Metropolitan Club (New York City)

The Metropolitan Club 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. The current building at Fifth Avenue and 60th Street was designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1893.

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.

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

• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets
• List of traditional gentlemen's clubs in the United States

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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

External links

• Official website