Gentlemen's Clubs

[Diamondback]

Excuse me?

I think Ms. Tourbillion was saying those of us not of the Money & Power Club don't even get to borrow a phone to call for help in an emergency in those places. And God forbid one of us 'mere peasants' should need to do anything like befoul their restroom with their unwelcome presence...

How'd I do, ma'am?

 

[Dr Doran]

I think Ms. Tourbillion was saying those of us not of the Money & Power Club don't even get to borrow a phone to call for help in an emergency in those places. And God forbid one of us 'mere peasants' should need to do anything like befoul their restroom with their unwelcome presence...

How'd I do, ma'am?

Ah, the way it was worded seemed like a contrast of myself with herself was intended -- the "you" in italics just might have given that impression; if one wanted to represent oneself as in solidarity with the unwashed masses, wouldn't the word "we" have been a better choice?

 

[Diamondback]

OT, @Doran:I'd like to hope such obnoxious degree of snobbery would be known as "beneath the Lounge's standard of conduct", and that we're all better people than to just go picking such fights. God knows I should know better by now, but pessimism-breeding experience hasn't totally killed the last shreds of optimism in my heart yet.

 

[Tourbillion]

Diamondback is totally right here.

Don't take offence Doran it wasn't a cut against you at all.

I can't join either, I am female, so I am automatically excluded from gentlemen's clubs. Besides, I've heard that they have an 18 year waiting list, which could be a good thing since initiation fees were over $8,000 twenty years ago. I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of cash.

Anyway, I seriously doubt anyone here could join one of these clubs, even if you have a lot of money the social connections that you need to get in are crazy. Or maybe I have you guys all wrong, and you are all billionaire members of the trilateral commission. A doctor on the social register isn't even a shoe-in for the Bohemian Club (maybe the Jonathan Club though like my friend's dad). Bonesmen whose dad's own oil companies and are US Presidents are more like their type--and probably aren't forced to wait 18 years to get in like the nouveau rich.

The owner of the company I work for might be able to get in the Bohemian Club. He does have the money and connections, since he entertains Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger et al at his home. Even so, he is a "self-made man" so he doesnt really have the social background (he's a great guy btw, but not old money--his wedding probably wasn't even listed in "Town and Country").

Anyway, get real folks, these clubs are for the super-elite. Everyone else can dream. Middle class folks can join nice country clubs (and also go to classy bars), but places like the Bohemian Club, forgetaboutit!

 

[Dr Doran]

True, I suppose I was feeling touchy for some reason. Clearly Tourbillion is a lady of the best sort, and Diamondback is a gentleman as he proves again and again on the lounge. I apologize for taking it wrong.

Tourbillion, Diamondback, let's the three of us start our own dark-wood-panelled club with fine whiskeys. Tourbillion, do you prefer Talisker or Oban? Maybe a nice Laphroaig. Then again, a friend of mine is a connoisseur of PROPER Mexican tequilas (no Cuervo thanks), cask aged godlike confections -- as complex as Scotch but lighter bodied.

On another note, one of my professors has been seen at the Bohemian Club in SF ... so has my friend's dad. Maybe I can inch in after the PhD ... or better yet, we start our own.

 

[Dr Doran]

And no, I am not a member of the Trilateral Commission although I have devoured with gusto Susan ("Brice Taylor") Ford's bizarre book Thanks for the Memories: The Diary of Bob Hope's Personal Sex Slave which purports to discuss that very same organization with charts and the amatory preferences of all its members lovingly and nauseatingly detailed.

 

[Rob]

I think everyone's coming at this from wildly different angles and, in that, it's hard to reconcile one comment with the next.

One man's dream club being just that... a dream. Something sighted in movies and read about in books that generally doesn't exist. Another man's club, meanwhile, might be a real bricks'n'mortar establishment... but certainly not deserving of some of the harsher criticisms made of other clubs... clubs that none of us are ever likely to set foot in, let alone be invited to become members of in this life or the next. And so on, and so forth. The definition of clubs (or, Gentlemen's Clubs, if you prefer), is so incredibly diverse, I think we all need to keep that in mind when commenting broadly on the topic. OK, thats my 2c

 

[Dr Doran]

True.

 

[Chanfan]

Well, if I won a membership to the club of my choice, dues paid, I think I might pick Club 33.

 

[Diamondback]

Tourbillion, Diamondback, let's the three of us start our own dark-wood-panelled club with fine whiskeys. Tourbillion, do you prefer Talisker or Oban? Maybe a nice Laphroaig. Then again, a friend of mine is a connoisseur of PROPER Mexican tequilas (no Cuervo thanks), cask aged godlike confections -- as complex as Scotch but lighter bodied.

On another note, one of my professors has been seen at the Bohemian Club in SF ... so has my friend's dad. Maybe I can inch in after the PhD ... or better yet, we start our own.

Sounds interesting--I'll furnish the "shootin' irons" for under the bar and design the security systems, and if we're gonna have outdoor facilities, I'll design the archery and firearms ranges. *visions of Jackie Mason in the Caddyshack movies dance through my head*

Might be fun to give the "old money" a taste of their own medicine, even with the associated Bad Karma Debt...

 

[dhermann1]

Montauk Club update

Well, as I said before, you made me do it.
I just spent a lovely evening at the Montauk Club here in Brooklyn, and I must say I had a great time. There are a couple of articles on the web which detail the Montauk Club's fall and rise, one from the NY Times from 1996, which describes it at its nadir, and another rather mean spirited one from New York Magazine from just last year, where the caption writer (not the writer of the article) described the group of young people revitalizing the club as "pretentious whippersnappers".
Pretentious they're not. They seemed like very nice sincere people, and I'm looking forward to hanging around this joint on a regular basis. Exclusive they're not either. It's been co-ed for a long time, and I think they would welcome anybody who wants to be part of the group. A lot like the Lounge.
I'll keep y'all posted!

Here's the website:
http://www.montaukclub.com/home.cfm
And another nice piece about it:
http://www.citynoise.org/article/2346

 

[dhermann1]

Dinner this evening

Well, I don't know WHAT they were thinking, but the Montauk Club accepted me as a member. I'm jazzed! My girlfriend and I are having dinner there tonight. I was told (by the manager) that the food is nothing to write home about, but they hope to improve that. I'll let you all know about our evening!
It is a LOVELY place, and I think this is going to be fun.

 

[Dr Doran]

Well, I don't know WHAT they were thinking, but the Montauk Club accepted me as a member. I'm jazzed! My girlfriend and I are having dinner there tonight. I was told (by the manager) that the food is nothing to write home about, but they hope to improve that. I'll let you all know about our evening!
It is a LOVELY place, and I think this is going to be fun.

Please keep us posted.

 

[dhermann1]

Lovely evening

We had a LOVELY evening. There were only 3 tables occupied, so we practically had the place to ourselves. We got a couple of pix, which I'll post soon. The place is truly a living relic of the Gilded Age. The sad thing is, as I've mentioned, they nearly went belly up in the 90's and sold off their top 3 floors as condos to stay alive. The 3rd floor was the original grand ballroom and dining room, the 2nd floor was the lounge. The lounge works great as a dining room, and there is plenty of space to stretch out and relax, but the 3rd floor would clearly make a huge difference.
The food was good, not great, but we enjoyed it thoroughly. Our table had a view of the balcony and a cool evening fog was blowing in from Prospect Park.
If any Loungers are in New York, give me a yell, and we'll go there for dinner or Sunday Brunch.
The demographics are interesting. This club never became a haven of the super rich, like the big time Manhattan clubs did. It remained quietly genteel. There were a few of the old guard there tonight, grey haired fuddy duddies (and I mean that in the nicest way). And there were a couple of the new generation "pretentious whippersnappers" (New York Magazine's glib but unfair phrase.)
The place itself is still magnificent, tho slightly hilarious. Imagine a Venetian Palace, with typical Venetian Gothic arches everywhere, with heads of Indian chiefs in every nook and cranny. The club is named after the Montauk Indians, and there are Indian bas reliefs and heads and gargoyles EVERYWHERE! But there is gorgeous old wood work, spectacular chandeliers, and mosaic floors throughout the building.
This new generation really seem to want to give this old lady a new lease on life, and redefine her in a way they haven't even figured out yet.
I think I'm going to enjoy this!
BTW!!! My GF and I were BOTH dressed vintage! I had one of my circa 1948 ties (and of course my new Disney Fedora), and she had the really nice 40's red sweater I got her for her birthday.

 

[carter]

Just read this entire thread. It's fascinating to read the progression from MK's initial post in 2003 to dhermann1's last one today.

(Almost missed the seque from '03 to '07)

Reads like the writers were a shift change in Hockey. The action never stops.

Can't wait to see dhermann1's photos.

 

[Dr Doran]

Carter - you sure look purty now.

Hermann -- sounds marvelous. No doubt these old gems will be reconstituted for a new generation who can appreciate beauty.

 

[Paisley]

Traditionally, I believe you had to be recommended by a member and then voted on by the other members. Once you were in, you paid a substantial amount of money to belong.

 

[Ken]

So its both who you know and how much money you have... hmm that makes it tricky indeed.

Ken

 

[Decodence]

I think most clubs have gone to strictly "social clubs" which cater more to the lunch/dinner crowd than the captains of industry of the past. In researching the Luhrs family history here, I came across the Arizona club's past. It used to be a "Gentlemen's club", even up until the 60s. It is now a mere social club, but still quite the interesting place.

For 113 years, Arizona Club has distinguished itself as your “home away from home” by specializing in personal recognition and attention to details. As the oldest private social club in Arizona, it’s our tradition to make every visit relaxing and enjoyable.
At the top, floors 37 and 38, of Chase Tower in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona Club offers its members panoramic views of the valley during breakfast, lunch, dinner or your private business meetings.

Members and their guests enjoy an impressive dining experience with each visit. Executive Chef Jayson Bonino can satisfy special requests and dietary restrictions.

Arizona Club offers a total of 5,000 square feet in 6 rooms accommodating 5 to 350 people for business meetings and elaborate social affairs. Contact the catering department for your next event.

We have a passion for exceeding Member expectations and we take pride in providing an incomparable level of service.





Celebrating 113 Years of History (1894 – 2007)

In many ways, the history of the Arizona Club is the story of Arizona and the families who carved a city out of a wild, isolated desert valley. In the early 1890’s, the Phoenix Social Club and the Maricopa Club were formed with members including such illustrious pioneers as Territorial Governor Oaks Murphy, Territorial Congressman Marcus A. Smith, B.A. Packard, Baron Goldwater and Col. Espes Randolph. For the first 21 years there were only three presidents, all of who served on the Territorial Supreme Court. The all-important goal of the clubs? Social enjoyment. A goal that was well met.

In 1906, the two clubs merged and took a new name. The “Arizona Club” had its headquarters in the gracious Adams hotel and other historic buildings until it found a home in the New Luhrs building in 1924. From the top floors, the view of the surrounding ranches was breathtaking.

In 1969, the Arizona Club merged with the Cloud Club providing two elegant facilities in uptown and downtown Phoenix. The members of the 45-year old Kiva Club merged with the Arizona Club in 1987. Today, the Club boasts beautiful facilities overlooking downtown Phoenix and offers a quiet refuge that is elegantly private, yet supremely inviting. A place where achievement, membership and hospitality naturally come together.

Through the years, the Club has lived through changes of America. It had its bouts with prohibition. It survived two depressions and still remained open to members and guests.

For over 100 years, the Arizona Club is where the state’s heritage – and its future – have come together in elegant settings dedicated solely to the members’ comfort, pleasure and delight in personal attention.

http://arizonaclub.org/

 

[BigLittleTim]

Sommerset Club

True (?) story about the Sommerset Club, Boston:

A fire broke out at the Brahmin Sommerset Club, on Beacon Street. When the fire brigade arrived, rushing up to the front door with their hoses, the Maitre d'hotel sniffed and pointed towards the service entrance below the steps!

-BigLittleTim

By-the-by...

Boston has several old clubs. The St. Boltolph Club on Commonwealth Avenue caters to men and women associated with the arts, such as architects, rare book sellers, artists, print collectors, gallery owners, etc.

The Union Club on Park Street, right on the Common, has its roots in the Civil War Era (hence the name). The Algonquin Club, also on Commonwealth Ave., in the Back Bay, was originally founded by wealthy families who weren't able to get into the older city clubs. Its clubhouse was designed by Stanford White, and had to be severely altered because the original design encroached on the sidewalk by eight feet! A few years ago they sub-contracted, I believe, with the Ritz up the street. Within a couple of years they were run into the ground, financially!

The good old University Club was almost bankrupt back in the '60's, so they sold off all the good floors of their building, full of elegant rooms, to the John Hancock Conference Center. What remains in essentially the restaurant and the sports facilities. It's a bit dowdy, and doesn't merit reciprocal membership with THE University Club in New York (also by McKim, Mead, & White).