The Premium Life

I found this article in the September 4, 2009, edition of AM NewYork newspaper. Had to share the wealth! I am definitely going to check out The Empire Room since it’s right near my office and will report back on my findings!

BY ALEXIS KORMAN Special to amNewYork

From a stylish club in Chelsea to a Coney Island-themed bar near Union Square, there’s no shortage of nightlife spots opening in early fall. Here’s the scoop.

Forty Eight

1221 Sixth Ave.,

at 48th St.,

212-554-4848 (Recently opened)

This lounge is located in the McGraw-Hill buildingnear Rockefeller Center, making it a swanky spot for after-work cocktails. On weekends, a DJ gets partygoers moving in this modern space adorned with Swarovski crystal light fixtures. “We hope that we’ll get to serve NYC’s local influencers and late-night partygoers,” said co-owner Brian Packin.

Brinkley’s

406 Broome St., at Cleveland Pl.,

no phone yet (Opens Sept. 7)

Anthony and Tom Martignetti have replaced their shuttered eatery Bar Martignetti with this relaxed English bar. Brinkley’s plans to serve pub grub (from former Kingswood chef Ben Towell) and, of course, plenty of suds on tap. Two TVs will be in place to show games. Read more »

In my early twenties I was the queen bee of NYC’s latest and greatest hotspots. I knew about a bar, lounge or restaurant launch weeks before everyone else did because I followed commercial real estate websites and newsletters—nope, I didn’t have a life.

Once I began working at a fashion magazine I became lazy and gave up on the space stalking aspect—they wanted me there on opening night no matter what—they wanted me to cover the hangover-inducing bash. Well … then I stumbled onto something called responsibility *yawn* and rolling into the office reeking like a plastic bottle of Popov Vodka was no longer acceptable. What would I do if I got fired because I was out until 4 AM buying shots for random guys who used to be on The Bachelor? Needless to say, I feel like I’m slightly out of the hotspot loop, but—don’t you worry—this is all about to change.

I am embarrassed to say that I just discovered the sexiness that is Apothéke—a year late. You see, I tend to stay in on weekend nights and get my fix at random brunch spots on Saturdays and Sundays. Who feels like dealing with out-of-towners and day-long hangovers on Saturday and Sunday? My friends do. Read more »

I usually wait a couple of months before authoring a review of a new restaurant or night club. I feel that this gives the owners and employees enough time get everything right. It also gives me a better opportunity to decide whether a new place is great after some of the hype has died down. It has been a few months since the opening of Griffin, the old PM space in the Meat Packing District. I have been there a few times now and I can say without hesitation, it is by far the coolest club in the area. The managing partners are Rachel Uchitel (Tao Vegas), Josh Kaiser (Pink Elephant), and Cain’s Hector Longoria.

The decor is much fancier and hipper than the old PM. It starts with a humongous chandelier in the middle of the main room which is a nice contrast to the blue velvet banquets that adorn the sides of the dance floow. The ceiling is a magnificent framed mirror and there is a great VIP baclony from which guests can watch all the action while not being disturbed.

The drinks  are designed and served by the experienced team at Milk & Honey . I highly recommend their Manhattan as well as some of their specialty mojitos. The place itself has a much more opulent feel than in the past and the crowd is your typical good looking crowd that tends to frequent the area. We were able to secure a great table in the middle of the main room that came with your standard bottle service requirement. Read more »

New York City offers some of the best restaurants and nightclubs in the world. Noah Tepperberg adds another amazing restaurant/nightclub to the scene.  Noah has coined the term “GastroLounge,” to describe the new venture.  This will be the perfect spot to entertain clients as they will be offering gastropub type food and bottle service. Check out their innovative menu. No other spot in NYC offers great food and nightlife all in one.   After his amazing success at Marquee (Harvard business school even wrote a case study about it), Avenue is sure to be the next Hot Spot.

Avenue was resurrected in the old “Earth” space on the corner of 17^th street and 10^th ave…Around the corner from 1 Oak.  The concept combines a bar/ultra-lounge with moving lights, a lot of seating and eating. There is a DJ booth, but no dance floor, making conversation an integral part of the experience.  After a 2.5 million facelift, Avenue will officially open to the public the end of June.  They have already hosted some unforgettable private parties such as Mandy Moore’s birthday party

According to Mr. Tepperberg-The music and the lighting is very dim, it’s very mellow, and then depending on the crowd, at midnight or later, we can raise the volume and change the lighting. Then there’s a second floor, which is a straight lounge. There’s fifteen tables in one room, and then on the second floor there’s six big tables that overlook it. [The music] is gonna be really lounge-y, eighties, soul, seventies.

As always, if you need help planning your next nightclub expereince please contact us at www.premiumlg.com