Young Professionals Growing Older As "Yuppie" Groups Accept 45-Year-Old Members

Boston, MA (AHN) - Although Time Magazine proclaimed the death of the term yuppie, or young urban professional, in a mock obituary in 1991, groups continue to flourish across the globe, while the age limit has grown older.

Following the rise in the number of 40-somethings attending young professional gatherings some organizations have formally upped their maximum age limit to 45. The Boston Young Professional Association is one of them. BostonEventGuide.com reported a growing number of inquiries about yuppie events from older professionals, said Jeff Popkin, the website's founder.

Other groups, like the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce in Massachusetts set an official age limit to bar those above 40 from further inquiring about membership. Most of the 40-plus still active in yuppie groups are usually single, divorced or about to launch new careers.

Harvard sociology professors Nicholas Christakis explained to the Boston Globe the rise in number of 40-something still seeking affiliation with the yuppie crowd to "a progressive elongation of our adolescence" where people live longer and enjoy their youth for a prolonged period.