Get Social

It’s no coincidence that the couple who created the social network Bebo- which sold to AOL in 2008 for $850 million- has created a private social club in the heart of the tech universe, San Francisco. Michael and Xochi Birch founded The Battery, which recently opened its doors to a group of members that include Vanessa Getty, Trevor Traina, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, and Alison Pincus of One King’s Lane. The Birches, who are passionate about pubs and bringing people together, wanted a place in the Bay Area that was similar to the ultra private traditional clubs they loved in London, where the worlds of tech, innovation and philanthropy could collide to provide some creative energy that San Francisco needed.

This five-level 58,000 square foot luxe social destination resides in the iconic Musto Plaza Building in SF’s historic Jackson Square district. Featuring  a high-end restaurant, four bars, a wine cellar, a library, meeting rooms, a state-of-the-art gym and spa- with amenities from Britian’s Molton Brown- an outdoor garden and 14 hotel rooms, including a 2,000 square foot penthouse with insane views, The Battery could end up being the city’s own version of the uber-cool Soho House…something the British Michael Birch is banking on and expects to fill the club’s 1,200 member capacity. Designed by Ken Fulk, who had previously worked on the couple’s homes in London and San Francisco, the project took 4 years to finish and is now filled with brick and wood, eclectic light fixtures and taxidermy, giving the space an elegant and chi-chi English gastro-pub vibe. With the surge of freshly minted billionaires in the Bay Area, The Battery hopes to access these new influencers for San Francisco’s latest recharge. wwwthebatterysf.com