Empire Room, Mad46 and SLA Improvements

The Nightlife Report for March 30, 2010

Government
SLA wipes out license backlog
(Business Review)
Less than a year ago, the State Liquor Authority was facing a corruption scandal, license applications that were supposed to be reviewed in a month often took 6 months to review and there was a backlog of over 2,000 unprocessed applications languishing in Albany. Now the old regime is out, applications are being reviewed within several weeks and most of the backlog is gone in other parts of the state. While there are still considerable challenges facing Chairman Rosen, including eliminating the backlog that still remains in New York City, overhauling the Prohibition Era licensing laws and updating the technology infrastructure of the agency, this announcement is welcomed news to an industry that is often at odds with state officials.

Opening
Empire Room
(Urban Daddy)
The rise of midtown as a nightlife hub continues with the long awaited opening of an upscale lounge located inside the Empire State Building. Although the location might make it impossible to hide from tourists, one can only hope that the doorman enforces a no fanny pack policy to the best of his ability.

Opinion
The Most Expensive Venues in New York
(Club Planet)
In a recession, an operator has to cater to a very specific clientele if he wants to charge top dollar for his or her hospitality. At the same time, a nightlife native needs to know which places are the most expensive and plan their evenings accordingly. Some will avoid these places, others will flock to them. While any place can break the bank if you order bottle service for everyone, Taryn Haight of Club Planet list these five venues at the top of the price pyramid.

Re-Opening (April 7th)
Mad46
The Roosevelt Hotel throws its hat into the retractable rooftop ring with a midtown lounge that promises to combine signature drinks, gourmet snacks and quality service to create the perfect place to start your night. Look for a full review of this venue in Prince of the City later this month.

Have fun.
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