“The Down Town Association remains an island of quiet civility in a bustling Lower Manhattan. As a locus for nourishment, entertainment, relaxation or quiet discourse, the Club has remained of and for its members since its inception in 1859.”

This October, the North American Riichi Mahjong Association brings the inaugural North American Open to New York City. We will be hosting this tournament at the historic and refined Down Town Association Clubhouse. Registration is open at riichiNAO.com, but in the meantime we would like to offer a little information on the DTA.

While the Down Town Association in the City of New York was established as a social club in 1859, the clubhouse located at 60 Pine St. opened in May of 1887. This is the oldest clubhouse in New York, and second oldest in the United States, that is still owned and occupied by its members.

The Down Town Association Clubhouse has seen many renovations over the years that have updated and expanded the amenities offered to the members. While at first a men-only club, the DTA opened membership to women in 1985. Although the majority of the Association's membership come from financial or legal backgrounds, the club boasts notable figures such as presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland, New York governor Thomas Dewey, and a host of White House cabinet secretaries and international ambassadors among their past members.

The Clubhouse is located in Lower Manhattan, only blocks away from historic landmarks such as the Trinity Church, Federal Hall, the New York Stock Exchange, and Wall Street.

Trivia Question: How did Wall Street get its name? Leave your response in the comments below!