No Men Allowed: Women-Only Workspace Says No To Bros

FLATIRON, NY — Public relations specialist Audrey Gelman one day found herself hopping around in a dark coffee shop bathroom, trying to change into heels, with 2 percent left on her phone, already running 20 minutes late to a meeting.

Gelman, who is also known for being buddies with actress Lena Dunham, decided she needed a place where she could fix all of these things in peace. So she founded The Wing, a women's club-to-be on East 20th Street between Park and Broadway in Flatiron.

The Wing will be "your throne away from home; a sacred space where you can work, get to inbox zero, shower, get a blow-out, store your stuff, take a conference call, make a new friend, or even stage a small coup. All in one place," according to the website's description.

On Wednesday, The Wing began taking applications for its first members. The group hasn't released its official address, or an exact date of its opening, but it said in an email it expects to open within the next few weeks.

The club will boast "really good WiFi," a library, work space, drinks, food, a lactation room, showers, speakers, and makeup and blow-outs "on-demand."

Gelman is betting that women will agree with her gripe that existing co-working spaces are "surrounded by bros" and social clubs are too much like "BBC Masterpiece Theater." Instead, she is hoping, women want a home base where they can "build essential relationships, hatch plans and you know … run the world, together," the club's website description says.

The inspiration behind The Wing is the women's club movement that began in the late 19th century and blossomed until the 1930s, when there were more than 5,000 of them throughout the country, the website says.

Membership costs $185 per month, or $1,950 per year, plus a registration fee of $100. For comparison, WeWork common workspace costs $45 a month for general membership, and around $220 a month for access to a desk in the common area. WeWork doesn't offer makeup or blow-outs, though.

The Wing's membership application asks women questions such as, "What's your side hustle?" and "Which fictional TV character is your spirit animal?" The group's website doesn't say how many members it will accept or reject. It also doesn't say which criteria it will use to decide who gets to hang at The Wing.

Photo from Pexels, public domain