Maybe it’s the specter of Taylor Swift and Matt Healy’s ill-fated and controversial date there or the fact that it’s a relatively new fixture in the city, but NYC’s Casa Cipriani is going through some growing pains. The members-only social club was established in 2021 as another exclusive locale for the wealthy to rub elbows. Costing nearly $4,000 per year with what a spokesperson says is a 4,000-person waitlist, it’s attracted the likes of Drew Barrymore, John Legend, and Taylor Swift—until she reportedly canceled her membership there after fans took photos of her.
It’s one of six members-only clubs that opened or announced plans to open in the city between 2021 and 2022, joining the ranks of the well-established Soho House and the newer Zero Bond. Private clubs have been a staple of the New York City social scene since the 19th century, originally modeled off of London’s gentlemen's clubs. Today, they’re a place where old and new money mix and flaunt their feathers, often filled with aspiring 20-and 30-somethings who are paying a hefty price tag for access to parties, networking, and amenities like pools. The allure: exclusivity. It's all become a big business, not just in NYC: the 3,500 private clubs across the U.S. generate at least $1 million in revenue each, per data service Club Benchmarking. And National Club Association data finds they contribute $21.5 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
