New Club on the Block

Kloe, left, and Justin

Until recently, ASmallWorld.net seemed to have the “exclusive” (a.k.a. invite-only) social networking category locked up. But in New York at least, a new contender is gaining traction.

The signature feature of APrivateClub.com, a social networking website aimed at elite New York City twentysomethings, is its feature allowing members to recommend favorite local haunts—restaurants, bars, spas, etc.—and rank them on a scale of 1 to 10. Most of the members are pals of the site’s young founders, Kloe Korby and Justin Belmont. The idea is that the best answer to the inevitable “where to go tonight?” question comes from friends—and friends of friends. “If you can see the profile of a person behind a recommendation, and see who they’re friends with and what their interests are, you can quickly find a place that’s right for you,” says Belmont, a Manhattan native whose friendship with Korby dates to their years at the Trinity School. The club also holds member events, like a recent benefit for the New Museum held at the penthouse suite at the Hotel on Rivington, and, this past February a book party for Tom Dolby’s preppy tome The Sixth Form.

Currently the club has only 600 members. Good luck getting in, however: not all members even have invite privileges.