LOWER EAST SIDE — A 31-year-old man was found dead with a hypodermic needle in his hand in the bathroom of an exclusive members-only club Friday night, police said.
William Bernhardt, 31, of the East Village, was discovered curled up in a third-floor bathroom of Ludlow House at 139 Ludlow St. at around 11:10 p.m., police said.
Bernhardt was unconscious and unresponsive, police said, and emergency responders declared him dead at the scene.
Police suspect the man died of a drug overdose, though the city's Medical Examiner had yet to determine the cause of death as of Monday afternoon, a spokeswoman said.
Ludlow House — a Lower East Side offshoot of London-based members' club Soho House, which has a New York City location in the Meatpacking District — provides space for working and socializing as well as dining and drinks for members, according to the club's website.
Ludlow House memberships range in price from $1,050 per year for those under 27 to $2,100 for older members, but get pricier if members want access to all club locations across the world. The club seeks to recruit those who share a "creative soul," according to the website's membership page.
Prospective memberships must submit applications including recent headshots for consideration.
Ludlow House did not immediately return a request for comment.
