The Nightlife Report for February 25, 2010
Compiled by Gamal Hennessy
…I hunt down the nightlife news so you don’t have to…
Coming Soon
Copacabana
(Club Planet)
The operators behind the iconic Latin dance spot are trying to grab the China Club space (see Closing below). As midtown grows as a potential nightlife hub, a good dance space with a retractable roof sounds like a great idea. I wonder if they will bring back the Tuesday night buffet dinner and the live salsa bands. Midtown could use that kind of energy to wash away the image that China Club had at the end of its run…
Vander Bar
The Roosevelt Hotel on 45th Street is planning to add a new bar to its amenities. Vander bar bills itself as a hideaway for locals, but considering its location (right next to Grand Central) and its operating hours (12:00-9:00 Monday to Friday) it feels like this will be another upscale Midtown option for the liquid lunch/ corporate Happy Hour/ need to grab a drink before I catch the Metro North set. This is not a bad thing. The foreplay of New York nightlife has to start somewhere. It might as well be upscale.
Opening
Upstairs
(Urban Daddy)
You can add this hotel based venue to the growing list of retractable roof lounges that currently include Hudson Terrace and Provocateur. Maybe every decent rooftop in New York should become some type of venue. That’s one more way to deal with the agonizing smoking issue that is festering in the industry…
Closing
China Club
(Eater)
Earlier this week, Barfly wrote that the troubled midtown spot was undergoing a name change to try and re-brand itself. That gambit appears to have failed and Eater is reporting that the space is now closed. The good news is that new operators are already standing by to take over the venue and make it safe to dance in midtown again.
Touch
(New York Post)
The post reports (and a DJ reader of New York Nights has confirmed) that the SLA suspended the license of the midtown nightclub for a series of infractions that include underage drinking, overcrowding and employment of unlicensed security. The operators are planning to fight the SLA ruling, but since the new chairman is looking to establish a reputation for enforcement, Touch is going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Changes
Double Windsor
(Eater)
Among the young mothers and MILFs of Williamsburg and Park Slope, taking your baby to the bar for an evening of drinks with the ladies has been a regular site for the past few years. Operators and patrons have tried to adjust to the diaper changing in the bathrooms, crying at the bar (from cranky children instead of forlorn adults) and Maclaren strollers parked out front. The Double Windsor is trying to reverse the trend by taking the bold step of banning babies after 5 PM. Time will tell if the anti-baby backlash from drinking mothers will bring down the bar. Maybe if they reserved a special “mom’s only” night they could reduce tensions and make everyone happy…except of course for the cranky crying baby.
Opinion
Smoke Signals
(New York Magazine)
The stated goal in passing the smoking ban was to help operators by protecting them from second hand smoke. Now the city wants to close clubs that have allegedly violated the ban. Matt Harvey asks if putting hundreds of operators out of work will actually help them at all.
Have fun
Gamal
Compiled by Gamal Hennessy
…I hunt down the nightlife news so you don’t have to…
Coming Soon
Copacabana
(Club Planet)
The operators behind the iconic Latin dance spot are trying to grab the China Club space (see Closing below). As midtown grows as a potential nightlife hub, a good dance space with a retractable roof sounds like a great idea. I wonder if they will bring back the Tuesday night buffet dinner and the live salsa bands. Midtown could use that kind of energy to wash away the image that China Club had at the end of its run…
Vander Bar
The Roosevelt Hotel on 45th Street is planning to add a new bar to its amenities. Vander bar bills itself as a hideaway for locals, but considering its location (right next to Grand Central) and its operating hours (12:00-9:00 Monday to Friday) it feels like this will be another upscale Midtown option for the liquid lunch/ corporate Happy Hour/ need to grab a drink before I catch the Metro North set. This is not a bad thing. The foreplay of New York nightlife has to start somewhere. It might as well be upscale.
Opening
Upstairs
(Urban Daddy)
You can add this hotel based venue to the growing list of retractable roof lounges that currently include Hudson Terrace and Provocateur. Maybe every decent rooftop in New York should become some type of venue. That’s one more way to deal with the agonizing smoking issue that is festering in the industry…
Closing
China Club
(Eater)
Earlier this week, Barfly wrote that the troubled midtown spot was undergoing a name change to try and re-brand itself. That gambit appears to have failed and Eater is reporting that the space is now closed. The good news is that new operators are already standing by to take over the venue and make it safe to dance in midtown again.
Touch
(New York Post)
The post reports (and a DJ reader of New York Nights has confirmed) that the SLA suspended the license of the midtown nightclub for a series of infractions that include underage drinking, overcrowding and employment of unlicensed security. The operators are planning to fight the SLA ruling, but since the new chairman is looking to establish a reputation for enforcement, Touch is going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Changes
Double Windsor
(Eater)
Among the young mothers and MILFs of Williamsburg and Park Slope, taking your baby to the bar for an evening of drinks with the ladies has been a regular site for the past few years. Operators and patrons have tried to adjust to the diaper changing in the bathrooms, crying at the bar (from cranky children instead of forlorn adults) and Maclaren strollers parked out front. The Double Windsor is trying to reverse the trend by taking the bold step of banning babies after 5 PM. Time will tell if the anti-baby backlash from drinking mothers will bring down the bar. Maybe if they reserved a special “mom’s only” night they could reduce tensions and make everyone happy…except of course for the cranky crying baby.
Opinion
Smoke Signals
(New York Magazine)
The stated goal in passing the smoking ban was to help operators by protecting them from second hand smoke. Now the city wants to close clubs that have allegedly violated the ban. Matt Harvey asks if putting hundreds of operators out of work will actually help them at all.
Have fun
Gamal
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