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Entries tagged with 'Nightlife'
Posted Oct. 7, 2009,
Eight Items or Less: New York City Nightlife's #3 & Burger King Gets Fancy
By Gary Pini
1. Travel + Leisure magazine ranks America's favorite cities in many categories including "nightlife" where New York City is #3 after New Orleans and Austin. The Daily Beast, on the other hand, ranks our country's smartest cities and NYC is only #13.
2. Bambu rolling papers is starting an apparel line and Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina is starting a shoe line called "Shoe-Han." Not to be outdone, we are opening a Chinese restaurant called Bambu-Shoe-Han (just kidding about the restaurant).
3. Upscale Burger King? The chain announced a massive overhaul including "chandeliers and brick walls" with a design "that feels more like an upscale restaurant." What about the magical king mascot? Is he upscale?
4. Barbra Streisand's latest album "Love is the Answer" beat Mariah Carey to the top of the album chart this week. Carey's Memoirs of an Imperfect Heart came in at #3.
5. Here's a list of everybody (including L.A.'s Love Grenades) performing at this year's CMJ Music Marathon in New York, October 20 to 24.
6. LCD Soundsystem is covering Alan Vega's "Bye Bye Bayou" with a 12" vinyl release on Record Store Day, November 7.
Posted Sep. 16, 2008,
Sorry, You're Not on the List
By Gary Pini
How will the economy effect New York City nightlife? Here's what the first responders (i.e. the bloggers) have to say:
Good Night Mr Lewis: "Clubs that cater to the Wall Street crowd will be most effected... and the marginal places who came in on the big wave of the model/bottle crowd will surely crash."
Down By the Hipster: "Bottle service is over!"
Gawker: "Could this be the end of mandatory bottle service in shitty clubs full of rich pricks?"
Any bets on what club will be the first to drop bottle service?
Posted May. 22, 2008,
Girls! Girls! Girls! Party Starting Sunday!
By Mickey Boardman
If you're a gay lady who loves the girl group sound of the '60s, there's a new Sunday night party coming that's just for you. Downtown superstars Miss Guy and Michael Economy are doing Girls! Girls! Girls! starting Sunday, June 1st and promising the Shangri-Las, the Ronettes, the Marvelettes and bonus nuggets by the likes of Mae West and Carol Burnett. Sign me up!!!
Girls! Girls! Girls!
Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
Starts 9 p.m.
Free
Posted Apr. 10, 2008,
Bar of the Week: Bowery Electric
By Elizabeth Thompson
Bowery Electric is the newest addition to the Bowery's recent bar boom, and, rest assured, it's one that comes from a good lineage. BE is brought to us by the long-time East Village rock bar proprietors Mike Stuto (HiFi), musician Jesse Malin, and Johnny T (both of Niagara and Black & White). Located where video voyeur den Remote Lounge once was, the three gave the new digs a good gutting, replacing the former tenant's surveillance cameras and day-glo color scheme with navy hues, bare vintage bulbs, steam trunks and black wainscoting. All that gives the space a sleeker, decidedly more sophisticated charm than the owners' other ventures. Sorry, HiFi jukebox fans, this joint comes without an epic music selection, but there is a DJ booth next to the bar. Although unmanned the night we went, the mix of Luscious Jackson, the Four Tops, and Iggy Pop playing over the stereo had clearly been selected by discerning ears (finishing touches are also being put on a downstairs space for live music). The drink menu's no frills, and includes the usual top shelf suspects plus a dozen $6 beers on tap (standouts include Old Speckled Hen and Victory Prima Pilsner). Those looking to get fancy, however, need only ask -- the night we visited, our bartender was cool enough to take our vague request for "something with vodka" and whip up a refreshing concoction of fresh lime juice, soda water, sugar and Absolut Pear ($10). She wasn't too cool, however, to suggest it be called an "Absolut Pear-adise." Overall, Bowery Electric is good news: a space that subtly reflects the neighborhood's high-end makeover without falling prey to cheesedom and certainly without taking itself too seriously. 327 Bowery, (212) 228-0228
Posted Sep. 27, 2007,
Upstairs = Old PAPER Offices
By Gary Pini
Though we haven't been there, we just realized that the bar Upstairs is in PAPER's old office! The summer's supposedly "hot celebrity hangout" is located above Cafe Bari at 529 Broadway at Spring Street in SoHo. We have many fond memories of that space and hope all the celebrities still feel our presence. If you're interested in starting a trendy club, we suggest looking a little further downtown to 365 Broadway where we moved after 529.
Posted Jun. 29, 2007,
Bar of the Week: R Bar
By PAPERMAG Editors
Across the street from the famous and historic Bowery Mission, a different breed of supplicant tends to gather. For these more fortunate parishioners, a $10 cocktail is a sacrament, and R Bar, the newest installation on the ever more glittery Bowery, is happy to oblige. The atmosphere is equal parts Francophilic decadence and punkish swagger. Crystal chandeliers dangle above the bar and sparkle against the red velvet walls, but the paintings and photos of Debbie Harry, Mick Jagger and friends remind the demimonde that CBGB was, after all, just down the block. The house cocktail, the White Stripe (an unlikely mix of Ketel One, Tequila Rose, Baileys, grenadine, and milk finished off with a peppermint stick, $10), may put you in mind of childhood amoxicillin, but for more standard fare, the bartenders are happy to pour out generous doses and even a stray flute or two of champagne. No one could mistake R Bar for a Bowery flophouse or dive, but reserve the private back room, outfitted with its own full bar and four gleaming stripper�s poles, and you�ll be reminded that, dress it up however you may, the spirit of the old Bowery is alive and well. Turns out you really can go home again. 218 Bowery, (212) 334-0484. Matthew Schneier
Posted Jun. 22, 2007,
Bar of the Week: Honey
By PAPERMAG Editors
Scads of pedestrians stomp along 14th Street, but usually to get somewhere else -- dinner at Pastis, say, or to rummage through the boots at DSW. There�s little to tempt along the way. But the owners of Honey, a 3,000-square-foot eatery, bar and lounge that has housed a slew of failed restaurants, are hoping to change that with a handful of specialty cocktails and eats from Victor Rodriguez, former chef at Dos Caminos. Although the brick walls and chocolate-brown banquettes are warming, there�s something soullessly generic about the space. At the bar, as the music shifted from the Bee Gees to the White Stripes to the St. Elmo�s Fire theme song, we let the pretty bar staff whip us up strong $10 drinks: a muddled strawberry lychee punch, heavy on the rum; and their signature libation, A Taste of Honey, with refreshing 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka and ginger beer. The limited menu is heavy on pricey entrees and short on finger foods, but if it�s just a nosh you�re after, quinoa chicken strips with blackberry Chipotle ($9) or Kobe sliders and homemade pickles ($17) should do the trick. 243 W. 14th St., (212) 620-0077. Alia Akkam
Posted Jun. 15, 2007,
About Last Night... Cocktails with United Bamboo and onto a Birthday Party
By Carol Lee
Last night, my old friends Thuy Pham and Miho Aoki of United Bamboo hosted an intimate summer cocktail party (with Nicolas Feuillatte champers, Sapporo beer and some finger foods) at their new-ish space on Centre St. The best (food-wise) was this mini raw skewer thing with jicama, radish, basil and mango that you dip into herbed salt. It was both refreshing and savory! I'm a big fan of UB for their simple classic lines and a dash of avant-garde twist. Rising to the occasion, I wore my UB linen trench that I love so much. The soirée was just what you'd want on an early summer evening -- food, booze and good company with room to move around. Singer Joanna Newsom stopped by before heading over to the Gucci party. She was rocking a Chloé necklace as a head piece which matched her Louis Vuitton tote and looked just adorable.
After stuffing myself and spilling drinks, I headed over to my dear friend Glynnis McDaris's birthday party at Nicole Lombardi's house in Tribeca. It was a continuation of more fun times with fun people. I love this night -- it was everything that I love about living in New York!
Picture on top: Miho Aoki, Joanna Newsom & Annabel Mehran
Posted Jun. 15, 2007,
Bar of the Week: Village Pourhouse
By PAPERMAG Editors
Beware of a visual barrage on the corner of 11th Street and Third Avenue: flashing yellow and red Broadway lights, a giant neon hand lifting a giant neon mug and a running ticker reading, "Over 80 Beers." A bar hasn't had this much neon since Homer invented the Flaming Moe. Despite the tacky turnoffs, a loud post-work crowd fills Village Pourhouse on White Trash Mondays for 25-cent wings, $8 Bud Light pitchers and $2 Natty Light cans (in brown bags!). Rumor has it there's a crowd on Saturday afternoons when the bar's numerous huge flat screens play to football-hungry Virginia Tech and Georgia alums. It does seem like a college bar (cute co-eds and loud groups of friends) and isn't without those people that smart New Yorkers avoid (is that guy sitting alone with five Bud drafts?). Village Pourhouse is from the same owners who brought us the trashy Proof, so it's no surprise to find the same lowbrow set here. Unless you crave their most exotic brew, Chimay, skip this scene and head over to someplace like d.b.a. (41 First Avenue), where they rotate the taps and the crowd is less annoying. 64 Third Ave.,, (212) 979-BEER. Nina Weiss
Posted Jun. 7, 2007,
Eight Items or Less: Twilo Folds in Miami, Cocaine Gets Cheaper and One Person Didn't Like Knocked Up
By PAPERMAG Editors
1. When the world famous New York club Twilo folded in 2001 the owners tried to re-establish the venue in Miami last year. Now the Miami branch has also folded. Located in the downtown Miami 24-hour nightlife district, the club encountered many of the same problems currently being felt on West 27th Street in New York’s nightlife district. The cities' original concept of keeping all the clubs in one zoned area has backfired by also bringing all the attendant problems to one neighborhood -- and then blaming the clubs. In a recent posting on burlingtonnights.com, regular Twilo DJ Danny Tenaglia observes that "Miami is being completely taken over by hip-hop, reggaeton, VIP rooms and non-intelligent teenage drop-outs with gansta tattoos."
2. The next time your favorite house-music anthem exhorts you to "Jack your body, ja- ja- jack your body!" your feet might be doing more than just making you sweat. British newspaper The Independent reports that Enviu, a nonprofit organization for eco-projects, and a Dutch architectural firm called Doll have teamed to create a Sustainable Dance Club. Though still in the planning stages, the dancers will eventually "squeeze a surface membrane in the dancefloor which works a flywheel to generate voltage, which is then fed back into the system to light it." If you can't see your date, just dance harder and brighten up the room. (via The Wall Street Journal).
3. Must be the Shoes (part III): The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported this week that Heelys (shoes with wheels in the heels) caused 1,600 emergency room visits, 64 injuries and one death from September 2005 through December 2006. Wear your helmet, Mr. Mickey!
4. According to the Atlantic, the price of cocaine is falling dramatically. Perhaps diverted by the hunt for terrorists, the DEA claims that the price of a gram in New York City was $20 to $25 in 2005.
5. When you're to trying come down, consider a Mediflow pillow. Its inventor claims that the "patented water-based design therapeutically relieves chronic neck pain" and that you will wake up feeling "rejuvenated, soothed and energized."
6. Or, better yet, skip the powder and the pillow and go to www.i-doser.com where you can download 30 minutes of aural stimulation for $3.75. Their version of "cocaine" supposedly induces a "simulated state achieved through the use of advanced binaural methods." And, like rap music, it comes with a warning: "This one comes close." Sgt. Pepper comes close enough for us.
7. Apparently, someone doesn’t like Knocked Up.
Posted May. 25, 2007,
Bar of the Week: Blind Tiger Ale House
By Alexis Swerdloff
Blind Tiger Ale House, the much-loved Village beer bar, has had a rough time of late. First, a Starbucks took over its Hudson Street home in 2005, at which point it moved to new digs on Bleecker and Jones. Then, due to a drawn out back-and-forth with the New York State Liquor Authority, Blind Tiger was forced to operate as a coffee shop for a year. Finally, as of late March, Blind Tiger, as we knew it and loved it, is back in business. Built with the beams and floors of a 19th-century farmhouse, the new space feels newly old in a non-forced kind of way. There's something precious about the spot, as patrons sit by the wood-burning fireplace, sampling deviled eggs, grilled-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Though the floor is cleaner and the crowd a little less rough around the edges, Blind Tiger is still what it first set out to be: a bar for beer lovers. With 28 beers on tap, you can throw down everything from an Ommegang Witte to a Southampton Double White Ale. There are also about 60 bottled beers, a slew of rare vintage beers and a gravity keg on hand. Now that Chumley's is indefinitely out of service, this is one of the last spots for good, old Norman Mailer-style Village beer-swigging. 281 Bleecker St., (212) 462-4682. Alexis Swerdloff
Posted May. 18, 2007,
About Last Night... Fergie Squared and Other Glamour Girls
By Mickey Boardman
Last night two of our favorites came together. We're talking about a little Fergie on Fergie fun! Last year when we had Fergie (the former Stacy Ferguson) perform at our Nightlife Awards, it was our fantasy to have Fergie (the former Duchess of York) introduce her. Well that didn't happen. Until last night at Cipriani Wall Street at the party Deutsche Bank hosted for Cipriani's concert series to benefit Unicef and Sarah Ferguson's Foundation.
Meanwhile, around town, the kids lined up around the block for the Rembrandt tooth whitener party. Confusing I know, but it was worth it to hear the fabulous DJ stylings of Samantha Ronson and to chat with hostess Rashida Jones who's so cute and fun. Honestly Samantha gets cuter every time I see her. Rashida was in town for the TV Up Fronts and talked about the 'fun' of basically being on a receiving line as boozed up guys in suits come up to her and are obnoxious. The glamour of show biz!
Posted May. 16, 2007,
Kylie Minogue Out on the Town!
By Mickey Boardman
Mr. Mickey is too much of a slacker to call this post About Last Night because it happened on Sunday. MM sadly had run the battery on his camera way down and couldn't download the photo of Miss Aimee Phillips with Queen of Pop Kylie Minogue. The girls were hanging out at Cuckoo Club at Maritime Hotel, which is a gorgeous party for the gays!!! Kylie is so beautiful and super sweet and fun to talk to! MM interviewed her years ago and she hasn't changed a bit. She danced and carried on like a normal gay-loving glamourpuss!!!
Here's a bonus photo of two new cuties about town: Hector and Summer. Keep an eye out for these two!!!
Posted May. 11, 2007,
Bar of the Week: GoldBar
By PAPERMAG Editors
Upon entering the latest Manhattan disco bunker, my shocked companion said, “It looks like Bungalow 8 went to the bank!” She's right. Like Bungalow 8, the place Amy Sacco made famous, GoldBar is long and thin and could comfortably accommodate about 100 people; unlike it, GoldBar is painted gold and has so many artful design flourishes referencing metal that it resembles a Bond villain's lair. This isn't soothing, but it does feel like money, so if that sounds sexy to you, go with it. The hysteric decor includes hundreds of gold skulls lining the walls, curtains of gold chains that separate the front bar from the back lounge area and mock oil portraits of fictitious but vaguely threatening figures of Italian nobility. (In-joke alert: The bar's owners are among those featured in the paintings.) Despite offering a potentially fabulous backdrop for a fashion shoot, the experience of GoldBar is neither kitschy enough to be amusing nor exclusive enough to be special. It's really just expensive. True, the specialty cocktails, $17 each, are tasty. The Gold Rush (fresh lemon, honey, bourbon) comes with an enormous, rough-hewn chunk of ice; the Pomegranate Gimlet (fresh lime, grenadine, vodka or gin) smells like a club and turned my insides into a party; and the Bee's Kiss (honey, cream, aged rum) is comprised of wonderful ingredients that look great on the menu. GoldBar also offers light Italian fare, captain's chairs at the bar and graffiti on the bathroom walls (arty, self-conscious graffiti, not the real stuff). Even if the interior has to be seen to be believed, you can have the theme-bar experience elsewhere and you'll probably find it reminds you less of waiting in line at the bank. 389 Broome St., (212) 274-1568. Jonathan Durbin
Photo from Eater.
Posted May. 9, 2007,
About Last Night... Mr. Mickey Goes to the Spotted Pig
By Mickey Boardman
You MMbloggers know that Mr. Mickey really only goes to Indochine, the chicest restaurant in Manhattan. Otherwise it's Rice to-go or Burritoville for MM. Consequently, MM was excited to be invited by the ultraglamorous Kate Schelter, Bettina Zilkha and David Gruning to the Spotted Pig for a lovely dinner. All the hipsters LIVE for the Spotted Pig and MM can see why. The food was DELICIOUS. The carrot salad was sublime! The crowd was packed with cuties like Luigi Tadini, Anouck Lepere, Matthew Marchak, Joey Jalleo, Lisa Salzer (of Lulu Frost jewelry) and Todd Eberle. Here are some cute shots. Kate wanted to show off her Lulu Frost earrings. A gorgeous hunk came in dressed as an old-fashioned newsboy because he was giving out giftbags at some Gin launch in the other room. Then he changed into his street clothes and was all in motorcycle leather. This dude was HOT. Ah, the glamour never ends in the Naked City!!!!
Pictured above: Kate Schelter and Luigi Tadini
More photos after the jump.
Posted May. 8, 2007,
About Last Night... Kirsten, Cameron & Jessica at the Met's Costume Institute Gala
By Alexis Swerdloff
Here's a report and photos from our nightlife photographer Caroline Torem Craig, who was out till 4 a.m. (!) last night covering the celeb-studded Costume Institute Gala at the Met....
The spectacle of a huge birdcage filled with living peacocks (and -- thank God -- not disco dancers) greeted the fabulous fashionistas at the annual spring gala last night.
A massive tent to end all tents housed photographers, reporters and videographers, who were all clamoring to record and report the arrivals of our current kings and queens of Fashion.
As the red carpet was fast and furiously polluted with publicists, it was such a challenge to photograph this rapidly moving feast. If one was concentrating on Cameron Diaz or a voluptuous, brunette Jessica Simpson (pictured above, with Roberto Cavalli), one was inadvertently ignoring the camera-shy Kate Moss or Donatella Versace.
It wasn't until a whole bank of photographers booed and screamed at Kirsten Dunst that she stopped for a brief moment, to allow a few photos to be taken.
Each year, there are a few sights that "shall remain" and this year, one was Lucy Liu in a Zac Posen creation. Liu's train, hand manipulated at every other step by Zac himself, turned into a walking portrait. It was poetry in motion.
(from left to right) Cameron Diaz; Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy; Kirsten Dunst and Johnny Borrell.
Posted May. 4, 2007,
Bar of the Week: Donna Da Vine
By PAPERMAG Editors
If dipping a slice of chorizo into a puddle of mustard and washing it down with a glass of Medici Ermete Lambrusco Solo ($9) sounds appealing, then head to Boerum Hill's friendly new wine bar Donna da Vine. Perch yourself at the bar for an intimate modern-day Cheers feel, or if you prefer to engage in a more private setting, plenty of quiet and cozy tables are available both inside and out. Brick walls display photographs of the Eiffel Tower, an Oregon waterfall and an elephant from the Serengeti as a tribute to the diverse regions from which the various wines are imported. Owner Alyssa Becker, a former Wall Street bond trader, who became grape savvy by working at an Upper East Side wine shop in her off-hours, guides you through the list, and her cleverly named groupings offer great variety. “Do You Know the Way to San Rosé?” ($20) showcases the best refreshing, mysterious rosés with generous pours of Cristalino Cava Brut, Renardat-Fâche Cerdon du Bugey NV and Renard Rosé. Donna da Vine's “tastes” and “bites,” like spicy pig shrouded in puff-pastry blankets ($5) and a tangy duck-and-goat-cheese pizzelle ($11) make for a lovely dinner. 378 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 643-2250. Alia Akkam
Posted May. 2, 2007,
About Last Night... Drew Elliot's Birthday Party at Mr. Black
By Mickey Boardman
Friday night, downtown gay hotspot Mr. Black hosted the birthday party of nightclub superstar (and former PAPER Marketing Director) Drew Elliott. One third of the party promoting team, the Trinity, Drew is a host of the long-running Sunday night Cuckoo Club at the Maritime Hotel, Friday nights at Mr. Black and a substitute host at the legendary Beige Tuesday night party at B Bar. Drew's partners in crime are his boyfriend Mack Dugan and their gorgeous sidekick Aimee Phillips, who sadly, was on tour with the Scissor Sisters on Friday and had to miss Drewpsie's birthday celebrations.
They always pack em in like sissy sardines on Friday night, and this special occasion was no different. Guests included nighlife empresario Erich Conrad, Drew's (tor)mentor, Brazilian bombshell Luigi Tadini, Drew's childhood friend Trip Zanitis, window display king Eric Vidmar, Village Voice columnist Michael Musto and a cavalcade of cute gays, fashion freaks and generally fabulous cuties. Mr. Mickey's favorite look was the shorty suit which is a perfect look for the hot summer to come!!!
Photographs by Mr. Mickey.
Posted May. 2, 2007,
About Last Night…Murakami, Golf and “Ankle Injuries.”
By PAPERMAG Editors
Here's a report from PAPER special correspondent Gary Pini...
The limos were lined up on Madison Avenue last night for the opening of Takashi Murakami's first show for the Gagosian Gallery. Lots of Japanese media and Upper East Side $$$ (plus several members of the Scissor Sisters) contemplated the artist’s latest work -- paintings that seemed specifically geared for the high-brow crowd. Those expecting more of his familiar cartoon style, as cleverly used by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, may be disappointed. The exhibit is on view until June 9 at 980 Madison Ave.
Stopped at Rockefeller Center to check out the temporary one-hole golf course with a big water trap set up by The Players Championship. You can try it beginning May 4th (until the 13th) or just watch other people embarrass themselves. Walked by the Apple Store on 59th and was quickly admonished by a security guard for getting too close to the glass structure. They have a guard posted at each corner 24/7. I guess it saves on Windex.
Had good potato salad and a cheeseburger at Stand (24 E. 12th St.) before heading over to Webster Hall for Peter Bjorn and John + Fujiya & Miyagi. The latter currently have the #5 tune on the latest "music discovery" site CriticalMetrics.com with a catchy song called "Ankle Injuries."
Posted Apr. 30, 2007,
Boozed up Beatrice of York
By Mickey Boardman
Normally, Mr. Mickey, being a devoted royalist, tries to steer clear of these kinds of stories and photos but in this case, it's to editorialize a bit. Princess Beatrice of York was spotted all boozed up coming out of the London club Boujis at 3:15 a.m. according to the Daily Mail. Drunkeness aside, Beatrice looks pretty great. Now Mr. Mickey understands that the kids want to have a good time, but it looks bad for the family business to get hopped up in public and create a scene. Beatrice is certainly not giving Prince Harry a run for his money. Harry's behavior has been pretty shocking with his drunken attack on paparazzi. Yes the photographers overstep their bounds and are practically stalkers. Still, if these royals want to get drunk or carry on, they can do the dirty work in private. Mr. Mickey is not saying they don't deserve to have fun, MM just wishes they wouldn't be a mess in front of the cameras.