Three guests enjoying cocktails during the Moss opening celebration
Guests raise a glass as Moss debuts its new era of intelligent leisurePhoto Credit: Kate Owen

Moss Debuts on Fifth Avenue: New York’s Newest Private Members’ Club Redefines Wellness, Culture, and Intelligent Leisure

Inside the Four-Story Sanctuary Bringing Community, Movement, and Hospitality to Midtown Manhattan
4 min read

On a brisk November evening, Moss opened its doors at 520 Fifth Avenue with a gathering that felt distinctly New York — stylish, curious, and ready to embrace a new kind of private club. The debut drew notable names including Taylor Hill, Candace Bushnell, Rebecca Dayan, Nicolas Heller, Blake Abbie, Joey Arias, Romilly New-Man, and Samah Dada, each stepping inside to experience a space designed to bring culture, community, movement, and meaningful connection under one roof.

Founded by Colleen and Hailey Brooks, Moss introduces a fresh vision of modern membership: a club that treats wellness and culture not as competing interests, but as deeply intertwined pillars of contemporary living. The opening night offered an early look at that philosophy in practice, with guests sampling delicacies by Chef Angela Zeng, sipping curated cocktails, and moving to a soundtrack shaped by DJ Charlie Klarsfield.

Moss founders Hailey & Colleen Brooks
Moss founders Hailey & Colleen BrooksPhoto Credit: Kate Owen

A New Midtown Social and Wellness Destination

Located at one of Manhattan’s most iconic intersections — moments from Bryant Park, Grand Central, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, the Theatre District, and MoMA — Moss positions itself as a sanctuary in the heart of Midtown. Its four expansive floors weave together hospitality, aesthetics, fitness, and culture, creating a rare space where members can transition fluidly from morning rituals to evening gatherings.

The club’s interiors were brought to life by Charles & Co, the globally acclaimed design studio led by Vicky Charles. The result is an environment that balances sophistication with intimacy, blending warm materials, considered textures, and subtle references to New York’s architectural history. Moss feels luxurious without losing the sense of ease that defines a true home away from home — a cornerstone of the founders’ vision.

Red Moss notebook on a brass side table with a small lamp
A quiet corner at Moss captures the club’s refined aestheticPhoto Credit: Kate Owen
Three guests enjoying cocktails during the Moss opening celebration
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The Concept: Intelligent Leisure Meets Physical Culture

Moss was built on two core philosophies that guide every detail of the club’s design and programming: Intelligent Leisure and Physical Culture.

Intelligent Leisure

This pillar centers on cultivating creative and intellectual communities through experiences that encourage conversation, curiosity, and exploration. Members can expect art exhibitions, musical performances, interdisciplinary salons, and supper clubs — offerings that align with New York’s cultural DNA while giving Moss its own distinctive point of view. These gatherings are designed to be immersive rather than performative, allowing members to learn, engage, and socialize with intention.

Jazz quartet performing inside Moss during the opening celebration
Live musicians set the evening’s rhythm across Moss’s opening nightPhoto Credit: Kate Owen

Physical Culture

Just as essential to Moss’s identity is its commitment to movement, balance, and restoration. This philosophy comes to life at Bedrock Aquatics & Athletics, a 20,000-square-foot fitness and wellness universe spanning two floors within the club. Here, members can access training spaces, plunge pools, a sauna, a spa, and a hammam — all crafted to support both high-intensity performance and grounded recovery. The space is designed as a true oasis, encouraging New Yorkers to restore their energy before reentering the city’s perpetual rhythm.

Tiered martini tower surrounded by skewered olives at Moss
A dramatic martini display became a centerpiece of Moss’s celebrationPhoto Credit: Kate Owen

Opening Night: Hospitality With a New York Pulse

The club’s debut on Saturday, November 15th offered an early glimpse of how Moss intends to merge social connection with wellness-minded living. Across four floors, guests gathered for an evening built on community rather than spectacle.

Chef Angela Zeng’s menu emphasized thoughtful, seasonal dishes, while the bar served cocktails tailored for the milestone occasion. DJ Charlie Klarsfield curated a dynamic musical backdrop that evolved with the night — energetic enough to spark conversation, but restrained enough to maintain Moss’s atmosphere of intentional luxury.

The guest list reflected the founders’ vision of a club designed for “New Yorkers of all types.” Fashion personalities, entrepreneurs, creatives, and long-time cultural contributors moved easily between lounges, dining spaces, and performance areas, offering an early glimpse of the community Moss seeks to cultivate.

A Love Letter to New Yorkers

Moss was imagined as a place where the city’s pace can be admired without overwhelming its inhabitants. Colleen and Hailey Brooks created the club as a response to what many New Yorkers seek today: a space that supports both ambition and restoration. Moss is meant to complement the city’s cultural fabric, not compete with it.

Every detail — from the art-forward programming to the recovery-focused athletics floor — reflects a belief that wellness and culture are not separate pursuits. They are parallel expressions of how people want to live, socialize, and evolve.

Red Babette food cart stocked with buns, toppings, and condiments
Babette’s signature cart added a playful culinary touch to the nightPhoto Credit: Kate Owen

A New Chapter for Midtown Membership Culture

As attention continues to shift toward elevated lifestyle offerings and community-driven clubs, Moss stands out for its layered approach. It is not simply a wellness center or a social club. It is a hybrid model designed for the modern New Yorker — someone who values culture as much as physical vitality, and who expects hospitality to feel both intentional and personal.

With its opening, Moss signals a new era for Midtown: one where leisure, intellectual life, and physical well-being coexist within a single address. For members, it offers the rarest commodity in New York — a space that feels expansive, grounded, and connected to the pulse of the city.
Three guests enjoying cocktails during the Moss opening celebration
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