Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Inside the $7.5 million plan to bring a members-only club to Rock Creek Park
Inside the $7.5 million plan to bring a members-only club to Rock Creek Park
More than 20 D.C. residents pitched in to buy a historic mansion. Not all of the neighbors are happy about what it might become.
July 12, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
8 min
Greystone Manor, which will house the proposed Rock Creek Club. (Adam Vitarello)
By Sophia Solano
Nestled next to the wooded expanse of Rock Creek Park, and hard to see from a well-tread walking path when the summer foliage is thick, is the Greystone Enclave: four historic mansions built in the early 1900s. Most days, visitors pass by without noticing them. One is now drawing a lot of attention. ... Last year, Greystone Manor hit the market for the first time in 30 years with a listing price of $10 million. In March, the price dropped to $7.5 million. Last week, it finally sold — not to a single buyer, but to the founding members of a members-only nonprofit community center.
In a city with no shortage of new social clubs, this one isn’t meant for networking, its founders said. The goal is to create a hub for Rock Creek Park, with a pool, tennis courts, fitness facilities, co-working spaces and a cafe. It will be open to about 250 members at a cost of $400 or $500 per month, plus a tentative $12,500 initiation fee, according to a preliminary pitch slideshow shared in a neighborhood group chat.
Most of the patrons will live within a one-mile radius of the park, drawing from Mount Pleasant, Lanier Heights, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park and Crestwood — some areas already rich with access to public pools and parks. “So it’s certainly meant to supplement that and not supplant it,” said Adam Vitarello, the D.C. native and entrepreneur spearheading the project.
Since Vitarello sold his sustainability technology company Optoro to supply chain management company Blue Yonder last year, he has been working on bringing what he calls a “third space” (a place away from work or home) to Rock Creek Park. More than 20 families pitched in to buy Greystone Manor, he said, and about 80 have put down deposits to join the club once it opens — approval permitted — in 2028. ... “I love Rock Creek, and I wanted to give back to it,” Vitarello said. “We want this to be around for generations — a cool, kind of low key, no airs, listen to Grateful Dead, kids running around, just hanging out, no pretense. Just a place for people to gather.” ... Not all of the neighbors see it that way. ... “It’s a f---ing country club, and it’s so that they can exclude people,” said Hannah Charles, a Mount Pleasant resident and business owner.
The two-car garage that will be transformed into a pool house for a future Rock Creek Club. (Adam Vitarello)
{snip}
By Sophia Solano
Sophia Solano is a reporter on the Metro desk covering local higher education and culture. Previously, she was an editorial aide in Features, author of the House of the Week column and reporter for the Going Out Guide and Style sections. She joined The Post in 2022.follow on X@sophiansolano
More than 20 D.C. residents pitched in to buy a historic mansion. Not all of the neighbors are happy about what it might become.
July 12, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
8 min
Greystone Manor, which will house the proposed Rock Creek Club. (Adam Vitarello)
By Sophia Solano
Nestled next to the wooded expanse of Rock Creek Park, and hard to see from a well-tread walking path when the summer foliage is thick, is the Greystone Enclave: four historic mansions built in the early 1900s. Most days, visitors pass by without noticing them. One is now drawing a lot of attention. ... Last year, Greystone Manor hit the market for the first time in 30 years with a listing price of $10 million. In March, the price dropped to $7.5 million. Last week, it finally sold — not to a single buyer, but to the founding members of a members-only nonprofit community center.
In a city with no shortage of new social clubs, this one isn’t meant for networking, its founders said. The goal is to create a hub for Rock Creek Park, with a pool, tennis courts, fitness facilities, co-working spaces and a cafe. It will be open to about 250 members at a cost of $400 or $500 per month, plus a tentative $12,500 initiation fee, according to a preliminary pitch slideshow shared in a neighborhood group chat.
Most of the patrons will live within a one-mile radius of the park, drawing from Mount Pleasant, Lanier Heights, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park and Crestwood — some areas already rich with access to public pools and parks. “So it’s certainly meant to supplement that and not supplant it,” said Adam Vitarello, the D.C. native and entrepreneur spearheading the project.
Since Vitarello sold his sustainability technology company Optoro to supply chain management company Blue Yonder last year, he has been working on bringing what he calls a “third space” (a place away from work or home) to Rock Creek Park. More than 20 families pitched in to buy Greystone Manor, he said, and about 80 have put down deposits to join the club once it opens — approval permitted — in 2028. ... “I love Rock Creek, and I wanted to give back to it,” Vitarello said. “We want this to be around for generations — a cool, kind of low key, no airs, listen to Grateful Dead, kids running around, just hanging out, no pretense. Just a place for people to gather.” ... Not all of the neighbors see it that way. ... “It’s a f---ing country club, and it’s so that they can exclude people,” said Hannah Charles, a Mount Pleasant resident and business owner.
The two-car garage that will be transformed into a pool house for a future Rock Creek Club. (Adam Vitarello)
{snip}
By Sophia Solano
Sophia Solano is a reporter on the Metro desk covering local higher education and culture. Previously, she was an editorial aide in Features, author of the House of the Week column and reporter for the Going Out Guide and Style sections. She joined The Post in 2022.follow on X@sophiansolano