Remembering NYC’s Graveyard of Closed Clubs

The best part about New York City is that the party always goes on, no matter the host. Bars close, clubs change hands, house parties get shut down — the only thing that doesn't change is New York's appetite for a good time…

While I wasn’t around to document the wild, insanity of New York’s original club staples like CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City, Studio 54, and the like, I was an NYU student in the late 2010s. And let me tell you, we knew how to party.

Unfortunately for my younger counterparts, most of the beloved clubs I frequented as a naive college student closed during the Covid-19 Pandemic. And with them, it felt like New York’s golden era of clubbing slowly died too.

Today, I’m bringing these relics of the past back into the light for a trip down memory lane. These are the best & brightest NYC clubs that are no more and their modern day equivalents if you’re looking for a taste of 2010s nostalgia.

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Up & Down

If you wanted to feel like the hottest bitch around, you went to Up & Down. If you wanted to do drugs with male models in a bathroom stall, you went to Up & Down. If you wanted to get invited to Post Malone’s after party, you went to Up & Down.

Check out: Little Sister
Looking for a taste of this iconic 14th st watering hole? Stop by Little Sister for a bouncer that’s as selective and clientele that’s as fabulous.

China Chalet

“Dimes Square” wishes it could be as cool as China Chalet used to be. The famed dim-sum spot also doubled as host to some of the hottest late-night DJ sets ever. This was the go-to for effortlessly chic LES patrons.

Check out: Turks Inn, Sultan Room
Your next best option now that China Chalet is closed forever? The Turks Inn is a Bushwick mainstay with live music in its Sultan Room late-night.

Verboten

Party goers wanting a no-nonsense great night out knew to grab a cab straight to Williamsburg’s Verboten. With a massive disco ball, a 750 person capacity dancefloor, and arguably the best DJ bill in the city, Verboten was that girl for a reason.

Check out: Mood Ring
In lieu of Verboten, Moodring will have you covered for a reliable, always-fabulous good time.

Cielo

This one goes out to my NYU party girls. Cielo misses you. Its dance floor was a no-rules, reckless abandon that allowed for the most debaucherous under-age nights of my young adulthood, somehow always with a guest appearance by A$AP Ferg.

Check out: Jean's
Want to try to get close to the feeling of being on the Cielo dance floor and still fail? Head to Jeans.

1Oak

Want to feel like the crème de la crème while being basic as fuck? 1Oak would have been your place. The pros schemed entry to the back room and popped a squat at Leonardo Dicaprio’s strictly under-25 table.

Check out: Zero Bond
Try Zero Bond for an adrenaline high of celebrity while simultaneously being bored out of your mind.

The Jane Hotel

Travel with me to a place where Moet flows like it’s on tap and Abba reigns supreme. You’ve entered The Jane Hotel Ballroom. Frat flicking on luxury couches in the light of a dim fireplace never felt so good.

Check out: Gospel
No establishment will ever compare to the Jane, but you can try Gospel if you’re cool with swapping out ABBA for Afro-House beats while a man in a fedora hits on you.

BBar

Interns today will never respect nor understand BBar. Think happy hour meets college bar meets NYC outdoor drinking with an open air ceiling. Yeah. You would have waited in a two block long line too.

Check out: Fiddlesticks
Looking for the next best finance-bro circle jerk? Try Fiddlesticks in the West Village.

Le Souk

Guys, where did all the classy hookah bars go? Kidding. While Le Souk may have been an embarrassment to night-life establishments everywhere, I will give it this — it was probably the only place in New York you could find statement necklaces, hookah, and French Montana all at the same table.

Check out: Studio 151
Vinyl bar Studio 151 will feel like a welcomed upgrade from Le Souk, with its lounge furniture and absence of hookah-related paraphernalia.

Output

Looking to forgo the Manhattan club scene and listen to an actually competent DJ? R.I.P. You would have loved Output. With a massive dance-floor and impressive roof-top for warm summer nights, Output was the go-to for house & techno sets that lasted until the early morning.

Check out: Elsewhere
Hosting an equally idyllic rooftop and huge main-stage area, Elsewhere has everything you need for a good time akin to those at Output.

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13th Step [Honorable Mention]

My first night at NYU, I followed a mob of under-age students to a greasy underground bar by the name of 13th step. While I tried to avoid it the rest of my college experience, this bar was a beacon that called to me and would not let me go.

Check out: Spring Lounge
In my adulthood, Spring Lounge calls me to me in much the same way. Unfortunately.