Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SYMBOL PHOTOGRAPHY ALGONQUIN CLUB Founded: 1888 Membership: 450 Application: Member nomination required. Multiple classes on club history and guidelines await... Highlights: Events for members with chil- dren, especially on holidays such as Hal- loween and Easter. Special features: "Our popular news and history forums, author series, and monthly book and wine clubs in addi- tion to cultural out- ings," says GM Jodi Anderson. 217 Commonwealth Ave., 617-266-2400; algonquinclub.com HARVARD CLUB Founded: 1908 Membership: 5,000 Application: Online. (Membership is not restricted to alumni.) Highlights: Athletic events. "Our running club meets twice a month in the eve- nings. We also have a wellness and yoga event, plus our golf tournament," says CMO Karen Galvin. Special features: "We have a [regular] lec- ture series featuring a Harvard faculty member [speaking to] current events," says Galvin. 374 Commonwealth Ave., 617-536-1260; harvardclub.com UNION CLUB Founded: 1863 Membership: 480 Application: Members must propose any new applicant with letters of recommen- dation. Highlights: "We have an active group of members under 40, with some in their late 20s," says secre- tary Adam Apt. "We are working to grow that segment of our membership." Special features: A panoply of events that includes dinners with guest speakers, family events, and even travel. Eight Park St., 617-227- 0589; unionclub.org . MEMBERS WELCOME BOSTON'S OLD GUARD OF PRIVATE CLUBS OPENS UP TO MILLENNIALS. Much like its premier univer- sities, Boston's historic clubs maintain a highly com- petitive admissions process. Nominations, recommenda- tions, interviews, even classes on club history can be part of the sometimes years-long vetting process. But as these clubs adapt to the times and begin opening their doors to new and younger members, application (and maybe even acceptance) has never been more accessible. Herein: The low-down on three of Bos- ton's most premier clubs. The age of innocence: One of the oldest "gentlemen's clubs" in the country, the old-guard Union Club now includes members as young as their late 20s (and, like the rest of Boston's private clubs, is now coed.) 56 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM SCENE CLUB LIFE