|
|
 |
FairfieldCountyOnline (www.fairfieldcountyonline.com), July 2005
"Avenue B Social Club"
By Jeff Yates
|
|
|
Meeting people these days can be a challenge, especially if you’re new to the area, and being a barfly isn’t all its cracked up to be.
If you’re too old for the bar scene and you’re too young to have PTA meetings defining your life, but still yearning to widen your social circle, Avenue B might just be the ticket.
Like many people in the club, I stumbled across AveB almost by accident. A co-worker spotted one of their business cards posted on a bulletin board, liked the simple design and color scheme and passed it on to me to check out.
What I found was a vibrant, wide-ranging group, with members throughout Fairfield County and beyond. |
It’s hard to typify AveB and its members. It’s a social club, but then again, even from your first time out, it just feels like a group of longtime friends hanging out. It’s not a dating service though romantic situations do sometimes sprout up among members, but “sharks” out on the prowl for a date are discouraged and often derided by members.
Members seem to be mostly corporate 30 something singles on the go, but that pattern doesn’t always hold try depending on what type of events you attend, and there are plenty of couples and older members rounding out the group. What really seems to tie the group together, however, is its members’ penchant for having a good time.
Kate Berg, founder and president of the group, started AveB after moving back from New York City. The club is her attempt to recapture the vibrant social life she found among friends and neighbors in the city, and the diverse background and tastes of those she encountered there.
For members, AveB offers a way to get involved without the hassle of organizing a group of friends to go on a trip, or spend a day golfing, biking, hiking, playing poker, doing community service, visiting museums, going to plays, opera and the movies, or just meeting for a night of socializing.
The group’s motto, “Take Fun Seriously” describes its members’ mentality. It offers structured activities with the feel of spontaneity for people who have only a little free time to spare and want to get the most out of it.
It’s more of a “Hey, we’re all going to be meeting at the beach on Saturday night, come on down,” instead of a strict itinerary of activities and events.
It’s laid-back, relaxed and comfortable, and you quickly fall into a pattern of friendly banter.
The one-year anniversary party was the first event I attended; in a year AveB has quickly grown to several hundred members, with a mailing list in the thousands.
Word-of-mouth seems to be the most common way that people have found out about AveB, but Kate hopes to bring in even more members by offering the club as a resource for local corporations and their new employees who have just moved to the area.
A surprising number of members I spoke to said they found out about AveB while doing community service. They bumped into an AveB member from one of the group’s many community outreach programs.
While Kate is quick to say her club isn’t for dating, and many members said the same, a few women quietly told me that what they liked most about the group was that its membership was made up of “some of the most attractive people in the county,” and intelligent to boot. I agree.
I had the chance to spend three separate nights with AveB members, and at each event, the anniversary party, a beach party over the July Fourth weekend, and poker night at a restaurant in Norwalk, while there seemed to be a core group of diehards, there were also many new members to meet.
One of the most interesting aspects of AveB, and by far the easiest way to learn more about the club and stay in touch with people you meet at the various events, is the group’s website: www.aveb.net
Along with the usual background information, photos from past events and a calendar stuffed with upcoming events, the website offers online interaction among members that Kate hopes to turn into the next wave of socializing.
For Kate, one of the best parts about the eclectic membership she has attracted, is that there are so many talented people with varied interests, and many are beginning to arrange their own events and trips through the group.
Recently one member, who is also a member of the Modern Museum of Art in New York, arranged and guided a private tour for AveB. While she led a high brow tour one day, she was also equally at ease kicking off her shoes and drinking wine from a paper cup at the beach party a few weekends later.
AveB is also drawing attention from some pretty heavy hitters in the corporate world. Recently the group was chosen, because of its diverse membership, to test market a new brand of vodka set to hit the shelves this summer. At several tastings and formal surveying events, members got to try the wares and give their reviews.
Getting involved isn’t pricey at all, with year-long memberships running $99, six months for $59, and a 30-day trial period to check out the group before joining.
Events are usually free to members, though some that are catered or involve outside expenses will cost members $40 or so to attend, with a higher price for non-members. It’s worth the time to check them out. You might be pleasantly surprised.
BACK |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
