This ain\u2019t your typical grandma\u2019s weekly bridge mahjong game.<\/p>\n
In New York City, a growing number of Gen Z and millennials are seeking out activities traditionally associated with their grandparents \u2014 like backgammon rooms, chess matches<\/a>, mahjong nights, and listening salons.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re paying up to $2,500 a year for the privilege \u2014 as a slew of achingly hip new members clubs have opened up to capitalize on the trend. <\/p>\n The rise in popularity of these hobbies comes amid growing digital fatigue and a shared craving for more intentional forms of connection. <\/p>\n And in 2026 NYC, these old-school hobbies come with a twist.<\/p>\n Over on the Lower East Side, trendy participants engage in the nearly 1,500-year-old game of chess amidst sexy dark lighting and a DJ spinning tunes at Club Chess \u2014 a downtown pop-up series blending nightlife and chess matches.<\/p>\n Club Chess began as an impromptu way to revive NYC nightlife after the pandemic. Club Chess<\/p>\n Co-founder Alexander Luke Bahta, who grew up playing chess from a young age, told The Post that after the pandemic he felt there was a new way to socialize.<\/p>\n What began as an experimental Wednesday-night chess gathering in 2023 quickly exploded into a series of eclectic events, sometimes ticketed, sometimes open to the public, and sometimes invite-only, held throughout the city, turning a classic game into a nightlife attraction drawing patrons who \u201care a mix of chess aficionados, beginners, and people who simply come to enjoy the total experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just made sense to combine my obsession with music, worldbuilding, and chess into one thing<\/a>,\u201d Bahta said. \u201cWe offer people a space that is surreal enough to make playing chess feel new and exciting.<\/p>\n Players at a Club Chess event, which welcomes all levels, though sometimes \u201csecret\u201d events are held for \u201cmembers.\u201d Club Chess<\/p>\n Founded around the same time as Club Chess, avid chess players M\u00fcnter and Simone Roberts created Pawn Chess Club, a pop-up chess event designed to bring people together in a low-stakes environment.<\/p>\n The club, which welcomes both beginners and experienced players, has hosted events at Manhattan hot spots like Casino and Time Again, Happier Grocery, and even The Met, with tickets available through suggested donations promoted on social media.<\/p>\n For M\u00fcnter and Roberts, the idea began casually after they bought a few chess sets and invited friends through Instagram.<\/p>\n Pawn Chess club blew up in popularity following the initial 50-person event.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the third event, most of the people there were strangers to us, which was exciting because it meant the idea resonated beyond our own circle,\u201d M\u00fcnter said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were surprised by how quickly it took off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe energy at Pawn is insane. I once waited 45 minutes in the rain outside of Happier Grocery for a Pawn event,\u201d Josephine Weidner, a Pawn Chess Club lover, told The Post. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are people of all ages and backgrounds, and everyone is welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n The pop-up is open to players (seen above) of all levels.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just chess setting nightclubs alight.<\/p>\n In the heart of Soho is 7 Spring, an exclusive, very chic, invite-only $2,500-a-year backgammon members\u2019 club founded by brothers Noor and Yazan Haddad, which opened in late 2025. <\/p>\n It\u2019s already drawn much attention from both deep-pocketed New Yorkers who love the classic board game and those who simply want a luxe spot to unwind in after a long day.<\/p>\n The brothers told The Post that they wanted to create a curated space where people could bond over a common hobby.<\/p>\n 7 Spring makes backgammon front and center, but unlike the other clubs, requires a paid membership. 7 Spring<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of great members\u2019 clubs in NYC. What makes 7 Spring unique is that you can go there and meet new people and bond with them over a shared passion for Backgammon,\u201d member Yoni Ben-Yehuda told The Post. <\/p>\n \u201cThe games get lively, and there are players of all levels, from beginners to pros, so there is always a great game to watch or play in. Or in my case, get schooled by better players,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n The owners wanted to create a space that attracted people over a shared love for something in a third space. 7 Spring<\/p>\n All owners agree that people are yearning for tactile, immersive experiences to escape our digital world. 7 Spring<\/p>\n Other classic games once beloved by AARP users, like mahjong, are also drawing massive young crowds. <\/p>\n Yelp has seen a 4,467% increase in US-based searches for clubs that host the tile game that originated in China from September 2024 to August 2025, compared to the year before, as originally reported by the WSJ<\/a>. <\/p>\n On TikTok, #mahjong<\/a> has almost 120,000 videos of everything from players raving about the game to people giving tutorials for others to learn mahjong in \u201c90 seconds.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n Green Tile Social Club, which started in 2022, has grown into a pop-up mahjong community event held across the city that, for a $25 entry fee, allows people to socialize and have a unique weekend outing. <\/p>\n Similar to its gaming counterparts, Green Tile hires a chic DJ to spin today\u2019s top hits, as cocktails are passed around to its 100-something players. <\/p>\n Since the fall, the social club has increased its number of attendees from 4,000 to 8,000, according ot the WSJ.<\/p>\n Even newer concepts like Stylus, a members-only \u201clistening salon\u201d opening at 48 Clinton Street later this year, are leaning heavily into analog rituals and sensory experiences. <\/p>\n Stylus, which has yet to open, will offer members an escape through music and sound. O’Neill Rose Architects<\/p>\n The 10,000-square-foot, four-story space, which will host both vinyl sessions and live performances, is designed for people who are passionate about sound and describes itself as a refuge from the \u201calgorithmic and standardized nature of our modern lives,\u201d centering music, acoustics, and intentional listening experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cWith an increasingly cacophonous, frenetic, and alienating urban life and world at large, people are seeking places that provide respite, refuge, and intentional communion,\u201d Luisa Gui, managing director of Stylus, told The Post.<\/p>\n A broader nostalgia-driven cultural shift has been prevalent among younger generations in recent years. Gen Z and millennials are reportedly<\/a> leading the charge, increasingly romanticizing products and experiences that sometimes predate their own lives.<\/p>\n