The need to belong to something is a feeling that dates all the way back to childhood. While feeling like you have a place can make people feel good, feeling like you’re part of something exclusive can make you feel important. How important it makes you feel depends on your self-esteem. As the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. is home to a plethora of clubs that the Average Joe doesn’t have access to and probably isn’t even aware of. We don’t mean nightclubs and we aren’t talking secret societies, either. We mean private social clubs housed in buildings that you’ve probably passed without acknowledging.
This list of 10 exclusive places in Washington, D.C. you’ll never get into isn’t meant to crush your life—we promise. However, it will have you shrugging in indifference, second-guessing everything about yourself or striving for excellence. If you do the latter, these doors could open for you one day.