Prince of the City

Thanks for the comment Ariel. We need more imput f...

2011-02-21T19:01:19.929-05:00

Thanks for the comment Ariel. We need more imput from actual club owners. :)

As a nightclub owner, I can tell you that dealing ...

2011-02-19T16:24:01.026-05:00

As a nightclub owner, I can tell you that dealing with drunks is pretty much a full time job. It can be sort of a hypocritical position since we sell alcohol to make a living but tend to loath its repercussions. Don’t get me wrong I respect alcohol for its medicinal applications, its uncanny ability to temporarily mend a broken heart, ease the pain of a lost job or even a lost friend. Its also a great social lubricant, offering that extra bit of confidence to get on the dance floor or speak to a cute stranger. But there is a fine line, between drunk and DRUNK, and more importantly between being a drunk and an alcoholic. A drunk gets more and more intoxicated the more drinks they drink, and alcoholic can change their entire persona with just one or two. Either case is a very delicate situation that needs to be handled with great care. In the case of the drunk the first course of action is HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE! It is amazing how a person’s entire demeanor can change with just one or two bottles of water. They tend to miraculously return to a more manageable common sense. In the case of the alcoholic good luck getting them to take any good piece of advice. Once the superman syndrome has set in there is very little to do to bring them back down to Earth. Having to deal with an alcoholic rage can be a very scary and dangerous thing.. In my experience the few things that can work is attempting emergency humor, trying to get that person to laugh really helps, the other is to distract them by getting that person to start thinking about food. “God I could really use a burger or pizza right now, couldn’t you?” It will usually take a group effort by all their friends to collectively stop the party and all go home with the main focus to get that person safely into there own bed and then hopefully and eventually into AA.
All of Gamal’s tips are right on the money, safety first, not that cute boys phone number. It can be the ultimate buzz kill when you find that your friend is completely unconscious in a corner somewhere. When that happens it is important to notify the venue’s manager right away. When we get on the scene the first thing we do is take cold water and with a rag cool down all pressure points, wrists, back of the neck, forehead, and also try to get them to drink water! If the person is not responding, and as drastic as it sounds proceed to pour cold water directly on their head, down their back and on their ankles. That usually does the trick pretty fast, if there is no response call 911 immediately.
Obviously drinking and partying goes hand and hand. The best way to make sure it is an enjoyable experience for all is to look out for eachother. Just because it’s your friends birthday doesn’t mean they have to do as many shots as years they have been alive. Make sure you all eat before you go out and don’t forget to drink water in between cocktails. Seriously. It’s that simple. Also if you know you have that one friend that always drinks too much, always starts a fight and always ruins the night, don’t think for one second tonight will be different , maybe the more you exclude them from your plans the sooner they will realize they need help.
So rock on, enjoy life, and remember every time you go out to drink there is potential for pleasure or pain, love or misery and even life and death. So as corny as it sounds drink responsibly so you can live happily to drink another day!

Great piece and thanks for the tips...I did not re...

2010-10-29T15:14:25.115-04:00

Great piece and thanks for the tips...I did not realize until reading this that I was a native! I just thought I knew how to party right! :) Cheers and Happy Halloween!

Maishah

Well said

2010-10-27T18:07:45.631-04:00

Well said

Amy, I think things like this have to start small ...

2010-09-14T21:30:36.349-04:00

Amy, I think things like this have to start small with a group of highly motivated, slightly insane people.

I think there are elements within NYNA that would love to improve the image of the industry. I think distributors like Diageo would get on board if part of the marketing message promoted responsible indulgence. I think Eater, GoG, DBTH and Blackbook would support it. So would local musicians.

I don't think it could be a city wide thing at first. It might have to start in Meatpacking, or LES, or the Village and grow from there. I don't think any festival of this type started big. Even Fashion Week had to grow over time...

It could happen...

Love the idea, Gamal, but it's a tall order to...

2010-09-13T01:11:04.308-04:00

Love the idea, Gamal, but it's a tall order to get anyone to step up and organize such a thing. Fashion Week, et al, has the backing of the Mayor's office, and we know what this Mayor thinks of nightlife.

Those things starting small, however, so nothing's impossible. We'd probably need to get the SLA? NYNA? a liquor distributor? on board to cover some of the advertising expense, and then get them to petition city hall to help promote. A tall order, I'd say.

But I really do think it's a great idea. It would be nice for us to all work together towards something, rather than be perpetually in competition.

excellent point. Responsible indulgence.

2010-09-08T13:05:00.220-04:00

excellent point. Responsible indulgence.

Very Interesting, next time I get to NY I will hav...

2010-09-02T23:55:38.118-04:00

Very Interesting, next time I get to NY I will have to go there

Great Article enjoyed every word of what you had t...

2010-08-31T20:06:57.427-04:00

Great Article enjoyed every word of what you had to say, & it all makes since.

i was expecting something very different. like - ...

2010-05-09T18:35:31.806-04:00

i was expecting something very different. like - it is only nightlife that evokes an era in the minds of future generations. the copa? only these names that stay alive. y'know?

Good points. I own a bar in the Village and have o...

2010-02-12T18:22:59.050-05:00

Good points. I own a bar in the Village and have often felt that the people most affected by the new laws, crackdowns and community board influence, are the ones who speak up the least.

Unfortunately, the nightlife industry also lacks a clear voice. I've been to many meetings where everyone disagrees about what's important and where we can compromise. We seem to unite only when the most heinous things are posited (2 a.m. close, anyone?). But still somehow couldn't get it together with the smoking ban, which was devastating to many in the industry.

I think you're missing one important point brought up at that meeting: the greedy landlords. No one is saying nightlife shouldn't be allowed, it just shouldn't be allowed to overwhelm a neighborhood. The Lower East Side and East Village have become overrun with bars and restaurants because landlords see them as better money than, say, a laundromat or hardware store. So if they can't get a bank or CVS or Starbucks (another of my pet peeves), in goes another liquor license.

There needs to be a balance of nightlife, retail, service to keep any neighborhood healthy. Until this city develops a clear concept, does some actual urban planning, we're gonna keep duking it out. And we all lose.

Way appreciated, thanks for the tips!

2010-01-15T21:04:47.297-05:00

Way appreciated, thanks for the tips!

Wow, you do make a good 'Tip List'. I agre...

2010-01-12T22:42:28.116-05:00

Wow, you do make a good 'Tip List'. I agree 100% with having a good time and strangers at the club/lounge not being enemies! As for attire, it should be basic not to wear sneakers, and jeans only dressed up for a night out/club hopping. Also saying thank you at the end of a service is a always must, especially in the NYC!

Look out Diana. Su Casa has changed their format. ...

2009-11-28T18:41:10.515-05:00

Look out Diana. Su Casa has changed their format. They are dropping the speakeasy concept and going after the drunken students you are trying to avoid. If you hang out in that area, you might want to try Little Branch, Shade or APT instead.

Have fun.
G

I must say - for a while now I was looking for tha...

2009-11-28T17:31:12.972-05:00

I must say - for a while now I was looking for that quiet- yet not boring mixture of the exotic and relaxing. It’s not easy to find a fun spot for a 24 year old that is not filled with drunken students by 1 am. and although it can be fun, sometimes I just want more out of my evening.
Thanks for the tip. always a pleasure to read this column...

Dianna Washington

Try real speakeasy that were really a speakeasy in...

2009-10-20T11:06:40.491-04:00

Try real speakeasy that were really a speakeasy in the 20's to get a more authentic feel like the 21 club or Flûte Midtown at 205 west 54st that used to be "club Intime" (NYC's number one spekeasy) in 1928.
I always have a great time there. Greg

Can you imagine checking-out someone at a nightclu...

2009-08-20T23:52:45.803-04:00

Can you imagine checking-out someone at a nightclub or party when you're not even there. How would you like to be able to View , Chat, IM or Call any cutie in the club from your PC or Mobile Phone in real-time. You can do other things like buy them a drink, flowers, dinner and even more wherever our concierge services are available. Welcome to the most elite online social community in the world www.clubswired.com and we are asking for your help in fine tuning this platform, before we go global.We will broadcast "live" on Aug. 28th, 2009 from Los Angeles for a pre-launch event. You may check-out our community at www.clubswired.com and give us your professional input now and after the event. We believe that you are our best ally and you can observe with a critical eye. We look forward to your input as well as entertaining you in the future. Registration is required to communicate with other members in attendance during this “live broadcast” event.If you live or will be in the Los Angeles area on this date you will be welcome to attend at no-cost-to-you.

Always be careful out there.

2009-05-16T14:38:00.000-04:00

Always be careful out there.

Thanks Sean.

2009-04-25T19:20:00.000-04:00

Thanks Sean.

Well said, Gamal.

2009-03-25T02:29:00.000-04:00

Well said, Gamal.

Thank you Kalin! Hopefully the rest of the book wi...

2009-03-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Thank you Kalin! Hopefully the rest of the book will be as good as this part.

You nailed it Gamal! I am looking forward to heari...

2009-03-19T01:53:00.000-04:00

You nailed it Gamal! I am looking forward to hearing more about your book!

Glad you liked the post, but don't forget South Be...

2008-12-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

Glad you liked the post, but don't forget South Beach. Even with my obvious New York bias, I will admit that they know how to throw a party too (although I'll also say that most people in Miami nightlife came from New York...)

Have fun.
Gamal

Why on earth is that you new favorite phrase? :p

2008-12-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

Why on earth is that you new favorite phrase? :p

Glad you enjoyed it, maybe now that bottle service...

2008-12-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Glad you enjoyed it, maybe now that bottle service might be on the way out guys will have to clean themselves up more to get into the clubs...

Have fun.
G