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I toured an exclusive NYC club where freelancers, fashion influencers and entrepreneurs pay up to $1,250 a month to network in a stylish Tribeca building - and I didn't feel nearly cool enough to be there
I toured an exclusive NYC club where freelancers, fashion influencers and entrepreneurs pay up to $1,250 a month to network in a stylish Tribeca building - and I didn't feel nearly cool enough to be there
Katie WarrenOct 20, 2018, 21:00 IST
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Spring Place
Spring Place is an exclusive members-only club in New York City.
Memberships can be as low as $450 a month for limited access - if you're under 30 - and up to $1,250 a month for the "resident" plan.
I took a tour of Spring Place to see what it was like.
My first thought upon walking into Spring Place was that I didn't feel cool enough to be there.
Tucked away on a secluded side street in New York City's trendy Tribeca neighborhood, the hip members-only club opened in May 2016 and has since become a popular destination for fashion influencers, celebrities, and other creatives. Guests at its opening party included Leonardo DiCaprio and Victoria's Secret models, according to The Daily Beast.
Spring Place doesn't share how many members they have, but they did share with Business Insider that the largest percentage of those members - 18.6% - work in fashion. Another 17.8% work in media and communications, and 10.9% of members work in luxury and consumer goods. Other industries represented include tech, finance, film, art, music, philanthropy, and more.
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Spring Place is set to open their second location in Beverly Hills at the end of October 2018.
A spokesperson for the club described it as "a collaborative workspace and membership club connecting work, leisure, and entertainment for the community of global professionals and entrepreneurs in the business of shaping contemporary culture. Members are talented professionals looking for a flexible working environment with a unique service offering a strong network to expand their business."
I took a tour of Spring Place - here's what it's like.
I had trouble finding Spring Place because it's tucked away on St. Johns Lane, a tiny side street in Tribeca between Varick Street and 6th Avenue. Google Maps did not seem to want to direct me to the right spot.
The entryway was sleek and shiny, all black and gray tones. I was greeted by my tour guides, who showed me how to check in on an iPad, and then whisked me away to the elevator.
Spring Place occupies three floors: the fifth through the seventh. Our first stop was the fifth floor, which has conference rooms of varying sizes that members can rent out.
The largest open area of the fifth floor is a co-working space where perhaps a dozen people were quietly working on their laptops when I walked in. Some people were dressed in suits, while others wore casual clothing and sneakers.
Looking around, I saw a range of ages, but most people I saw appeared to be in their 20s or perhaps early 30s. A spokesperson told me 21% of members are under 30, 23% are between 30 and 35, and 32% are between 36 and 45.
"The architecture and interiors of Spring Place are very clean, crisp, professional yet fun, perfect for getting creative juices flowing," she told Business Insider.
"I would definitely renew my membership to surround myself with an artful environment, young professionals, and all around igniting vibe," Valle added.
In the back corner of the room were sound-proofed phone booths for members to make calls. These seemed necessary because the main workspace was very quiet, with nobody talking on the phone or to each other.
We went up to the sixth floor, and I immediately noticed a difference in sound levels. Young, fashionably dressed people were hanging out and talking at the bar and in the lounge area. It seemed to be a prime spot for socializing and perhaps also for casual business meetings.
Spring Place members are 48% female and 52% male and most work in fashion, media and communications, or the luxury and consumer goods industries, according to a spokesperson for the club. I was secretly disappointed not to see anyone famous.
The restaurant was in the process of being cleared out for a private event during my visit, but normally it's filled with dining tables, chairs, and benches in warm, neutral tones.
On the other side of the restaurant was a room with a sunken seating area that seemed to be aiming for a swanky lounge vibe with its plush red wall-to-wall carpeting. But to me, it just seemed out of place and clashing with the rest of the space.
Like the fifth floor, the seventh was more work-oriented than the social-focused sixth floor. There was a large, quiet room with a variety of comfortable-looking chairs and more soundproof phone booths.
Spring Place has five types of memberships. The Local membership is $750 per month (or $450-$500 if you're under 30) and includes full access to all the workspaces, meeting rooms, and social areas.
The Resident membership, which costs $1,250 per month, gives you your own dedicated desk. The Community membership allows access to meeting rooms and social areas but not to the workspaces for $3,000 a year, or $1,200 for under 30s.
The Traveler membership, which is $2,400 for year, is for residents outside the tri-State area and allows them to access all social areas, workspaces, and events. Then there's the Community Traveler member, who can access meeting rooms and social areas, but not all workspaces, for $1,500 a year.
Spring Place shares a building with its sister organization, Spring Studios, which hosts events that include New York Fashion Week shows, art exhibitions, and private and corporate parties.
I didn't get to see the Spring Studios space, but we went up to Spring Place's expansive rooftop, where I was surprised to see hardly any other people on a warm early October day.
"The vibe is definitely very work-focused..." Rivera said. "Everyone I have met from the community is working on something that's very dear to them and I've realized how much I appreciate sharing a space with likeminded entrepreneurs and creatives."
Spring Place is sometimes compared to Soho House, a members-only club with 20 houses around the world, including locations in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Chicago, and Amsterdam.
Rivera is also a member at Soho House and said she finds the two clubs to be very different. "Soho House to me is more a destination for a nice restaurant with cool people, but less great for working."
Rivera said that while she appreciates the "fun vibe" of Soho House and its worldwide locations, she couldn't see herself running a business out of their club because it's too loud, dark, and it lacks services she needs such as conference rooms and proper desks.
A Spring Place spokesperson shared a similar view of Spring. "Since its opening, [Spring Place] has developed a strong reputation for combining the hospitality of a private club with world-class professional office suites — for the perfect balance of workspace meets social club."
