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Metropolitan Club (New York City)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bobby Cohn (talk | contribs) at 17:26, 25 April 2024 (MicrobiologyMarcus moved page Metropolitan Club to Metropolitan Club (New York City): Perform requested move, see talk page). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 17:26, 25 April 2024 by Bobby Cohn (talk | contribs) (MicrobiologyMarcus moved page Metropolitan Club to Metropolitan Club (New York City): Perform requested move, see talk page)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Social club in New York City This article is about the private social club in New York City. For the club and historic structure in Washington, D.C., see Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.). For the club and historic structure in San Francisco, see Metropolitan Club (San Francisco). For the 19th century baseball team, see New York Metropolitans.
A request that this article title be changed to Metropolitan Club (New York City) is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.

The Metropolitan Club
The clubhouse's Fifth Avenue façade
Formation1891; 134 years ago (1891)
TypePrivate social club
Location
  • 1 East 60th Street
    Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Websitemetropolitanclubnyc.org
Entrance on East 60th Street
Historical plaque outside the club

The Metropolitan Club of New York is a private social club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was originally founded as a gentlemen's club in 1891 for men only.

History

The Metropolitan Club was formed in 1891 by J. P. Morgan, who served as its first president. It was actually the second organization with that name in its neighborhood. The New York Times reported on March 10, 1891, about the name selected two days previous:

There is already a Metropolitan Club, which for some years has occupied quarters in the neighborhood in which the millionaires think of building.

Other original members of the club included William Kissam Vanderbilt and James A. Roosevelt. "Each member, which included Vanderbilts and Whitneys, contributed $5,000 to buy the plot of land."

In May 1945, the Club was able to avoid bankruptcy by selling $1,800,000 in bonds to its membership of 800 men.

Clubhouse

The architects of the original building (erected in 1893) were McKim, Mead & White. Seeking the finest workmanship rather than necessarily the lowest bidder in April 1892, the firm signed on David H. King, Jr., as the general contractor. The east wing, erected in 1912, was designed by Ogden Codman Jr.

Its 1894 clubhouse, designed by Stanford White, stands at 1 East 60th Street, on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue. The land on which the Clubhouse stands (with a frontage of 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue and 200 feet (61 m) on 60th Street) was acquired from the Duchess of Marlborough who signed the purchase agreement in the United States Consulate in London. Cornelius Vanderbilt II signed the purchase agreement on behalf of the club.

The address for parking is 11 East 61st Street.

House rules

The Metropolitan Club maintains a dress code as part of its house rules:

  • Men must wear jackets and ties – "turtlenecks and ascots are not acceptable."
  • Ladies should wear "dresses, skirts, dressy pant suits, or business pant suits."
  • "Jeans, shorts, stirrup pants, leggings, stretch pants, tight pants, sweats and T-shirts are absolutely not acceptable."

Cell phones and laptops are prohibited in the Club except in private meeting rooms and bedrooms.

Activities

The club has had an ongoing involvement in the social life of the upper class, including fundraising, black tie balls, and sports.

Notable members

Founding members

Other notable members

See also

References

Notes

  1. The first organization to claim the name "Metropolitan Club" seemed to be described by The Times for over a decade, but the definite article "The" was not ordinarily capitalized.

Citations

  1. ^ "Inside 10 of New York City's most exclusive private clubs". Business Insider. October 26, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Gray, Christopher (October 28, 2010). "The Architect Charles McKim, Designer of the Morgan Library". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. "Very Hard On The Postmen.; It Would Seem That There Is One Metropolitan Club Too Many". The New York Times. March 10, 1891. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. "POLITICAL". The New York Times. October 4, 1858.
  5. "Club in Fifth Ave Saved by Members" (PDF). New York Times. May 17, 1945. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  6. Some sources claim 1894, but it is clear that much if not most of the work was done in 1893. One item even mentions 1892.
  7. Selden-Sturgill, Ruth (September 11, 1979) . "Report of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, September 11, 1979, Designation List 127, LP-1020; METROPOLITAN CLUB BUILDING, 1-11 East 60th Street, Borough of Manhattan. Built 1892-94. architects McKim, Mead & White" (PDF). nyc.org. pp. 4–5. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  8. "The Metropolitan Club". Architect: McKim, Mead & White; Ogden Codman Jr. (east wing). Erected: 1893; 1912 (east wing)
  9. "The Metropolitan Club One East 60th Street at the corner of Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022 Tel: (212) 838-7400. Parking is available at: 615 Garage Corporation 11 East 61st Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues New York, NY 10065 Tel: (212) 838-8869." "The Metropolitan Club - American Scandinavian Society".
  10. ^ "House Rules". Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  11. "Gives $15,780 for Opera; Metropolitan Club Adds Sum to Its $4,593 Individual Donations". The New York Times. May 3, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  12. "Metropolitan Club Annual Ball". The New York Times. December 28, 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  13. "Backgammon Finals At Metropolitan Club". The New York Times. January 12, 1966. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  14. "Judge E. B. Parker, Debt Expert, Dies". The Evening Star. October 30, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon

Bibliography

  • Porzelt, Paul (1982). The Metropolitan Club of New York. Rizzoli International Publications. ISBN 978-0-8478-0423-8.

External links

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See also: Manhattan Community Board 8

40°45′53″N 73°58′20″W / 40.76472°N 73.97222°W / 40.76472; -73.97222

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