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H00die5zn t1_j13mw7l wrote

Honest question - WTH goes on at this place? Each time there’s an event it looks like some military ball or FOP gathering. Is it just a place for ppl “in the know” to discuss world domination?

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CerealJello t1_j13rocl wrote

I've been in a few times for private events, and it's very much a "we're better than the people outside" type of atmosphere.

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H00die5zn t1_j13s9ol wrote

Don’t they eventually become the ppl outside once said event is over?

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CerealJello t1_j13sdka wrote

No way. They get right into their private cars and head to the burbs. Their feet barely even touch the sidewalk.

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FolesNick9 t1_j13v39y wrote

Their feet don't even touch the sidewalk, there's a private garage that people park in that's within the building itself.

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CerealJello t1_j13v766 wrote

Damn, the garage location might almost be worth the membership fee.

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pasnow t1_j142arr wrote

Aritocrats. The movers & shakers of the city. The types who mingled with the Ed Rendells of the world. Alot of high end lawyers and political influencers and such.

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Edison_Ruggles t1_j148jwc wrote

Are they really? or are they just washed up old lawyers?

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Marko_Ramius1 t1_j14c8xr wrote

Think the Duke brothers from Trading Places. And Winthorpe at the start of the movie

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pasnow t1_j149y8g wrote

Well, yeah, the 80 year old lawyer types who have offices in the 20th floor & up with their names on the firms name. Those types of lawyers. Sit in big oak chairs and everything. Haven't stood in a courtroom in 20-30 years.

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Accomplished_Crab392 t1_j1449i6 wrote

I’ve been with a friend a few times. Honestly, it’s just not my kinda scene, from the minute you go in everyone is trying to sell you on becoming a member. The majority of it was sweaty 35 year old dudes making too many group trips to the bathroom and having way too many drinks for any normal adult on a Wednesday. Beautiful, but weird place imo.

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Marko_Ramius1 t1_j14biio wrote

It is a super nice spot but you're 100% right. They are very much trying to get a younger demographic in there, especially when clubs like Fitler and the Pyramid Club cater to those younger people, because they don't have the upper class arrogance associated with the Union League. I have 1 acquaintance (I use that term instead of friend because he's an arrogant jackass) that has asked me to join and the only reason I'd even consider it is for the golf

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courageous_liquid t1_j169091 wrote

Fitler club is a giant piece of shit and pretends it's not arrogant but it is. Friend was a member and would take me to burn his monthly minimum. One time the front desk wouldn't let a chef getting off his shift in the elevator with us, even after I insisted, then got off and told him he could go first. Disgusting attitude.

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Jakdracula t1_j1kz12j wrote

Yup. I fucking hate the Fitler cub. Such ugly people. Quit after my first year.

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Marko_Ramius1 t1_j14b7cr wrote

It's a social club for the Philly upper class. It's a mix of old money, rich businesspeople, social climbers etc. Definitely an older crowd but they have been trying to get young blood in the place. I know a couple people who are on the younger side that are members, but unsurprisingly they have that 'I'm better than you attitude' that comes with being a member as much as the older members. Only reason worth joining is because they own 4 (?) very nice golf courses in the area

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Away_Swimming_5757 t1_j15875d wrote

I've been awarded several scholarships that had receptions in the Union League. It was really nice inside and is pretty much just an upscale venue/ banquet hall with cool history and art work. Everyone was really nice and welcoming.

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jbs818 t1_j14vkao wrote

Lots of repubes with big bucks

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NonIdentifiableUser t1_j12jq2m wrote

Maybe they can convince their members to change the rhetoric from their side of the aisle that cities are irredeemable shitholes while they’re at it.

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JWHISKY707 t1_j13v9re wrote

This sect of members doesn't think the cities are irredeemable. They just think the leadership and politics are the reason it cant be.

Which isnt a crazy take.

The Republican party is made of a lot of different wings. The UL is more akin to fiscal conservative/constitutionalist type.

People saying but they hosted trump and supported him. That was 2016. Like saying the Patriots support murder cause they had Hernandez on the team before.

They have 100% pivoted off Trump for some time. If Trump is running the Union league will side with his primary opponent.

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NonIdentifiableUser t1_j141ezi wrote

Bro I don’t want to hear a peep about leadership from a place that hosted Trump in 2016, supported his re-election, and overall supports a political party that didn’t even put forward a platform at the last RNC.

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JWHISKY707 t1_j148x9c wrote

Cause what. Philly is the meca of quality leadership and morals? Philly is corruption, bribe and money funneling free since forever.

So blinded by random party lines hate.

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NonIdentifiableUser t1_j14b7rn wrote

That’s not the point. Philly is a mess of poor leadership, but the GOP, and by extension, its supporters in the Union League are somehow even worse. They are complicit in behavior that is decidedly anti-democratic such as the Merrick Garland nomination at the end of Obama’s presidency, and of course, the response of the party to January 6th. They have no moral high ground to try and lecture anyone on how bad cities and the (mostly) Democrat leaders are.

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JWHISKY707 t1_j14h8hs wrote

The Merrick Garland nomination was nothing outside the powers bestowed.

Just cause a president nominates someone doesn't mean they get a automatic in. Senators wield the power.

You might need a refresher.

Its hilarious you say that in the face of administration that is currently trying to push the boundaries of what the executive is allowed to do. While using its offices FDA, EPA, HHS, Etc. to enact laws and polices without the power of congress.

Biden knows before hand that stuff wont hold up in court but does it anyways to buy months on months then hose it up longer.

He does it cause the media and his party like the policies so the blowback is minimal on his side.

0

NonIdentifiableUser t1_j15opid wrote

The GOP created a “rule” and then completely ignored it so they were able to stack the court with conservative judges sympathetic to their agenda that also don’t even bother to hide their corruption. Totally unprecedented and totally antithetical to democracy. Executive branch power grabs are a problem but not exclusive to this administration and certainly not the same as the “win at all costs” motto of the current GOP. It’s no wonder we’re slowly backsliding into authoritarianism when half the county defends this bullshit.

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LiveFirstDieLater t1_j15o2wh wrote

When did the senate vote on Merrick Garland?

Refusing to hold hearings for almost 300 days is the definition of corruption

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jbphilly t1_j1413l3 wrote

>The Republican party is made of a lot of different wings.

And all of them happily fall in line behind fascists.

>The UL is more akin to fiscal conservative/constitutionalist type.

Yes, supporting the guy who spent four years shitting on the Constitution and tried to do a coup, very constitutionalist, much rule of law, wow.

>If Trump is running the Union league will side with his primary opponent.

And if (when) he wins the primary, they will go back to tacitly supporting him, just like they did before.

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JWHISKY707 t1_j1494ja wrote

Didnt they host him in like 2016 right as he was elected and not a peep since?

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jbphilly t1_j14cemj wrote

How many of them did anything whatsoever to push back against him? Did the organization do anything at all to speak out against his corruption, racism, or authoritarianism? Did they stop supporting the party that he became the absolute leader of?

I'm gonna bet they didn't. Plus, just recently they did some event dickriding Desantis, who is every bit as bad and un-American as Trump.

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Acewrap t1_j14j5dm wrote

What if Trump wins the primary again, how soon would the Union League send him fawning invitations again?

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duhduhman t1_j13mdz9 wrote

this place gave donald rumsfeld a gold medal I refuse to join until it is rescinded

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uptown_gargoyle t1_j13pihe wrote

i refuse to join until the rumsfeld medal is rescinded, the $4k/year membership dues are reduced to like $50, and the whole thing is torn down and replaced with a waterpark

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covercash t1_j14rlkt wrote

It’s a really nice old building, do we have to tear it down? Maybe just turn it into an arcade with laser tag?

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uptown_gargoyle t1_j165rmx wrote

that would be fine too I guess, but if they want my $50 it'll need to be a water park

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porkchameleon t1_j13r8ov wrote

I am sure they are giving it a long and hard thought as we speak, since someone finally put their foot down about it.

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gubmintbacon t1_j141kxc wrote

Used to go to their New Year’s Day thing because I knew a member—the free booze and food was nice but it definitely gave a vibe like they were in those Purge movies.

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redeyeblink OP t1_j12i8p2 wrote

>What’s afoot at this august institution? The construction is all most of us will ever see of a $25 million investment in a rooftop restaurant with an expansive terrace, coming in 2023.
>
>The skyward growth is a sign of the 160-year-old Union League’s commitment to Center City in the pandemic era. The idea is to offer a more relaxed environment, where the club’s strict dress code can be modestly eased and give members a private place to dine outdoors downtown.
>
>“It shows a real faith in the city,” said Lee Hyden, principal at The H. Chambers Company, and lead architect on the project. “I wouldn’t call it modernizing, but it is contemporary. Staying with the times, keeping it relevant, so that they can stay in the city.”
>

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velvetweeks t1_j13lzwf wrote

Paywall is preventing me from reading the article. What is the funding source for this project? I hope and assume no funds from the city.

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Deckard_Macready t1_j14bgq9 wrote

Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. I was also wondering where the funding is coming from.

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DonQOnIce t1_j14o7eg wrote

Some weird downvotes in this comment section. Are there members swarming this post looking for the faintest whiff of criticism?

Then again, this sub is always kind of weird like this.

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allthingsparrot t1_j15f618 wrote

I think so, yes. Check out some other odd amount of downvotes.

​

Edit: I've seen this stuff go on for a very long time tbh. We see you mfers, we see you.

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uptown_gargoyle t1_j166ad2 wrote

I think most of the funding came from all those ATMs that got blown up in summer of 2020

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AbsentEmpire t1_j15vt4v wrote

Looks nice. I wonder what a "relaxed" dress code is to them?

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BillyRayValentine983 t1_j167w3j wrote

I presume it’s the same as the satellite facilities: jacket preferred but not required, dark denim is OK.

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areapomeranian t1_j158udy wrote

If this blocks my sliver of sunlight, I just may have to run for mayor.

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South_Cockroach_156 t1_j13f6ps wrote

Maybe it’s just me, but I kinda hope this bankrupts the Union League and it becomes a venue open to the general public.

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[deleted] t1_j13jwqp wrote

[deleted]

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Dicksapoppin69 t1_j13tian wrote

Those spaces were always like that, stop pretending it was a beacon of civilization in the 90's and this just suddenly happened in the last 5 years.

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Series_G t1_j13vfmr wrote

False choice - It could be expensive and still be open to the general public. Think people's issues are more around the literal and figurative gatekeeping, which you just demonstrated.

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BillyRayValentine983 t1_j13va3n wrote

One benefit of electing competent, fiscally-conservative leaders is knowing that they wouldn’t make dumb capex decisions that put the club’s financial health in jeopardy.

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shark_skin_suit t1_j140ph8 wrote

in the tradition of the Union League, will black people be allowed in?

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starstar420 t1_j15p9td wrote

It's a huge sex club. It's full of people jerking themselves off and/or jerking other people off.

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