diva421d

Party ended at 4 am,I was walking up the block to hear Junior,sucks is that I bought my ticket in advance,hope I can get a refund.

Roxy: 'We're not going anywhere' Despite rumors, owner says club won’t close until its lease ends By TRAY BUTLER | Oct 27, 1:34 PM No matter how you frame it, Saturday, Oct. 22, will certainly go down in Roxy history. Rumors had swirled for weeks that Madonna would make a cameo at the legendary Chelsea dance club to launch her new single — adding intrigue to a night already charged by the return of local favorite DJ Peter Rauhofer. Gene DiNino, owner of the Roxy, snatches some quality time with Madonna. An aggressive crowd of more than 3,000 revelers stormed the scene that night, some standing in line in blowing rain just to glimpse the Material Mom herself. Madonna eventually appeared around 2 a.m., dancing for a couple of songs with her flabbergasted fans then neatly scooting out the backdoor and into the realm of nightlife lore. But hers were not the only “Confessions on a Dancefloor†being whispered on 18th Street that weekend. For months now speculation has been white hot that the Roxy’s closing was imminent due to a forthcoming real-estate deal. Some partiers even showed up Saturday night not just for Madonna, because they’d heard it was Roxy’s last hurrah. A nightlife columnist for this newspaper found himself in a figurative cat fight with the club’s management in early October after his e-mail blast suggested that the Roxy’s final curtain would come in 2006. And on Tuesday, New York Post columnist Liz Smith parroted that thought, noting that the club “will close next year.†But Gene DiNino, Roxy’s owner since 1985, told the Blade that those predictions are flatly wrong. “We’re not going anywhere,†DiNino said. “The reality is that I have a four-year lease left. And there are other lease holders in the building, and we’ve all been told that until the leases expire, the building’s owners don’t plan on doing anything.†DiNino, who also owns the upscale restaurant Eugene and formerly owned Joy on 28th Street, concedes that there’s been talk of revitalizing the land around Roxy, but said that no deals have yet to come to fruition that would affect the nightspot. He suggested that rumors of the Roxy’s demise haven’t sprung from real estate leaks, but instead from other club owners. “I think it’s propaganda coming from our competitors,†DiNino said. “Everyone wants our Saturday night. It’s the longest running Saturday night in Manhattan — maybe even in Manhattan history. Other people want that.†‘A natural progression’ John Blair, longtime promoter for Roxy, paints a slightly less certain portrait of Roxy’s future — though he also believes the club won’t be shutting down any time soon. “I’d say we have at least a year before anything happens, and probably longer,†Blair said. He should know: He sits on the community board that oversees neighborhood development decisions. Blair, whose name has been virtually synonymous with Roxy’s gay Saturdays for the past 16 years, said that even if a proposed redevelopment of the land came before the board, the club would still likely remain open for another eight to 18 months. But no such proposal has been presented. Conjecture surrounding the future of Roxy — and Chelsea’s gayborhood in general — always comes back to the harsh realities of New York real estate. Roxy sits at an appealing crossroads between Chelsea’s well-heeled gallery scene and the Meatpacking District’s blossoming preppy playground. Gil Neary, president of DG Neary Realty and longtime Chelsea booster, says the corridor surrounding Roxy is ripe for a lot of changes — and that any new development that be more residential and less commercial. “One of the reasons Chelsea was seen as the gay neighborhood was because the big nightclub was here,†he said. Neary sees “a natural progression†in the area’s growth: “As the real estate market improves, using it as a nightclub is sort of under-utilizing the property for the landlord.†Indeed, other developers have already begun snatching up parcels nearby. Two new apartment towers have been proposed for the parking lot across the street from the dance club. (Oddly enough, DiNino said he had no knowledge of the proposed development.) Geffen Records is reportedly building a new headquarters just a few doors down on 18th Street. Add to this the forthcoming redevelopment of the High Line, the elevated train track that’s planned to be refurbished as a swank public park, and what becomes apparent is a cosmopolitan quarter where an all-night discotheque seems like an odd fit at best. Higher than the High Line What’s ironic, as Blair notes, is that while the High Line may be attracting new development to the neighborhood, the structure itself has been one of Roxy’s saving graces for the past few years. The dance club/roller rink (which was previously a storage warehouse for trucks) occupies a building affected by the High Line’s zoning laws. Nothing can be built there that would be physically taller than the High Line itself, Blair said, at least not without some major legal wrangling. “The High Line is what is saving that’s place from being torn down,†he said. And in the short term, rumors about Roxy’s demise may actually be good for attendance. The club’s publicist, Len Evans, believes Saturday night’s numbers swelled because folks thought it might be the venue’s last weekend. “The fact that people think the Roxy’s closing has helped its business,†Evans said. “We’re getting a lot of new faces we haven’t seen in a while. But things could always change. Maybe we should just appreciate what we have while we still have it.†Blair, meanwhile, remains unfazed by all the speculation. “I’ve been in the nightclub business for so long, I’ve learned to ignore all that stuff,†he said. “People will come as long as we give them a quality entertainment venue. What it does do is keep the people talking about the venue, which is good.†So what happens when the Roxy’s lease ends — or if a sweet development deal does come along? DiNino says he’s already been scouting out other buildings where the club could potentially move. “I’m looking at a great space in New York,†he said. “I do want to stay in Manhattan. But the Roxy, I mean, it’s a New York tradition.â€

Roxy for Junior's party.

DAMM!!!!!!!

Hands down its Timmy Regisford.

Lol!!!!!

Can I get advance ticket at Crobar,since I work around the corner from them.

Glad you had a great time.

I had planned on going but this cold I have is getting the best of me,last night had a high fever with the chills,Thats what I get for falling asleep with the A/C on.Have a good time tomorrow night....Love to read your review.

Well hip hop is no longer welcome at Roxy,remember a couple of years ago on fridays they had hip hop,fights broke out,the community board and the NYPD got involved. As for Spirit,they have some serious competition with Crobar.Spirit needs to have Junior there and let Roxy continue to have there rotating DJ'S. I don't care for Junior at Roxy.

It won't last long.Lets see when it was SoundFactory back in the day they tried hip hop on Fridays,fights broke out inside and outside the club. What I don't get is that Junior is now at Roxy,why not have him at Spirit instead.

I'm not a fan of Victor,his playing gives me a headache,same beats over and over drives me crazy.

Please no HIP HOP!

Great! Thank you.

Some of the culbs in Nyc gave part of the proceeds to help the victims of the gulf coast,or bring in can goods.

Won't be much left,especially lower manhattan and parts of Statan Island.

Happy Birthday Junior!!!!!!

Your best bet is to get the Time Out magazine.You'll find what you're looking for.

Don't believe everything you read...total bullshit.No he does not walk around with a bodyguard either.

http://www.alegriaevents.com/

Left Roxy,figure I'll hit the afterhours spot,it was closed.

Love the cd,playing it now. Too bad the Hallowen cd is not out,guess its dead in the water.

My guess is that is was a Saturday at Roxy which is a Gay party.I had a great time,got there at 11:30 Enough time to get my $1.00 well drinks.Anyway the place was'nt that crowded and Peters was playing some cool tracks I hav'nt heard before,it was'nt his tech or Tribal beats,more like Fluffy music which was cool with me,it was different.I danced for awhile(sorry I 'm not good with remembering all his track list) about 1/1:30 am started to get crowded,not your typical Roxy crowd either,more females there,mixed crowd.I kind of think that JP was told what type of music to play or he was just nervous that hes playing at Roxy for the first time on a Saturday,at least he played All this time and Men beat there drums,towards the end he started playing hard,overall it was a good night,hope he comes back again,I'll be there labor day,can't wait. Peter's IMO has been over looked,since 89 and early 90's far as I can remember people were comapring him to Junior or vice versa,when it comes to playing hardhouse or pots and pans,peter has that locked down,folks may disagree but Junior back in the day was more house music. I live for Junior and Peters. To say he caters to certain crowd is wrong,it just turned out that way,unlike Junior,he wanted an all gay crowd (MEN).Peter's plays for everyone.

I was there Saturday nite,will give review later,I'm late for work.