In its short history, Hudson Yards has touted itself as a restaurant destination available to all, with options ranging from fast-casual to fine dining.
Now the $25 billion mixed-use megadevelopment on Manhattan’s far West Side has taken an exclusive turn and opened a private club.
WS New York, a membership-only space, quietly made its debut in recent weeks. Located in a Hudson Yards building that also houses residences and an Equinox hotel, the club has been created in partnership with Marvin Shanken, publisher and editor of Wine Spectator magazine. The “WS” in the club’s name is a nod to the publication.
The other partners include Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder of Related Cos., the real-estate-development firm that has been one of the principal forces behind Hudson Yards, and Kenneth A. Himmel, a restaurateur and president and chief executive officer of Related Urban, the Related division responsible for mixed-use projects.
The club is physically connected to The Tavern by WS, a restaurant that is nonexclusive and opened recently as well. The two spaces, which cover 18,000 square feet, were designed by David Rockwell, the restaurant architect and Tony Award-winning theater-set designer.
Together the spaces cost more than $30 million to develop, according to Mr. Shanken.
The publisher, who is also behind Cigar Aficionado and Whisky Advocate magazines and hosts wine and spirits events in New York City, made no secret of the fact that WS New York is about privilege and connections.
“The dream and the vision was to create this really special club for our friends and the friends of our friends,” said Mr. Shanken, who lent some of the vintage French posters from his extensive collection to decorate the space.
Club officials declined to say what the initiation fee and annual dues are for the club, though they noted that residents of Hudson Yards pay a lower rate for both. Membership is limited to roughly 750, with 400 having already joined, Mr. Himmel said.
Having a private club at Hudson Yards adds another major dining and socializing option to the development’s mix, which includes everything from a Shake Shack location to a Spanish-theme food hall to a David Chang restaurant. But it may also send the message that Hudson Yards isn’t as egalitarian as promised, warns Arlene Spiegel, a New York-based hospitality consultant.
The development “can’t have it both ways,” she said.
Still, WS New York officials noted that the public can partake in the experience without joining the club, in a sense, by visiting The Tavern by WS. The club and restaurant share a common main kitchen, overseen by the chef Eli Kaimeh, an industry veteran.
In keeping with its name, WS New York is very much about focusing on wine, along with food and spirits, club officials said. The club has a bottle list that runs more than 80 pages, with several selections with four-digit price tags.
WS New York is also focused on special events, including ones with top names in the wine and food world, says the club leadership. The club has already hosted a $1,000-a-plate dinner with Thomas Keller, the Michelin-starred U.S. chef who has been a key force in shaping Hudson Yards’ culinary profile and has his own restaurant, TAK Room, at the development. The event also featured wines from Château Margaux, the prominent French estate.
WS New York arrives as the world of private clubs is undergoing much change, said observers of these exclusive entities. While the city’s old-guard clubs, some with histories that date back more than a century, remain in place, newer clubs are emerging that target a younger demographic and have a more contemporary mind-set. Soho House & Co., a global chain of clubs with a location in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, is an oft-cited example.
Mr. Himmel described WS New York as speaking to such an approach and said the club would welcome individuals from all walks of life.
“The last thing we wanted is for people to come here and see nothing but bankers and hedge-fund executives,” he said.
Mr. Shanken also plans on drawing executives and other key individuals connected to the wine, spirits and cigar worlds.
Chuck Wagner, the California winemaker behind the Caymus label, has already signed on as a club member. He said he was drawn to the project because he wanted to support an effort by Mr. Shanken that celebrated good food and wine.
Mr. Wagner also said the club will provide him with networking opportunities. “It’s a little bit of rubbing shoulders with the clientele that is buying our wine,” he said.
Write to Charles Passy at cpassy@wsj.com
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2019-11-30 16:12:00Z
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