Inside The Wing's New Dumbo, Brooklyn, Location

Interior design, Building, Room, Property, Furniture, Living room, Lobby, Ceiling, Table, Design,

(Image credit: Tory Williams)

published 26 February 2018

You have arrived. These are the first words you see when you enter The Wing Dumbo, otherwise known as the bi-level, color-coordinated loft of your dreams. Four months after introducing its SoHo location, the exclusive female-only club has opened the doors to its third location in Dumbo, Brooklyn, providing members with an ultra-chic workspace (and incredible views) to brainstorm, create, relax, and connect with women across industries.

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Inside The Wing's Chic Soho Location

The bright and cozy 9,000 square-foot space—formerly the home of NYC's famous restaurant Bubby's—includes conference rooms lined with custom pink wallpaper featuring illustrations of female Brooklynites throughout history, a beauty room, a breastfeeding room, and gingham-lined showers. Unlike the SoHo location, the Brooklyn spot also offers a podcast room, a wellness room (hello, meditation and yoga classes), a vintage photo booth, and—wait for it—a secret (!) bookcase with phone booths inside for private calls.

"It's most important for us to make each space feel distinct in terms of architecture and interior design," says co-founder and CEO Audrey Gelman, who, alongside co-founder and COO Lauren Kassan, contracted the same designers as the SoHo location for Dumbo: architect Alda Ly and interior designer Chiara de Rege. "I grew up coming to Bubby's so it's pretty cool and surreal to experience this new space come to life."

Once inside, you can easily see why the secret rooms behind the bookcase, the photo booth, and the views of the East River from the mezzanine are Gelman's favorite spots. The sunken living room in the middle of the first floor is sure to be a member favorite as well as The Perch—The Wing's café, serving members drinks and bites including coffee, wine and cocktails, salads, and sandwiches. No matter where you are in the working environment, you feel like you belong—and that's the point.

"Expanding to Brooklyn was a no-brainer for The Wing,” explains Gelman. “A third of The Wing’s current members call Brooklyn home, and it's consistently one of the most requested locations. We're excited to welcome new women into The Wing’s community and continue the company’s growth.”

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Room, Interior design, Property, Furniture, Dining room, Building, Table, Real estate, Restaurant, Architecture,

Shelving, Bookcase, Shelf, Library, Bookselling, Furniture, Book, Building, Public library, Room,

With a total applicant pool of 13,000* women, The Wing has come quite a long way since it first opened the doors to its original Flatiron, NYC, location October 2016. Dumbo is The Wing's first ground-floor location, meaning non-members can enter the space and shop for merchandise, learn more about The Wing, and find curated art by Picture Room—a female-owned, Brooklyn-based gallery hosting solely female works for purchase.

Even the scope of the events have evolved. The same day I toured the Dumbo location, Gelman was preparing to moderate a panel that night with Jennifer Lawrence (yes, the one-and-only J. Law) a part of the three to five events hosted at each location per week—including everything from "Fuck Harvey Weinstein" events to trivia night to book club to candid conversations with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

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The Wing is having quite a moment: It recently launched a magazine, No Man's Land, boasts a current roster of 3,000 members (doubled since the opening of its SoHo location), and is already set to open a fourth location in Washington, D.C. this spring—with plans to continue expanding across the country. But even with its increasing membership roster and undeniable popularity, Gelman knows the women's club will continue to stand by the mission that's always been at its core. "Our mission is the same as when we launched—the social, political, and economic advancement of women, which we support by providing women with a space of their own."

The Wing Dumbo officially opens February 26. For more information on The Wing and applying for membership, visit their website.

*13,000 people have applied for membership to The Wing since opening its doors in 2016. However, it's undisclosed how long the current waitlist is for membership. According to Gelman, it takes about three weeks for applicants to hear back once an application has been submitted.

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.