The Roxy, Bring it Back!!!

Folks this is important...things have not been the same in NYC since the Roxy closed 16 months ago...

Not many realize the impact Roxy's closure had on New York nightlife. Whether you went there or not, whether you are a fan of dancing or not, there was always a comfort in knowing that on any given Saturday night you had the option of totally losing yourself on the dance floor until dawn. Thousands of men, weekend after weekend- a full on, resident dance party. Then it shut down. After thirty years.The revelers committed to the every weekend party split off in two directions laid forth by the powers that be. John Blair took his legendary party to Splash, tired and played out to NY residents but hits the jackpot on tourists and the young. Others went to Stereo for Peter Rauhofer's Saturday night fix. That party only lasted a year or so when the city used the same eminent domain laws to take over the property that Stereo was on.

Dancing is dwindling in this city and nightlife is being smothered to a less than subtle degree.

This Tuesday, you have a real opportunity to stand up for New YorkCity nightlife, which has been increasingly under attack from a smallgroup of residents. These groups are fighting to end the city's legacyas a global nightlife destination, attempting to allow fewer licensesto be issued, closing bars early, and even shutting down some venues.

The historic Roxy nightclub is attempting to reopen, and their abilityto obtain a liquor license may be blocked by Chelsea's fringe anti-nightlife activists.

On Tuesday, you can attend Community Board Four's Business Licenses & Permits Meeting and ask the Board to preserve New York's outstanding nightlife. Roxy could practically be designated a landmark, defined in New York City as a structure at least thirty years old that possesses "...a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or valueas part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the city, state, or nation," according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Roxy first opened in the 1970s as a roller disco, and was known as the 'Studio 54 of roller rinks,' whose guest list includedthe 1980 US Mens Hockey Team, which had just won an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States. In 1982, Roxy transformed into one of the birthplaces of hip hop, showcasing hip hop pioneers as illustrious as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. My own memories are morerecent; I was a regular attendee of Roxy Saturdays, the JohnBlair-sponsored gay night where icons like Madonna and Cher would occasionally perform. Even beyond its cultural and historical importance, though, Roxy was an absolute success story as a club going destination; it remains a beloved fixture in New York's nightlife and has earned the right to reopen in the neighborhood that it has fostered for over thirty years.

Beyond The Roxy's license problem, there is a disturbing trend first reported last April in The New York Sun. "In most parts of Manhattan, bar and club owners say, it has become nearly impossible to open new nightlife establishments that are permitted to serve alcohol until 4am." The "City That Never Sleeps" is under attack from those residents who move into neighborhoods that have been revitalized in large part by their vibrant nightlife, only to attempt to gut that very nightlife and turn the neighborhoods into the equivalent of suburban bedroom communities.

Unless we act now, we could see our 4am night spots dwindle off. Make your voice heard Tuesday.This is more than a lifestyle concern; nightclubs and the businesses that serve them bring over $10 billion in economic activity to NewYork City and employ over 100,000 people. On Tuesday, tell the Board that failure to grant full liquor licenses will effect thousands of your friends and neighbors.

The fight won't be over Tuesday, though: please mark your calendarsfor Wednesday, July 23rd, when the full board will meet to debate its final recommendation to the State Liquor Authority. We need hundreds of people, gay and otherwise, to come and show power in action. The anti-nightlife frenzy of Community Board Four is destroying the quality of life for thousands of people in our community. Let'sexercise our democratic rights and reopen Roxy. I hope you'll join me at both meetings. Bring a friend. Bring five. The future of New York City nightlife is in your hands. And hey, we can all go out for some drinks afterwards.Hopefully we can find a place nearby still open.

Meeting Details:Community Board 4, Business Licenses & Permits Meeting, Tuesday, July8th @ 6:30PM at The Westin Hotel (270 W. 43rd St.) in The MinettaRoom.Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008, 6:30 p.m, Roosevelt Hospital, 1000 TenthAv. (b.58th / 59th).

Thanks to Eric "ELeven" Leven over at http://knucklecrack.blogspot.com where I originally found this

and Ryan J. Davis who has set up the Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=19335257733.

UPDATE 5:00PM 7/8: THE MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND RESCHEDULED FOR AUG 12, SAME PLACE/SAME TIME, FOR NOW...