The Offline Society DC team, from left to right: Chelsea Raab, Jonna Humphries and Rebecca Yarbrough. Photograph courtesy of Rebecca Yarbrough.
DC resident Rebecca Yarbrough and her former roommates, Meghan Benton and Liz Eggleston, wanted to offer twentysomethings looking for a connection something besides Tinder—something a lot more personal than a swipe to the left or right.
“People are fatigued with the online dating process,” Yarbrough said. “We noticed that it’s more efficient for people to meet someone in person.”
And so the idea for the Offline Society was born. Inspired by New York’s Spring Street Social Society, Yarbrough wants her Washington-based, in-real-life social society to bring DC’s great catches together in creative spaces and group outings.
“DC is unique because the people here are so transient,” Yarbrough said. “They’re people focused on their careers, they’re constantly moving—people we might miss out on knowing through online dating and apps.”
The Offline Society advertises bringing “curated groups” of “romantically unattached” people together for supper clubs, private music shows, boat parties, whiskey events—outings that are more than just weekend happy hours in Dupont Circle.
Questions—mainly about your social life and interests—in the online membership application help Yarbrough create these curated groups of people who have similar traits.
And, as the social group’s name suggests, the events will be completely offline—members will be asked to put their mobile devices in a box at the beginning of the event. “We don’t want phones to be a crutch for people,” Yarbrough said. “We want people to make in-person connections instead.”
The Offline Society’s opening event will be Thursday, June 18, from 7-10 p.m. The event location will be announced June 17. For more membership information, go to offlinesociety.com.
UPDATE: Offline Society’s opening event will be held at Mess Hall Culinary Incubator(703 Edgewood Street, NE) and are also partnering with the ridesharing app Split to offer free rides for attendees to and from the event. For more event details, go to offlinesociety.com.
As Washingtonian’s UX designer, Ryan works with Washingtonian’s editorial and digital teams to design digital products that address reader’s needs online. Her background in interactive journalism and web production influence design strategies that ensure users have the best possible experience–on any platform.
Ryan enjoys running, trying new restaurants in DC, and Instagramming her favorite places around DC. You can follow her on Instagram (@ryan_weisser) and on Twitter (@Ryan_Weisser).
New Service Will Help DC Millennials Find Dates in Real Life
Offline Society social club could be your best bet for finding a relationship in the District.
DC resident Rebecca Yarbrough and her former roommates, Meghan Benton and Liz Eggleston, wanted to offer twentysomethings looking for a connection something besides Tinder—something a lot more personal than a swipe to the left or right.
“People are fatigued with the online dating process,” Yarbrough said. “We noticed that it’s more efficient for people to meet someone in person.”
And so the idea for the Offline Society was born. Inspired by New York’s Spring Street Social Society, Yarbrough wants her Washington-based, in-real-life social society to bring DC’s great catches together in creative spaces and group outings.
“DC is unique because the people here are so transient,” Yarbrough said. “They’re people focused on their careers, they’re constantly moving—people we might miss out on knowing through online dating and apps.”
The Offline Society advertises bringing “curated groups” of “romantically unattached” people together for supper clubs, private music shows, boat parties, whiskey events—outings that are more than just weekend happy hours in Dupont Circle.
Questions—mainly about your social life and interests—in the online membership application help Yarbrough create these curated groups of people who have similar traits.
And, as the social group’s name suggests, the events will be completely offline—members will be asked to put their mobile devices in a box at the beginning of the event. “We don’t want phones to be a crutch for people,” Yarbrough said. “We want people to make in-person connections instead.”
The Offline Society’s opening event will be Thursday, June 18, from 7-10 p.m. The event location will be announced June 17. For more membership information, go to offlinesociety.com.
UPDATE: Offline Society’s opening event will be held at Mess Hall Culinary Incubator (703 Edgewood Street, NE) and are also partnering with the ridesharing app Split to offer free rides for attendees to and from the event. For more event details, go to offlinesociety.com.
As Washingtonian’s UX designer, Ryan works with Washingtonian’s editorial and digital teams to design digital products that address reader’s needs online. Her background in interactive journalism and web production influence design strategies that ensure users have the best possible experience–on any platform.
Ryan enjoys running, trying new restaurants in DC, and Instagramming her favorite places around DC. You can follow her on Instagram (@ryan_weisser) and on Twitter (@Ryan_Weisser).
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This July
The Washington Nationals Just Fired the Manager and GM Who Led Them to a Championship. Why Has the Team Been so Bad Since?
FBI Building Now on Track to Leave DC After All, Whistleblower Leaks Texts Suggesting Justice Department Planned to Blow Off Federal Court Orders, and NPS Cuts Leave Assateague Island Without Lifeguards
Families of DC Air Disaster Victims Criticize Army’s Response, Trump Settles His Scores Via Tariff, and Police Dog Kicked at Dulles Returns to Work
This DC-Area Lawyer Wants More Americans Betting on Elections
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor