In 2023, our founder Diana posted a TikTok. The idea was simple: she is a realtor in Westchester, she knew a lot of women here felt isolated, what if everyone just started hanging out? She figured maybe 20 people would respond.
Over a thousand women signed up in the first week.
That told us something we already suspected but had not seen confirmed so clearly: women in the suburbs are lonely and they are not going to wait around for someone else to fix it.
The loneliness thing is real
The Surgeon General put out an advisory in 2023 calling loneliness an epidemic. That word gets thrown around a lot now but the data behind it is worth paying attention to. Americans spend less time with friends than they did 20 years ago. The decline is steepest among women in their 20s and 30s. And it is worse in the suburbs, where there are fewer natural opportunities to run into people.
Westchester is a strange place for this. It is close to NYC, it is full of interesting people, and there is genuinely a lot to do here. But most of it is designed for couples or families. If you are a woman in your 20s or 30s and you do not have kids, your social options are basically: go into the city, hang out with coworkers, or stay home. None of those are great for building real friendships.
What changed after COVID
COVID made everything worse, obviously. But the interesting part is what happened after. People came out of lockdown and realized their social infrastructure had fallen apart. The casual friendships, the work acquaintances, the neighbors you used to wave to. A lot of that just did not come back.
At the same time, remote work meant a lot of women moved to Westchester from the city. They came for the space and the quiet and then realized they did not know a single person within 20 miles. Our membership data reflects this. A huge chunk of our members moved to Westchester between 2020 and 2024.
Why clubs specifically
You can join a gym. You can try Bumble BFF. You can go to a networking event. People do all of these things and most of them do not stick.
What works about a club is the recurring part. You are not trying to build a friendship from one coffee date. You are seeing the same women at a brunch this month and a fitness class next month and a holiday party in December. Friendships happen through repeated contact over time. Clubs create the conditions for that.
The other thing is that someone else handles the logistics. This matters more than people think. Planning a dinner for eight people is a part time job. Deciding where to go, getting everyone to agree on a date, making a reservation, sending reminders. Most friend groups collapse under the weight of that coordination. In a club, it is handled for you. You just show up.
What is happening at Club West
We are at over 1,600 members now across more than 20 towns in Westchester County. The growth has been almost entirely word of mouth and social media. We do not run ads. Women tell their friends, those friends apply, and the community gets bigger.
The events range from fitness classes and brunches to crafting workshops, book clubs, volunteer days, and big seasonal parties. But honestly the thing members talk about the most is the Discord. It runs all day, every day. Restaurant recommendations, outfit opinions, random life updates, people looking for someone to grab coffee with on a Tuesday afternoon. It feels less like a club and more like a group chat with 1,600 women who live near you.
If you want to see what it is about, check out our events or apply to join. Membership is $10 a month and you have to live in Westchester County.