa Cipriani. A glossy mix of finance and European jet-set members in a 115-year-old ferry terminal. The article notes a no-photos policy in the living room and a dress code that allows jeans without rips.
2022 · The Aman Club. A quieter, tightly controlled extension of the hotel, with an initiation fee the article puts at about $200,000 plus annual dues. Casa Cruz also arrived on the Upper East Side that year.
2023 · Colette and ZZ’s Club. Colette opened in the General Motors Building with views over Central Park. The article reports a $125,000 initiation fee plus $36,000 a year for access to the office space and restaurant. ZZ’s Club opened in Hudson Yards from Major Food Group.
2024 · The Twenty Two, Casa Tua and Chez Margaux. Chez Margaux is backed by chef Jean-Georges.
2025 · Maxime’s and San Vicente. Maxime’s brought Robin Birley’s London club world to Madison Avenue. San Vicente, in the former Jane Hotel, imported a Los Angeles model built on discretion and a strict no-photos policy. Crane Club, Moss and Kith Ivy also opened.
Explore San Vicente West Village
Still to come. The article lists Stylus, a sound-driven club built around listening rooms, The Beginning in Brooklyn Heights, and an Annabel’s outpost in the Meatpacking District, all expected this year. It also notes the closure of NeueHouse last year.
Why people join more than one
The authors say many members hold two or three memberships, and they met one man with seven and another with five. They cite a 2022 GGA Partners survey in which more than 60 percent of clubs reported membership growth. They also note that London has more than 130 clubs, according to a 2025 report, so New York may still have room. A head of membership at one club says the real constraint is that clubs compete for the same 4,500 or so desirable members.
What it means for you
More clubs means more choice, but it also means clubs differ widely in price, access and what membership includes. Decide what you want first: dinner and dancing, a place to work, a quiet retreat or a creative community. Then compare first-year costs and how each club handles applications. Clubs also change: some tighten their membership, and some close.
Start with our cost comparison, or read how Zero Bond and Soho House compare. For a lighter take on the same boom, see our guide to Vogue’s satire.
Summarized from Carson Griffith and George Gurley’s article in The Hollywood Reporter (13 May 2026). Fees are as reported there and may have changed. Confirm current terms directly with each club.
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