Traditional Gentlemen's Clubs

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On my last trip to England, I had the privilege of being invited to dine at a traditional private gentlemen's club.

No, it did not feature nude women dancing erotically. Instead, it was an upper-class club owned by the members. It featured a combination smoking salon and card room, a library, a formal dining room, private meeting rooms, and private sleeping rooms for solitary men upstairs. It was a venue for older businessmen to meet and discuss business in a male-oriented environment. Women were allowed to dine as guests if they were in the company of a member; but they were not allowed into the upper rooms. Unescorted women were politely turned away at the door.

Dining was formal - three-piece suits were the norm, and neckties were mandatory. Conversations centered mostly on business, politics, and football.

The entire experience was low-key, and I felt none of the sensory overload going on outside.

If a private "Aspies Only" club was set up on this model, it would be a pleasant social experience. However, the expense of running the place could make it prohibitive for most aspies.

Does anyone know of such traditional gentlemen's clubs where they're at?

Everything sounds cool--except the smoking.

I suppose there are those type of clubs in NYC--but I've never been tempted to join. I probably can't afford it, anyway.

There was one here many years ago. The catholic men's club (it was centered around the church).

A British Genetlemen's Club was portrayed in a scene in the move Brannigan starring John Wayne as a Chicago cop sent to London to pick up a crime boss and bring him back to the US.

In Houston, there is The Houston Club which is similar in some ways. See http://www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/The-Houston-Club.

Wikipedia has a list of such clubs in the US:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traditional_gentlemen's_clubs_in_the_United_States.

Not much for smoking, but the aesthetic of the traditional gentlemen's club appeals to me. Leather and wood furniture, some nice artworks, maybe a hunting trophy or two, an open fireplace and a library. I could get behind that.

Would also finally give me an excuse to buy and wear a cape.

Anybody really like the paintings of the dogs playing poker? I've always found them cool!