The Cosmos Club is not an old money club, you can't buy your way in unlike the Metropolitan or University Club.

Go to the Metropolitan Club for lunch all the time. Food is awful. Crowd is whiter and older than a Donald Trump rally in Kansas. But it is a cool venue.

Also, you need to be sponsored to become a member.

New business idea: a club for the HHI parent set.

Party rooms (multiple!), babysitters/helpers that are club employees, excellent bar for the parents (and a fun kids room for the kids to go to), and some book-online napping spaces for tired parents who want to sneak away from the office for mid-day naps.

I'd join in a heartbeat!!!

OP here, and yes this is something I am clueless about. I saw one when googling event venues and I just started thinking that if you were a member of a club, it would be easy to entertain there if you didn't want to at home. Also, you could become a bar regular! When I was a kid I'd go to friends' parties at country clubs -- same idea. It also seemed like a pretty old-fashioned idea and the PPs comments seem to back that up. Doesn't seem like there are any newer more modern ones for non-old-money types.

Also, the Society of the Cincinnati on Mass Ave is incredible. A friend from my grad school program had a ridiculously ornate graduation party there....her father is a member. I think there were 25 students and 100 of her father's stuffy friends. Most of us have student loans are were like "WTF!!!!" haha

You can't join unless your direct descendants were officers in the Continental Army. Yeah, they are that snooty.

There's a few clubs in DC. Pretty much all are old money:
Sulgrave, Cosmos, Metropolitan, University, etc. Most of them will close within the next 10 years, just like the Washington Club on Dupont Circle.

The most exclusive club is the Alibi Club. I actually work across the street from it and wandered in one night, unsure of what it is. It's pretty ratty and shabby, but looks like an awesome place to drink whiskey. It's dripping with history. I sort of just wandered around for 5 minutes and left without being hassled. It's a small rowhouse from the late 1800's. Pretty incredible roster of members.

My in laws are members at both Sulgrave (women's club) and Cosmos (men's club).

When we go there for holiday events, there are a lot of young boys in smocking and men in embroidered pants.

Seems to be an extremely old-money set.

I can't really imagine a group of people I'd want to spend time with less, especially people who would choose to join at my age (I'm 40).

You are going to join a social club because you need a birthday party venue? Huh??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there are all kinds of social clubs in DC. You'll have to become a member which usually means being sponsored by a couple of existing members and paying monthly dues. It's way more hassle than it's worth if the motivation is simply to "throw" a birthday party at a club.

OP sounds clueless

+100

Anonymous wrote:Are you talking about the Metropolitan or Sulgrave?

More likely Cosmos.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there are all kinds of social clubs in DC. You'll have to become a member which usually means being sponsored by a couple of existing members and paying monthly dues. It's way more hassle than it's worth if the motivation is simply to "throw" a birthday party at a club.

OP sounds clueless

Are you talking about the Metropolitan or Sulgrave?

Yes, there are all kinds of social clubs in DC. You'll have to become a member which usually means being sponsored by a couple of existing members and paying monthly dues. It's way more hassle than it's worth if the motivation is simply to "throw" a birthday party at a club.

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to find a venue for a birthday party and it occurred to me my life would be easier if I could just throw it at a club. We live in the city and have no need for a country club but does anyone belong to the social clubs? Is this even a thing anymore? I don't know anyone who does.

That's your answer.

Find a good restaurant or interesting location--as long as you pay, you'll be served well

I am trying to find a venue for a birthday party and it occurred to me my life would be easier if I could just throw it at a club. We live in the city and have no need for a country club but does anyone belong to the social clubs? Is this even a thing anymore? I don't know anyone who does.