Social clubs for the wealthy don't look like what they used to. Members at NYC's newest cook their own food and bring their own liquor.

Brittany ChangJul 28, 2023, 16:16 IST

Tribeca's latest Maxwell Social has a kitchen and liquor lockers for its members paying $250 a month not including the initial at least $2,500 buy-in.Brittany Chang/Insider

Maxwell Social is New York City's latest social club with a spin: You have to cook your own food.
The two-floor Tribeca club has a kitchen and lockers for members to store their bottles of liquor.

New York City newcomer Maxwell Social isn't a regular social club. It's a cool social club — where members are supposed to cook their own meals and provide their own liquor.

Social clubs have gained an infamous reputation among both the general public and the social elite. From New York City Mayor Eric Adams visiting the private Zero Bond social club to TikToks poking fun of Soho House, people love — either going to or making fun of — these exclusive clubs.

But Maxwell Social, the newest edition to the long list of New York City social clubs, is trying to buck this reputation with its own spin. Here, members can cook their own food and pour their own drinks.

"I don't think there's any real purpose behind most existing social clubs right now," David Litwak, entrepreneur and Maxwell's co-founder, told Insider.

Brittany Chang/Insider

As the company says on its website, the space is both a "basement man cave" and a "she shack."

Brittany Chang/Insider

But unlike your friend's living room and kitchen, access to the Tribeca clubhouse is hidden behind the metaphorical gates of a membership fee.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Members pay a $250 monthly fee plus a one-time buy-in at either $2,500, $7,000, or $12,000.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Litwak couldn't discuss the details of these different tiers.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But you can't just pay your way in. There's an application process as well.

Brittany Chang/Insider

You'll need "a degree of warmth, curiosity, and irreverence" to join.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Centering a social club around a kitchen may seem like an odd decision compared to the other social clubs available in New York.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But if you look at the company's history, this decision might make more sense.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But the team realized its pop-ups were missing two key components: cool people and subsequently, community.

Brittany Chang/Insider

So instead of a pop-up concept, Soho House, or Metropolitan Club, Litwak wants people to think of Maxwell as an "old school country club," a Harvard Finals Club, or even "your old school Italian-American club."

Brittany Chang/Insider

So instead of a pop-up concept, Soho House, or Metropolitan Club, Litwak wants people to think of Maxwell as an "old school country club," a Harvard Finals Club, or even "your old school Italian-American club."

So in theory, clubs with similar principles already exist.

Brittany Chang/Insider

"We just need to show people there's a modern way to gather in the way we've always historically done," he said.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Before the club space opened about two months ago, the space was the home to glitzy Chinese restaurant China Blue.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Now, after a $4.5 million buildout, Maxwell looks more like a rich grandparents' living room and sun room than it does a Chinese restaurant.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Maxwell will continue to scale up to 700 members who will all share this 8,000-square-foot space.

Brittany Chang/Insider

When I toured the club on two separate afternoons, I was greeted with a combination of both moody spaces and a bright rear section that looked like a garden room.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Downstairs, a large functioning bathtub grounds the dark bunker-like space as a photo opp and a place to keep buckets of ice and alcohol.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Off to the side is where members can find their liquor lockers.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Back upstairs, this upper floor has a library, communal dining table, kitchen, and garden room-like lounge.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The modern kitchen is what regular people with Manhattan apartments dream of.

Brittany Chang/Insider

On the other end of this space, the brighter flowery lounge had several stocked bars.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Multicolor copper pots and pans lined the walls while bundles of fake plants decorated the space.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The communal seating isn't meant to be used as a coworking space.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The point of joining Maxwell isn't to take advantage of the space, its cofounder says. It's the other members.

Brittany Chang/Insider

This means members can bring their friends, meet new friends, and reserve spaces within the club.

Brittany Chang/Insider

So if you want to join in on other people's dinner parties, pitch in for potlucks and community dinners, and organize your own dinners, this is the club for you.

Brittany Chang/Insider

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Social clubs for the wealthy don't look like what they used to. Members at NYC's newest cook their own food and bring their own liquor.

"I don't think there's any real purpose behind most existing social clubs right now," David Litwak, entrepreneur and Maxwell's co-founder, told Insider.

As the company says on its website, the space is both a "basement man cave" and a "she shack."

But unlike your friend's living room and kitchen, access to the Tribeca clubhouse is hidden behind the metaphorical gates of a membership fee.

Members pay a $250 monthly fee plus a one-time buy-in at either $2,500, $7,000, or $12,000.

Litwak couldn't discuss the details of these different tiers.

But you can't just pay your way in. There's an application process as well.

You'll need "a degree of warmth, curiosity, and irreverence" to join.

Centering a social club around a kitchen may seem like an odd decision compared to the other social clubs available in New York.

But if you look at the company's history, this decision might make more sense.

But the team realized its pop-ups were missing two key components: cool people and subsequently, community.

So instead of a pop-up concept, Soho House, or Metropolitan Club, Litwak wants people to think of Maxwell as an "old school country club," a Harvard Finals Club, or even "your old school Italian-American club."

So in theory, clubs with similar principles already exist.

"We just need to show people there's a modern way to gather in the way we've always historically done," he said.

Before the club space opened about two months ago, the space was the home to glitzy Chinese restaurant China Blue.

Now, after a $4.5 million buildout, Maxwell looks more like a rich grandparents' living room and sun room than it does a Chinese restaurant.

Maxwell will continue to scale up to 700 members who will all share this 8,000-square-foot space.

When I toured the club on two separate afternoons, I was greeted with a combination of both moody spaces and a bright rear section that looked like a garden room.

Downstairs, a large functioning bathtub grounds the dark bunker-like space as a photo opp and a place to keep buckets of ice and alcohol.

Off to the side is where members can find their liquor lockers.

Back upstairs, this upper floor has a library, communal dining table, kitchen, and garden room-like lounge.

The modern kitchen is what regular people with Manhattan apartments dream of.

On the other end of this space, the brighter flowery lounge had several stocked bars.

Multicolor copper pots and pans lined the walls while bundles of fake plants decorated the space.

The communal seating isn't meant to be used as a coworking space.

The point of joining Maxwell isn't to take advantage of the space, its cofounder says. It's the other members.

This means members can bring their friends, meet new friends, and reserve spaces within the club.

So if you want to join in on other people's dinner parties, pitch in for potlucks and community dinners, and organize your own dinners, this is the club for you.