'Tinder for elites' app The League had an exclusive party in Montauk with helicopters rides and celebrities -- here's what went down
The League -- a selective dating app for elite, successful individuals -- launched in San Francisco earlier this year, and a few months ago, it launched in New York City too.
Stanford graduate Amanda Bradford founded The League and raised $2.1 million to match up highly motivated and interesting single professionals.
On July 31, The League held a party out in Montauk, exclusively for its selective group of New York users. Mischa Barton and Karlie Kloss were among its attendees.
We tagged along to check out The League and its pool of elite users to see what all the fuss was about.
This is Amanda Bradford. She's the founder of The League.
If you want to join The League, Bradford says, the most important trait you need is ambition.
You'll likely meet up with other ambitious people, too.
Bradford hosts her elite singles parties at exclusive venues. This one on Friday night was at Montauk's Surf Lodge.
To get to the party, many took a 'party bus' called TailBus filled with alcohol, mingling, and eligible singles.
Other users arrived via helicopter. Blade, an Uber-for-helicopters startup, lets you fly from New York City to the Hamptons or Fire Island for $575+ per seat.
When people got to the Montauk party, they were given a bottle (in which they could write a secret message to a crush) as well as a gift from Birchbox.
The party was adorned with umbrellas, pillows, and League-associated decorations.
Once people arrived at the Surf Lodge, they quickly began drinking and mingling.
During the first hour of the party, League guests were given an open bar. This undoubtedly made people loosen up.
And people obviously came to meet others. The League planned some forced mingling activities to help break the ice.
Though many attendees came to Montauk in groups, once the drinks started flowing they began to disperse.
As night descended, people got more comfortable with each other.
The attendees had a lot in common -- good schools, similar jobs -- so conversation came easy for them.
Fast friends were definitely made.
Many of the people we talked to said they had bad luck with apps like Tinder, but they liked the idea of The League and definitely wanted to go to an exclusive party in Montauk.
As the party progressed potential matches gravitated toward each other.
With tropical drinks and a beautiful view, people were definitely happy with the atmosphere.
The party started at 7PM and kept going until well after midnight. In front of the bar there was a line of non-League members waiting, hoping to get into the Surf Lodge.
But those inside were truly the lucky ones with drinks, friends, and gifts in hand.
Those who came to meet other elite singles surely did.
And even those who just came for the view, likely got exactly what they wanted. Except for maybe this girl?
So, what does it take to get into The Leauge? Its users often hold degrees from prestigious schools.
They also tend to be in their late 20s.
To get in, The League uses a secret algorithm that looks at both your LinkedIn profile and your network of friends.
Ultimately, Bradford wants to match tons of power couples.
These parties are another way for her exclusive singles to meet and mingle.
Most of the New York wait-list for The League consists of people working in finance and advertising. The party was most definitely chock full of finance bros.
Since its launch, The League has garnered roughly 100,000 names on its wait-list.
"The girls and guys on The League could all be presented to the 'rents without flinching, we promise," the startup says. "Our concierges have no qualms kicking bad-behaving people out (there's other apps for them)."
The League first launched in San Francisco back in January.
In May, The League launched in New York City.
"We want people to think of The League as a little more grown up and tasteful, for young professionals who want to go out for a coffee or a drink and aren't just about hooking up," Bradford told us.
"We want our users to say, 'Hey, we trust your judgment.' These people are going after their dreams. They're just interesting, ambitious, and doing something they're excited about," she says.
Once you get accepted on The League, you're shown only a handful of matches every day. Hopefully, the Montauk party made some new power matches.
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