nytimes article on arc

[trance643]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/29/nyregion/29arc.html

[Joe618]

good try tho!

[trance643]

u gotta register to read the article

[ibrandon]

you need an account, but im not giving you mine..

so here..

February 29, 2004

TRIBECA

Arc and Its Habitués Await One Last Dance

By MICHAEL GWERTZMAN

he rumors had been spreading for weeks throughout chat rooms and message boards.

But when the official word came that Arc, the year-and-a-half-old nightclub on Hubert Street in TriBeCa, was closing for good in April, even some hardened clubbers had trouble accepting the news.

"The more I read about this, the sadder I get," wrote a patron who identified himself as Zdawg on the club's Web site, joining a chorus of distraught voices. "I'm pretty much speechless."

New York night spots come and go every year, but the imminent closing of Arc has touched a nerve. Although the club had no liquor license, patrons were drawn by the reputations of its local and international disc jockeys, and its bass-heavy high-tech sound system; they arrived around midnight and danced well into the next morning.

"Arc represents the cornerstone of a lot of our social lives," said a self-styled "Arcoholic'' who posted his comments under the name Biggie. "To dismiss the closing like it's nothing is really hard to do."

The closing is due to the recent sale of the three-story building at 6 Hubert Street that housed both Arc and some noteworthy predecessors. Sandy Rower, who has owned the building with his family for more than three decades, said luxury housing was one possible use.

The space has had a long history in the annals of New York night life. An early incarnation, the mid-80's hot spot Area, attracted a mix of artists, celebrities and musicians that included everyone from Andy Warhol to Ed Koch; the decor featured installations exploring themes like "Suburbia" and "Confinement."

In the early 90's, the pop star Moby gained prominence as a regular D.J. on Fridays during the club's run as Shelter. At Vinyl, the occupant before Arc, the Sunday night "Body and Soul'' party earned a worldwide reputation for offering a mix of soulful dance classics and ethnic-tinged club fare.

But in recent years, the club's surroundings have changed. Once surrounded by burnt-out warehouses, the neighborhood, tucked away behind the Holland Tunnel, is now dominated by luxury condominiums. In December, Community Board 1 voted overwhelmingly against recommending a liquor license for the club.

Closing night will be Sunday, April 25. Until then, many of the parties and disc jockeys who have held court there will return for one last dance. And Arc is already seeking a new home.

"I'm definitely disappointed that we're having to close prematurely," said Mike Bindra, the manager of the club. "But it gives us the opportunity to focus on doing something even better."

[Joe618]

Das sad!

[Ronin]

[PCR]

at least this time the press is pro - clubbing, how ironic

[afa8317]

Good new but sad news

[rs22b]

hope they find a new place soon. Cant really imagine it not being there.

-billy

[dissco]

Clubs like friends come and go, but the memories will always remain. All we can do bring the knowledge we have aquired from ARC and transend it to another spot.

[bbbooom]

so its closing b.c. of the community board?

[djunity]

another one bites the dust. man o man.

[trance643]

yeh but at least this time a club isnt being forced to close cuz of like violations or something its much better to go out like this than some of the other ways we've all seen. and lets not forget this may be the end of arc at hubert st but not the end of arc. we still have alot to look forward too.