Can A Megaclub Make It In Manhattan?
The best club in the world is coming to New York City. No, it's not Berghain. And unlike that esteemed venue's quarterly residency at the Bunker party in Brooklyn, Manchester club Sankeys will land a proper bricks and mortar outpost in midtown Manhattan. But will it work?
New York's clubbers sure hope so. But they have reasons to be skeptical.
For one thing, Sankeys will open on 50th Street in Hell's Kitchen (the plan is to launch in early 2011), just a flew blocks away from Pacha NYC. Despite global recognition of the Pacha name thanks to the legendary Ibiza original, local dance music fiends never warmed to the Manhattan branch, swarmed as it was with folks straight out of Jersey Shore central casting. Pacha NYC's music programming also let many down when it leaned heavily toward unfashionable trance and cheese house.
Sankeys biggest obstacle will be luring more discerning electronic dance music fans away from the roving underground scene based mostly in and around Brooklyn to workaday midtown, one of the least happening districts of Manhattan. For all the pride techno- and house- fans take in their democratic parties and lovey-dovey community, they've lately treated mainstream nightclubs with the same disdain Meatpacking types reserve for sweaty Bushwick warehouse hoedowns.
A quick glance at recent and upcoming events at the original Sankeys should put the EDM crowd's mind at ease, with Sandwell District, Marco Carola and Wolf + Lamb all dropping in. But owners are no doubt worried about the prospect of filling a massive venue (the Manchester location holds 1,150) with the sort of patrons who are weary of them. Here's to being convinced.
[Photos via Nik Torrens/RA]
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July 29, 2010
6:30pm
These clubs can not last without drugs. Good luck Sankeys! I know they have been doing there thing in Manchester for ages, but NYC is no Manchester.
deso
July 29, 2010
6:55pm
these clubs can also not last without different music rooms. The tunnel for example had the best of both worlds.. the house room upstairs in the main room, and downstairs one of the best hip hop rooms in the city. You get the best of both worlds, someone like myself liked to jump up and down to both rooms throughout the night. I cant listen to either or the entire night. I would even mix in the emo/ indie rock room for the hipsters. Thats how you get a crowd!
July 30, 2010
3:20pm
The minute they put in a hip-hop room, all of the discerning electronic dance music fans that this article is talking about coaxing back to Manhattan will flee.
deso
July 30, 2010
3:35pm
and why would that be? its a completly seperate room.. The idea is to have an eclectic mix of people instead of one group. Music unites all. and for the people who flee, we wouldnt want them anyway then.
July 31, 2010
12:51am
Whose idea, besides your own, is that? Regardless whether there are separate rooms, spillover happens. Re music uniting us all, can we have a country western room, too? That would add some eclecticism. And I'm glad to hear that you wouldn't want me, because I'm one of the people that would flee. But then again, that's why the Brooklyn underground scene and the small clubs in Manhattan are thriving and fun, and places like M2 (now defunct), Pacha, and Webster Hall are avoided by the discerning EDM fans. Hey, if you don't want us, we have other options, and the places that we frequent seem to be doing well when it comes to the bottom line.
Avedon
July 31, 2010
2:44am
Dance music is finally hitting the US. It started with LA, now its everywhere. NYC will be converted by next year.
MrMike10019
October 13, 2010
3:42am
I disagree with your characterization of 50th street in hells kitchen as “workaday midtown, one of the least happening districts of Manhattan.” Hells kitchen is a vibrant offshoot of times square and was very happening every saturday night this summer. Anyway, im looking forward to the club. Thanks for the article.
MrMike10019
October 13, 2010
3:45am
The reason manhattan doesnt have big clubs is too much drugs. Also, the name sankeys (or whatever it is)sounds pretty dorky.