New York's Former Limelight Club to be Retail Mini-mall
If you've experienced New York nightlife over the years, you may have paid a visit to a church on 6th Avenue which housed, among other clubs, the Limelight. Braden Keil reported in the New York Post this morning that the club, once dubbed a "drug supermarket" by federal agents, will soon be reborn as a retail mini-mall.
Posted Dec. 19,2006 at 2:30 PM EST by Andy Towle in New York, News, Nightlife | Permalink
Wow. I remember hitting Limelight back in the 90's, even before Michael Alig's infamous drug crazed days. Then it tragically became Avalon, and the night life of the properous 90's became something of a joke after 2001. It was never the same. Now a mini-mall. That sums up NYC club life...
Posted by: Cory | Dec 19, 2006 2:46:38 PM
Wow re-dedicated to our nations true religion... Shopping, the Church founders will be turning in their graves.
Posted by: Matt | Dec 19, 2006 2:50:58 PM
I went to the Limelight opening in '83. It was when clubs were still fun, not the mess they are today. I remember the shock of gays and perverts dancing in a church. Yes I agree Matt, shopping is more American.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Dec 19, 2006 3:02:35 PM
Cory, it's all relative. New York still beats most other cities with its nightlife, and don't even get me started on some of the smaller cities like the one I live in. Speaking as someone who dj's a bit on the side, I still a bit starry eyed about The Big Apple.
Posted by: mark m | Dec 19, 2006 3:16:41 PM
As much as I will miss the Limelight of yore, that place was just oozing bad karma. Ask any true NYC clubber (read: pre-crystal meth days) where his/her "worst" or craziest club experience was, and, invariably, they will name Limelight.
R.I.P.
Posted by: Bron | Dec 19, 2006 3:16:41 PM
Wow.
Between the Meatpacking district becoming Yuppie Heaven, The Village DocksRevitalization and now this. Its like my entiresleazy life from the 80's and 90's have been erased. I guess I can be a virgin again!
Posted by: Wolf | Dec 19, 2006 3:41:49 PM
Am I the only one who feels a twinge of sadness and nostalgia to see this happen? Even with its notoriety, I always thought Limelight was one of the coolest clubs New York ever generated - partying in an ancient church (at least ancient by American standards), with all the old-fashioned churchy elements, was so fucking cool. I saw Avalon as the commercialization of a cool, edgy, "gay" place, and this current development is the nail in its coffin. Sorry, everyone, but it makes me sad... it feels just like what's happened to South Beach.
Posted by: grow up? only a little... | Dec 19, 2006 3:42:16 PM
Church, nightclub, mall...let's be real, it's all commerce.
Posted by: Michael | Dec 19, 2006 3:45:07 PM
Can we tear down Roxy now?? Please.
Posted by: the other jeff | Dec 19, 2006 3:45:41 PM
What's worse? Limelight becoming a mini mall or Palladium being turned into an NYU dorm?
Posted by: outinLA | Dec 19, 2006 3:47:29 PM
I was at the opening night of Limelight, and it was amazing! I also opened other NYC super clubs like Tunnel, Mars, World, Paladium... I danced at the dinosaurs like Danceteria, Area, Peppermint Lounge. Matt, trust me, nightlife in your city can't be any worse than what NYC has become. A dull, repetative, joyless, crystal-addicted bore. I left NYC in 2004, after over 20 years of residence and it was the best thing I've done for myself. I couldn't stay another minute knowing how amazing, exciting, fresh and fun NYC used to be before it became a white-washed theme park for tourists. "The Saint" is now a bank, and "The Limelight" is a mall. That's New York...
Posted by: Nathan | Dec 19, 2006 3:53:13 PM
Good Lord, who would have ever thought that two of my favorite past times would merge under one roof.
Limelight (circ. 1991) was my very first e-trip. What a trip that was....
Posted by: Mark | Dec 19, 2006 4:00:54 PM
Would love to hear from others who have lived in NYC for 10+years and then moved. Can't imagine what life would be like anywhere else now that I've been here so long.
Do you miss NYC? Where did you move. Guess it's about priorities and lifestycle?
Posted by: Mark | Dec 19, 2006 4:06:15 PM
That's too bad. I remember having sex in that church when it was Limelight back in the mid 80's. I thought two gay guys having at it in an old religious building was a very Christian thing to do. I'm sure a lot of priests have had sex in churches!
Posted by: What the . . .? | Dec 19, 2006 4:09:30 PM
Mark, yes-it was about priorities and lifestyle. I loved NYC so much in the 80s and 90s, but it changed after 2000. Greed, lack of imagination, over-development. Came back to visit in May and found "The Variety Arts" theater torn down. WTF??? Hate what Chelsea is turning into--baby stroller central. The Village is already ruined, and it's only a matter of time for Hell's Kitchen. When there are $100/entree restaurants on the Lower East Side, somethin' is wrong. I remember $4 dinners at the Odessa after a night at Pyramid...
Posted by: Nathan | Dec 19, 2006 4:32:58 PM
Clubs begetting condos and malls is demonstrative of the collective mindset of the so-called "posters" (read: post-terrorism, as in post-9/11 NYC arrivals).
Posted by: G-Lock | Dec 19, 2006 4:33:40 PM
At Last!
A place in Chelsea to buy overpriced crap.
Thank God.
Posted by: digger | Dec 19, 2006 4:42:31 PM
face it guys - being gay & the gay lifestyle just isn't cutting edge anymore. 80s & 90s - fueled by the passion we faced confronting AIDS & intstitutionalized homophobia - club life was edgy, intelligent and sexy. My special memory was "Mars Needs Men" dancing with a long pirate scarf to Madonna's "Like A Prayer". Meeting smart, sussed men who were fighting hard to live. The commercialization and lack of "alternative" gay space isn't just a clubbing issue -- it's where we've allowed ourselves to be,
Posted by: resurrect | Dec 19, 2006 4:47:42 PM
I guess it's the price we pay for fighting to be considered equals among equals.
Now we're just as boring as the rest of society. lol
Posted by: Mark | Dec 19, 2006 4:58:53 PM
OMG I think I was at that party, too, Resurrect! And that top room: Like, wow. There was one night when at least 60 of us were in a crush of a circle around three of the hottest guys you ever saw, all servicing and being serviced by this absolutely stunning-looking boy who was probably on the wrong side of barely legal. You don't see THAT in New York anymore. I remember during the peak years of The Cock and the Hole thinking, "this is NOTHING."
Posted by: rascal | Dec 19, 2006 5:07:28 PM
You guys are right on target. As much as we've gained by becoming acceptable to the general public, we've lost in "cutting edge". And Ressurect, I remember dancing at Mars to Madonna's remix of "Express Yourself". We'd never heard it before, and it lasted forever. I was a pool of sweat. Speaking of pools, does anyone remember Chip Ducket's New Year's Eve bash (around 1990) in the deserted Catholic school in the East Village? The dance floor was the drained swimming pool...and there was an "all Madonna" room upstairs? It was amazing!
Posted by: Nathan | Dec 19, 2006 5:15:42 PM
Anyone remember the underwear party at the Roxy back in 1991? All I can remember was walking into that club and seeing the majority of men without pants on. Everyone was bumping and grinding on the dance floor. It was my second time to a club. I had such a hard-on that I spent most of my room in that backroom (up in the crystal room). We lost a great deal.
Let's not forget that play space called "The Gallery" or "Zone DK" on the West Side. Those were the days.
Posted by: Mark | Dec 19, 2006 5:30:42 PM
The drugs changed. The Limelight stayed the same.
From coke and Mescalin to Crytal and crack. It always was a mini-mall, if you couldn't find the drugs; you could find a guy to go home with who had 'em. Sorry it's gone, but Pulleeeeze.
Posted by: Lexxicuss | Dec 19, 2006 5:31:07 PM
Nothing will ever rival the early days of the circuit. Before it became a commercial success. It was like a secret club of friends meeting in different cities every 6 months.
Of course, Twilo still holds the most prominent place in my heart of all the great clubs that will never be again.
Long live Twilo and that HUGE disco ball.
Posted by: Steve S. | Dec 19, 2006 5:35:47 PM
I would agree, the drugs really did the scene in. The music went from being happy vocal to deep, dark thumping angry. People went from being inclusive to exclusive.
How about all those many hours of waiting for Junior V.'s drugs to kick in so he would get to that happy vocal music place. I still hold him responsible for the downfall of NYC club culture. He turned what was magic into a crystal-fueled den of zombies.
Posted by: Peter Parker | Dec 19, 2006 5:39:41 PM