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New York City has plenty of closely guarded doors, from the velvet rope-blocked thresholds of the Meatpacking District's nightclubs to the elite gates of the city's private high schools.
But the toughest doors of all may belong to the city's private clubs, elite institutions that cost thousands of dollars to join and whose member lists are often kept secret.
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Some, like the Metropolitan Club, have been around for over 100 years, cater to old money, and have strict membership requirements.
Others are much newer and cater to a different breed of wealthy New Yorkers. They are also more "democratic" about their membership.
According to a recent New York Times profile of the Core Club, one such institution:
It is open to all — or at least, in an essential way, to all those in the top 1 percent of United States households: families with earnings the Tax Policy Center estimates will be $3,061,546 on average this year for a family of four, as well as those from an even more-elevated category that the nonpartisan, nonprofit group calls the “ultra rich.”
The estimated income this year for households occupying that particular niche — a mere 0.1 percent of all United States households — will be $13,719,746, according to the Tax Policy Center.
Old or new, these private clubs are places where the city's power players come to relax, talk business, and network.
The Norwood Club
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Norwood opened its members-only doors in 2007 at 241 West 14th Street, with a supposed annual membership fee of around $1,000, and annual dues of $750. Joining this place is not so much about how much money you can dish out (fees are low relative to other clubs in the city), but more who you are and who you know.
"It's limited to creative types" who are recommended from the inside, says one member. Norwood has a restaurant, three lounge bars, a 45-seat screening room and event space, as well as a private dining room for up to 24 people. And a walled garden.
The Yale Club
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The Yale Club is a private spot at 44th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue for alumni and faculty of the New Haven university. The 22-story clubhouse is the largest in the world.
Though membership is restricted to alumni, faculty, and full-time graduate students, the club also offers legacy admission to Yale-affiliated members' children and grandchildren. With over 11,000 members worldwide, this place is a serious networking epicenter.
The Core Club
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Membership at the Core Club, five floors in a nondescript building at 66 East 55th Street, is pretty exclusive and will set you back around $50,000 for the initiation fee. After that it's about $15,000 annually. This is all once you've been invited, that is.
The Core Club was started in 2005 by Jennie Saunders, with over 100 founding members putting in $100,000 each. These included venture capitalist Vivi Nevo, Blackstone Group chairman Stephen Schwarzman, and developer Aby Rosen and his wife, Samantha Boardman. Members have included Harvey Weinstein, William Lauder, Ron Burkle, Bill Clinton, and fashion designer Tory Burch, according to Page Six Magazine.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider