High-Profile Private Clubs Are Gaining Momentum in California

It's an industry with many contradictions

NeueHouse LA
Bethany Cosentino, Janette Beckman, director Jessica Hopper and Yasi Salek attend EPIX's "Women Who Rock" Screening at NeueHouse Los Angeles on July 15, 2022.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for EPIX

If you’re living in California and seeking a private club to join, you have plenty of options, both in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the state. At least, you should have plenty of options — but actually finding one with open space to join might be more of a challenge.

That’s one of the conclusions reached in a recent Los Angeles Times article by Andrea Chang, which focuses on the particular challenges of an industry where the traditional rules of supply and demand don’t quite apply.

Chang’s article describes a growing space within the economy, one where interested parties can witness “an influx of newcomers rolling out in the trendiest corners of town, with grand openings every few weeks.” That mode of expansion isn’t confined to new establishments on the scene, either — it details recent or soon-to-be launched additions to both NeueHouse’s and Soho House’s respective presences in Los Angeles.

The article provides a good overview of the issues facing private clubs, whether they’re institutions with a long history or startups looking to make their mark. There’s also an NFT-based private club, SHŌ Club, which made headlines earlier in the summer when it revealed plans for a membership tier that cost $300,000. One suspects it won’t be the last technological wrinkle on club membership we’ll see out in the world.

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