Æsir Society
If you manage to land a job at a large investment bank or a large law firm, a few things are probably obvious: you are busy. You have a little bit of spending money to throw around. And your time is valuable.
If you live in New York City and you are still on the young side, you might also enjoy taking advantage of the sparse spare time you have. It’s not worth putting in the long hours to take home the big checks if you don’t take advantage of it, right?
And in New York, you have a virtually infinite number of options for incredible food, strong drinks, and clubs where you can dance ’til the sun comes up… and you go back to work. But there’s one problem: if you’re in the office until 8 p.m. or later, the last thing you want to do is search for a spur-of-moment dinner reservation. Kind of takes the fun out of the whole process.
That’s where the folks behind the Æsir Society come in.
The young entrepreneurs behind this new “exclusive” club realize the value of your time, and they want to help. Æsir was founded by an eclectic bunch of successful young New Yorkers – Biglaw lawyers, investment bankers, a veteran bartender, and an established nightlife operator – who all enjoy the finer things. They know time is always in short-supply, and they want to help like-minded people have an easier time having fun.
In January, I got to spend an evening with the founders, and I had a blast. Æsir is not just some concierge service. These guys (and girls) have a unique ability to connect the hospitality industry in New York City with high-powered young professionals.
To put it bluntly: Æsir Society members get last-minute reservations at the hottest bars, restaurants, and clubs in New York with no fuss. On the Saturday night I went out with Æsir, our group of about six walked into Stanton Social, Silver Lining, and the bar at the top of the Hotel Gansevoort almost without breaking stride. At the Gansevoort, where prospective patrons would normally pay hundreds of dollars of bottle service to get in, the Red Sea of the crowd – and the velvet rope – opened in front of us, almost like magic.
Again, this isn’t some faceless concierge service. The members are mostly friends and friends of friends. Æsir is built on the concept of meeting people and making new friends. The club isn’t “exclusive” because you need to have some certain prestige to get in. The founders simply want to create a social group made up of members with whom they enjoy spending time. Aesir hosts periodic events, and members frequently go out together, because that’s what friends do.
I was nervous going into our meeting, because I sort of expected a bunch of uptight corporate toolsheds. But Æsir is a cool group of people. Simply based on appearance, the group runs the gamut: a young law firm associate in a business suit, a bartender wearing a vintage bowtie, and the trendsetter wearing an American Apparel V-neck with visible tattoos. Same goes for personalities.
For a monthly fee, members can make day-of reservations at the society’s large and quickly growing list of hot spots in New York City. All you do is log on through Æsir’s password-protected website or private iPhone app and click where you want to go. The group is also making agreements with other luxury entertainment vendors, such as Uber, a last-minute town car service, a.k.a. the easiest way to impress a girl. Ever.
If cost is a concern, think about it this way: your time is money. How much is it worth to you to never again dig around Yelp, or waste time calling a maître d’ for reservations. As much a gym membership? I thought so.
If you’re interested in learning more about this new society, check out aesirsociety.com for application instructions and more information.
