All-women’s club ‘The Wing’ to open first Brooklyn space at Clocktower Building in DUMBO

July 24, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Wing, a women-only club and workspace, is slated to open its third location in DUMBO’s Clocktower Building in 2018. Photos courtesy of Two Trees Management/ The Wing

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It’s part women’s club and part all-woman workspace. The Wing, an old idea given a modern facelift, will open its third location in the iconic Clocktower Building at 1 Main St., owned by DUMBO’s Two Trees Management.

The Wing’s DUMBO location is slated to open in January 2018 and will offer members an open-plan workspace, meeting rooms, phone booths, a library, a lactation room, showers and a beauty room. There is also the possibility of a Brooklyn-based cafe in its ground-floor space, according to a release from Two Trees.

Why a women-only club and workspace? The Wing was born out of the conviction that “women deserve space designed to fit their everyday needs,” and that “magic happens when women of different minds and passions gather in one place,” according to The Wing’s website.

The idea is based upon the women’s club movement of the late 19th century, which evolved after women were banned from men’s clubs.

The Wing will be located at the corner of Main and Plymouth streets, adjacent to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Its new 9,000-square-foot ground-floor space is the former home to Bubby’s Restaurant. The space will be designed by Chiara de Rege & Hilary Koyfman and architect Alda Ly.

According to Two Trees, the space will feature a custom Brooklyn wallpaper by illustrator Joana Avillez and wallpaper designers Flat Vernacular, both of whom are members of The Wing. In addition, it will offer three to five events each week, ranging from panels on politics and current events to crafting and wellness. Some familiar Brooklyn-based members include Tavi Gevinson, Zoe Kazan, Lena Dunham, Emma Straub, Lisa Price and Aurora James.

The Wing seems to be filling a necessary niche, if membership numbers are an indication. The organization currently has 700 members — and there are 8,000 more on the waitlist. The DUMBO location is expected to host approximately 1,200 members.

The Wing’s original location — located in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood —includes an all-female library and a cafe with food, wine and cocktails made by women.

Besides the Brooklyn location, The Wing will expand with two additional spaces by early 2018 in Soho and Washington, D.C. It will open its second location in SoHo this October.