The curious rise of Soho House

The San Lorenzo neighbourhood of Rome, a short walk from the murderous environs of Termini, the central train station, is not particularly old or beautiful. A working-class neighbourhood once connected to the Wuehrer brewery and freight yard, it was bombed heavily during the war, the only massive bombing in Rome. But like Wedding or Neukolln in Berlin, San Lorenzo’s old working class roots have translated neatly into arty cool, and the area, still scruffy, is now a left-wing hipster paradise, its walls cheerily scrawled with anarchist graffiti.

That Soho House, the preternaturally on-trend, voraciously expansive private members club (now trading under the blandly global name of Membership Collective Group) has chosen a big mustard-yellow building right in the middle of it for its first Italian opening is confirmation of San Lorenzo’s rapid ascent from arty to wealth and gentility. Soho House has that kind of power. The Points Guy, the cult figure who helps millions of fans maximise credit card benefits, recently shared his tips on ‘how you can tell if your city is likely to get a Soho House in future’.