Results tagged “club”

Much like Halley's Comet, a playboy that spends as much money as mysterious Malaysian man Taek Jho Low only "comes around once in a lifetime," according to Manhattan nightclub owners. The city's club owners have been fighting to woo the Wharton Business School alum, who has spent tens of thousands of dollars purchasing more than 100 bottles of Cristal champagne in a single night, according to Page Six. Little is known about the 28-year-old other than his big spending habits, his address at the ritzy the Park Imperial, and his celebrity pals — and sources say he'd like to keep it that way. A friend, who described Low as a "dealmaker with interests in the Mideast and Asia in construction, oil and gas," told the paper: "He's not an arms dealer. And he doesn't want all this publicity."

There is a geeky-looking rich guy from Malaysia who has developed quite the reputation for running up huge tabs at douchey NYC clubs, as well as flying Megan Fox to party with him "and his entourage" in Las Vegas, and sending 23 bottles of Cristal to Lindsay Lohan at 1OAK. Heads up gold diggers: his name is Taek Jho Low, and he's residing at the Park Imperial, where his profligacy is so extreme residents wish they had a rapper in the building instead. One neighbor tells the Post, "It used to be that when you saw the Cadillac Escalades outside, you knew Sean [Combs] was in town. Now it's this guy."

The Beatrice Inn shut down earlier this year after neighbors had enough of the A-list crowd partying it up at all hours. As the same war is being waged by neighbors of the Jane Hotel, against their late night ballroom antics, word is that the Beatrice may reopen.

       

Purgatorio, the new multi-level erotic haunted house from the people behind exclusive raunch den The Box, is open for business for just a few more days, disappearing permanently into oblivion after Halloween. We've already shown you the necrophilia promo video, but here's a closer look at some of what your $39.99 will get you. A couple weeks ago we were all set to attend the opening party hosted by Perez Hilton, but at the last minute we couldn't make it up to Times Square. Family emergency. NOT because we were scared... of just about everything in that last sentence.

Not to be outdone by that measly $1 billion class action lawsuit filed against Greenhouse—the "eco-friendly" but allegedly black-unfriendly downtown nightclub—some other offended blacks have stepped up with their own $1.5 billion lawsuit! Greenhouse: the "big tobacco" of nightclubs. This new lawsuit is being filed today by Raqiyah Mays, a Kiss FM radio host, and three others who say that they were not let in "due to their race." Isn't it about time for Latinos, Hasidim, and Sikhs to get their piece of the Greenhouse bonanza?

Chelsea's Bungalow 8, home to late night celebrity sightings, is shutting down operations. CityFile reports that the Amy Sacco-owned lounge has long been rumored to be closing, but now it's really happening. They shut down for "renovations" weeks ago, but allegedly have no plans to reopen... and their phone line has been disconnected.

The West Soho nightclub Greenhouse has a notoriously tough door policy, and is renowned for excluding throngs of hopefuls from the club's bi-level douchetivities inside. So it's no shocker that two black women interpreted their rejection by the club's door bitch as racist. Kashan Robinson and Maria Sicard are suing Greenhouse; they say they were two of about 100 people who were denied entry to a Teri Woods book party because of their race.

Necrophilia's so hot right now. We're all super-stoked for the city's best pervy haunted nightclub—brought to you from the people behind the pervy disturbing nightclub The Box—to open October 15th, so check out this arguably SFW video to get a taste of what awaits you within this "erotic nightmare fantasyland created especially for Halloween season."

Malta: Okay, this unappreciated Williamsburg restaurant isn't new—it opened some six months ago—but this little gem hasn't gotten the attention it deserves, and seems to be struggling in the shadow of the neighborhood's newer cool kids, such as Brooklyn Star, Vutera, and Walter Foods. Part of that may also have to do with the rather uninspired interior design, but tucked away in the back is Malta's hidden strength: a serene backyard garden that's often shockingly deserted. You might think the emptiness portends lackluster food, but Malta, open for dinner daily and brunch on weekends, is high quality at reasonable prices.

All he wanted to do was bring grinders and grinding together under one roof. But it seems that Anthony "Cousin Vinny" Agnello's inspired idea to turn a former Subway sandwich spot into a hybrid Gentleman's Sub Club was just too visionary for these litigious times, and now he's probably ruined. You'll recall that last summer Agnello sparked outrage from the local community for opening up the "all-nude private club 'Cousin Vinny's Little Secret'" in a disenfranchised Subway on East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. The Subway fast food chain was also rubbed the wrong way, because Agnello was still using Subway brand wrappers and menus for the venture, which served sandwiches by day and lap dances by night. Now a federal magistrate has recommended that Agnello pay the fast-food giant's corporate parent $90,000, plus another $7,900 for its legal fees. Which leaves Agnello no choice but to make the entire payment in crumpled singles.

The cursed Studio B, a constant nuisance to neighbors in the past, has been opening and closing since the day it opened! At least, it seems that way with the help of rampant rumors. Brooklyn Vegan reported on the latest from the Greenpoint club/rumor factory, saying "word is that Brooklyn mostly-dance club Studio B is really closing this time—by the end of July." Their website currently lists events through July 12th, and an upcoming 2 Live Crew show on July 25th is being moved from the venue. We've contacted Studio B for a statement but have not heard back yet; last time around they told us: "Studio B is not closed and will be open at least until the beginning of February for sure. Mid February the decision will be made to weather or not the club will keeps its doors open." Raise your hand if you care either way!

You'd think over-charging for drinks (including water) for all these years would have given them a nice financial cushion...but allegedly Webster Hall is in debt and in danger of closing. DBTH reports that "the club is in serious arrears to the City, State and vendors, and may be on the verge of declaring bankruptcy." It's the usual story of overdue rent, bounced checks, back taxes, bills piling up and creditors knocking on the door. "They are looking for some kind of bail out from the state (for the taxes issues) and the landlord (apparently they would like their rent lowered by half until things "get better")." Guess their new Studio venture hasn't been bringing in the cash, but maybe the bridge & tunnel crowd that pack into the place on club nights can help bring in the $600K they need. Nightclub shenanigans aside, it would be a shame to see the place shutter, considering it's been open since the late 1800s and hosting music since the 1950s.

It's last call at one of Williamsburg's pioneering hipster hangs: Black Betty, which has been a Metropolitan Avenue mainstay for over a decade, is closing down after a dispute with the landlord. Co-owner Bud Schmeling tells Brooklyn Paper he thought he had a deal to increase their monthly rent from $2,700 to $5,000, and he even paid a $35,000 fee as an incentive. But he says the landlord went behind his back and found new tenants willing to pay even more. (The landlord insists he gave Schmeling a chance to renegotiate their lease but he was too slow to respond.) The dark yet upbeat and unpretentious haven for dancing, debauchery, live music and Middle Eastern food just celebrated its 10th anniversary this month; on June 15th it will join Stinger Bar and Kokie's in Billyburg bar heaven after a final blowout party. It's unclear what will take its place, but Schmeling says, "We were definitely the first of a new breed of Williamsburg bars and performance places—and I don’t see something truly replacing Black Betty."

No one likes to see another music venue shut down, but it's happening again, people. Grub Street declares, "We hear an off-Ludlow music venue with high ceilings, a mezzanine, a basement, and a capacity of 300 is trying to sell off the remaining eleven years of its $15,000-per-month lease. The tavern-club hybrid, once a destination among rocker-hipsters as well as the young glam set, comes equipped with cabaret and liquor licenses." This has to be Fat Baby or the Annex, but have either actually ever been a destination for rocker-hipsters? Maybe in a "we could see it being used as a generic backdrop in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" or a "the cast of the Real World Brooklyn may have gone there" kind of way. Anyway, LES, take either as your sacrificial lamb, just keep your greedy paws off of Cake Shop.

After a bullet grazed a young woman's head near Greenpoint club The Production Lounge early in the morning of February 14th, there's been considerable outcry from local residents who say the gunfire was just the climax of months of cacophony erupting from the bar since it opened. At a community meeting with the 94th Precinct last week, neighbors gave police an earful, and this past weekend there was a giant police spotlight parked outside. Owner Joe Ariola spoke with us at length today; he explained that the lights are NYPD "protocol after a shooting," and told us that "based on the description police have of the shooter, this individual was not in our establishment the night of this incident." He continued:

Just to clarify, we have never had a fight in this place. We've never had to throw anyone out. We don't even have bouncers!... Police have told me that the girl left our place and was walking down the street when she was shot. It did not happen directly outside our place. But because we had an African-American social event that night and the shooter description is African-American, people have tied this to us. We probably do one or two events a week that have a very mixed culture crowd, mainly because we do a lot of events for up-and-coming artists, and a lot of those people happen to be either black or Spanish.

Who can keep up with all these Studio B rumors! Last we heard the Greenpoint venue was definitely, maybe closing forever-ish. Then on December 23rd, creative director Chris Love (if that is his real name) emailed us that "Studio B is not closed and will be open at least until the beginning of February for sure. Mid February the decision will be made to weather [sic] or not the club will keeps its doors open." And now NYMag is reporting that promoter Dave P, and his partner Josh Houtkin are taking over by managing, running, and booking the joint. Houtkin declared, “We both feel this is the best club in New York.” Har har. He really said that! Other things neighbors can look forward to: regular shows and parties coming in March, the illegal rooftop finally getting legalized and fully opening, and patrons under 21 allowed to partake in all the festivities. It's like it died and came back three times as powerful!

The crumbling of Clubville continues, Guest of a Guest has it that "Marquee is closing! They are apparently transferring its license from its 27th street outpost to the old Earth space." Does this sounds like a Scientology newsletter to anyone else? They also note that "Marquee, the flagship of the Strategic Group’s vast empire, has defied odds by sticking around for over 5 years!" Marquee was most recently making headlines for a summertime narcotics bust and for being the club that 25-year-old Laura Garza was last seen. UPDATE: Just kidding! Lots of annoying techno beats and club kidnappings to come! GoaG now says, "The rumor to this is NOT TRUE."

Owner of the now shuttered Luna Lounge, Rob Sacher, has spoken out about the closing. As the space transforms into the new Knitting Factory (which is moving over from Manhattan), he explains: "I was unable to get enough shows on a regular basis. I still own the name Luna Lounge and am interested in finding another space in which to work with bands. In the meantime, I will soon be opening a new bar called The Satellite Lounge on Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg." The new space holds up to 75 people, and will not have live music (but allegedly will have a jukebox). Meanwhile, over in Greenpoint Studio B has put up notice on their website that they are "not closing," however in an email they told us they "will be open at least until the beginning of February for sure. Mid February the decision will be made to whether or not the club will keeps its doors open."

The other day we caught wind that Studio B in Greenpoint is on the market, but now we've received an email from JD Productions (who put on events there) stating: "It is with deep regret that we have to announce that the owner of Studio B has decided to close it's doors effective immediately." IMMEDIATELY! Okay, composure. Mr. John Davis's email continues: "It seems that after a great start, the club had struggled to keep promoters and develop their nights quickly enough. By the time I had put the Sunday Shoutin! event together, it was clear that the club was in deep trouble. I did make an attempt to buy the space from the owner but his asking price was completely unrealistic. This is the second time in 6 months he has suddenly closed the club and in doing so has damaged his reputation amongst patrons and promoters." Studio B is keeping mum at the moment, but if they ever return our request for a comment we'll update the post. For now, just remember the good times. UPDATE: Mr. Davis sent out an email seconds ago stating "due to contractual agreements Studio B will be operating this Saturday and also for NYE and New Years Day, after which time it will cease operations. Sorry for any confusion but the club just informed me of these updates." So like three more shows, then closed forever!

Stephen Sakai, who was convicted of shooting four Chelsea clubgoers, killing one, was sentenced to 90 years to life yesterday. Sakai had claimed he shot the clubgoers in self-defense, but Manhattan Assistant D.A> Joan Illuzzi Orbon told the judge that Sakai (who was already found guilty of two Brooklyn murders and sentenced to 50 years to life) "needs to be in prison for the rest of his life so society can be safe from one more random sicko." One of his victims, Julian Quadros, who is now paralyzed from the shooting outside Opus 22 where Sakai worked and whose brother Gustavo was killed in the shooting, said, "He's a coward ... What he did to my brother - you have to be a coward to not be able to face somebody, to shoot somebody in the back of the head for no reason." Sakai's lawyer said she would appeal the verdict.

Ah, the East Village, that ever-trendy nightlife destination where visitors from Long Island and beyond flock to stab each other on the weekends. Around 1 a.m. Saturday night at Sutra on First Avenue and First Street, 22-year old Freeport resident Vivian Lee got into a heated argument with her 22-year-old boyfriend, RPI graduate Joshua Clarke. Witnesses tell the Daily News that when Lee caught Clarke flirting with another dame, she smashed a pint glass over his head and then stabbed him in the neck with the broken shards! Acting quickly, a bouncer applied pressure to Clarke's gushing wound while another employee subdued his jealous girlfriend. Clarke was rushed to Bellevue and is expected to recover, while Lee was taken to jail. But Clarke's mother was later sighted at the Ninth Precinct, and told reporters her son was "not going to press charges. She's going to be my daughter-in-law."

             

This is Greenhouse, a new 6,000 square foot, bi-level club that opened last week in Soho in the former Club Shelter space. As the name suggests, they're working the eco-friendly angle here with (deep breath) high-efficiency heating, an LED lighting system, fabrics made from recycled materials, bamboo floor and wall coverings, and furniture made with FSC wood. Owner Jon Bakhshi, who is applying for

          

Five of New York's secret supper clubs joined forces over the weekend for the epic Undergrounds Unite dinner party at a capacious, bi-level loft in the shadow of the Empire State Building. On Saturday night the place was packed with 165 gourmands who had found their way there in the rain by following a series of cryptic instructions—enter a bar on 35th Street, look for the man learning how to cook everything, ask him for a map.

You're probably familiar by now with "culinary speakeasys" like The Whisk and Ladle that are held semi-regularly in private lofts and apartments around town. Well, next weekend that talented crew will be joining forces with four other hip supper clubs (including the Southern-style Homeslice) for a massive, 150-seat communal dinner in an undisclosed midtown loft. Thrillist likened the affair to that supergroup The Traveling Wilburys; to us this sounds more like Voltron, but take your pick. The two night "Undergrounds Unite" shindig will feature a 12-course meal, with each team handling three courses each; Saturday night's feast will be followed by live music and cocktails. This is going to be a monthly affair at different private locations, but if you want to get in on it before it becomes a Times trend piece (oh, too late), email them through the website for a password and reservation.

          

Nightlife impresarios Cornelis Craane and Paul Coleman Drohan, whose pedigree extends to old school clubs like Palladium, The Roxy, and China Club, have just opened this new venue that hearkens back to the messier '80s era of NYC nightlife, before the hedge fund bros took over with their $1,000 bottles of Absolut. Located in the Flatiron District, the duo hopes The Imperial will "recreate a fantasy playground reminiscent of the Warhol-Basquiat club days where art takes center stage." So they brought in Ryan Rish, a former photo director for Bombin Magazine, to curate the fly space with work by a small army of guerrilla street artists.

Aspen Social Club: The big opening this week is this "modern‑rustic" evocation of Colorado ski-lodge chic in the heart of Times Square. Gold plated antlers hover over the bar like an inverted middle finger to the recession, and another $100,000 worth of illuminated antlers cover the dining room. The 3,000 square foot restaurant and lounge will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with delicacies like Bison Sliders with smoked cheddar, bacon & “gonzo” sauce. The "gonzo" here is a nod to longtime Aspen resident Hunter S. Thompson, a tireless enemy of developers who turned the town into their exclusive vacation playground overrun with places just like this. Nevertheless, the club's artisanal cocktail menu features the good doctor's favorite drink: The Biff, a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream topped off with Chivas Regal. 157 West 47th Street, (212) 221-7200

       

So there's a new club in Chelsea opening tonight! It's called Citrine, and it's described in the press release as "Where the Beautiful Come to Play." So all you businesslike trolls can just return to the shadows of Marquee from whence you came! But if you're absolutely fabulous looking and so playful and long for "a unique blend of comfort and exclusivity," well, totally enjoy!

"M" by Megu: Expensive Tribeca Japanese restaurant Megu has redone its upstairs space (formerly Kimono Bar) into a swank nightclub (pictured) with a "small bites" menu. The dance floor has been expanded, fancy cocktails like “Death in the Afternoon” (Absinthe, Champagne, Rock Sugar) have been concocted, and the waitress have been attired in swimsuits custom designed by Keiko, who we're told is kind of a big deal. Menu options include Kobe Beef Sliders, Crispy Cod Sliders, Crunchy Rice Cake Poppers, and select items off the downstairs Megu menu. Your reaction to the following will probably determine if any of this will appeal to you: Eve attended the opening party! 62 Thomas Street, (212) 964-7777

Neighbors weighed in about Astoria club Tahona, which had a violent early Sunday morning when a fight broke out during last call. Five people were stabbed: five teen males argued with other club patrons--though they walked away, the Post reports a Dodge Caravan came by, "several young men with knives jumped out," stabbing them, near Steinway Street and 35th Avenue. A witness told the Daily News, "Fifty kids brawling over there. Stomping at each other, girls hitting guys - it was crazy." Another told the Post, "I usually put my police scanner on at 4 a.m. to catch the fights. It's like a game every week." Apparently neighbors have been complaining about fighting, "clubgoers throwing glass bottles and blasting loud music in their cars."

Those cheeky Post reporters relish any opportunity to cut lose with the double entendres, and what better excuse than news about a dominatrix who's come forward to defend the owner of the S&M club where she worked. One "Mistress Ardenne" is encouraging customers to book time with her so she can raise money to help bondage dungeon master Collin Reeve "get off" (tee-hee), the tabloid reports. You'll recall that Reeve was arrested last week and charged with running a prostitution den where, for a little extra cash, clients could get more than just a slap on the back. So now Ardenne is donating some of her income to his legal defense; all she needs is someone to donate a spare dungeon to crack her whip in while Rapture remains closed.