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11-story office building in the Back Bay could become a private club
By adamg on Sat, 08/26/2017 - 10:41am
The Boston Sun reports on one couple's idea to turn 29 Commonwealth Ave. into 11 stories of gilded fun for people with the sort of money it would take to join a place that features a fitness center on one floor, a giant game room on another and a rooftop patio - but not one where live music would be played.
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Comments
Are we going to demand
20% of its membership be subsidized?
Converting this building into
Converting this building into apartments or condos seems more appropriate for that area which is mainly residential.
That aside, I do not agree with the idea of taking away 6 metered spaces for use by the general public, which generate money for the city, in order to gift them as valet spaces for a select few wealthy private club members.
I might not mind the valet
Just charge the club for 100% (or more) of the maximum meter revenue associated with the six meters.
Valet parking is a good thing. It means that the members of that club are far less likely to park curbside in the block or two or three surrounding the club -- tying up those spaces that would otherwise be open.
I wonder about the guest rooms. Are they going to be charging? More importantly, will they be paying all the taxes on the fair market value of those rooms?
Somebody should do the math on what the total city tax receipts would be were this a club, apartments, a hotel, or (some fraction of owner-occupied) condominiums. Property tax, valet revenue, room tax, restaurant tax, the works. I'm not arguing that the revenue is the only thing that should matter, but it would be interesting nonetheless.
Sounds like a Millenial Jillian's
Yet even more awful, if that's possible.
The Boston Athletic
The Boston Athletic Association had such a club next to the BPL purpose built at their inception. Unfortunately hard times during the Great Depression caused it to go bankrupt and the building was torn down. Had a gym, track, pool, boxing, archery, shooting, gymnastics, fencing, climbing, cycling, rooftop garden, and Roman style baths. Was quite the facility in the late 19th century!
I'm poor and would feel
I'm poor and would feel uncomfortable at such a club with my Payless Shoes , Morgan Memorial outfit and Dollar Tree makeup. Wouldn't look too photogenic on the society photos in Boston Magazine and Improper Bostonian.
Back Bay Club
You'll have plenty of time to ponder the club and its exclusive membership while you sit in traffic on Berkeley Street, already is a disaster, as the cars waiting for valet parking line up and block the lanes to Storrow Drive.
Those of us who have studied
Those of us who have studied and worked hard, finally made it, can't have nice things because of traffic? They're building the American dream. I hope the idea catches on.
Heavens
Join the Harvard Club, the College Club, the Chilton Club, the Algonquin Club, or the St. Botolph Club. They all are pretty hard up for members. They've already built your "American dream" several times around here, see. Now, MY American dream happens to include metered spaces on Berkeley Street.
Those clubs have amenities
Those clubs have amenities for old people. No clubs catered to the affluent young.
Correction. Those of us who
Correction. Those of us who have studied and worked hard, and continue to work hard, now have to sit in unnecessary traffic.
Demand
It's hard to see how they will fill the 800 memberships, or maintain them after the novelty has worn off. There are two private clubs on Comm Ave already (Alonquin and St. B's) and every private club in the city is struggling to find new members.
Thanks for the info-wondered about that
Unless a private club offers a genuinely useful service-- like some of the university clubs offer office space or B&B to alumni members-- how can more than a few clubs, without a unifying interest, stay in business? There can't be enough wedding receptions to float them. I wondered about this a lot when I lived in DC, which used to be full of them. All but a few have dissolved, though. It doesn't seem like this couple is proposing to offer anything that isn't available elsewhere.
(By unifying interest, I mean things like the Club of Odd Volumes or the yacht/sailing clubs)
Reputation Precedes Them
The reason people aren't buying into those private clubs, besides the cost, is they think it will be like this:
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With price per square foot so
With price per square foot so high in the Boston area we need more of these spaces. People have no space to socialize in anymore. I know everyone gives people crap for signing up for these sorts of things but what other options do they have when all you can afford is a 300 square foot studio?
Not your grandfathers club
I think it's refreshing to have a club for people, like me, with young families, and in our late forties. They mentioned reasonable dues. (Under 3k a year) consistent with gym memberships, and an opportunity to enjoy both fine dining and casual dining (without people giving me dirty looks for texting or reading news on my phone). I didn't join the other clubs because they are out of date with the times. Yet, this isn't a trendy soho house either, so it's a good fit. In sum I am excited to join!
Old clubs
The thing is, most of the old clubs have made changes to address precisely these issues (lower dues for younger members, relaxed dress code, casual and formal dining options, cell phone use tolerated- just take calls in a separate room, "business center" with good wifi, events geared toward families with kids, etc.) They probably need to do a better job getting the word out.
Really?
Maybe I'm lucky with what is available near me, but $200-300/month seems like a high price to pay for a gym membership.
And I'm sorry you've been judged for staring at your phone while eating alone in a restaurant. Because of my academic year work schedule, I eat out many times a week, and a few times a month I splurge on someplace nice. I have never had that issue, whether staring at my phone or reading a book-- one of my favorite indulgences is going out to dinner alone & reading (I also love going to the movies alone). Maybe try different restaurants? I've never had a problem at Marliave, or Grotto. VeeVee and Tres Gatos in JP are definitely cool with single diners. I eat in either Chinatown or the North End every week, and have yet to feel out of place.
It's funny, because one of the benefits of my job is a membership in a university club. The food is very good, and half what it would cost elsewhere, and the dining room is beautiful. However, I haven't noticed that more or fewer people eat alone there. It's sort of a pain to get to, so I only go when I want to take someone out.
I don't know that a private club will solve the problem of feeling self conscious. My take is that, historically, private clubs were more judgmental, not less.
You look marvelous
no you look marvelous....ugh
We really are inching toward
We really are inching toward "world class city" status. I'm all for this idea.