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Early Addition
Yesterday Gawker posted about a little-known LES space that, if you know the secret handshake, will open its doors to you. Once inside you'll find a reception room, a capacious old theater space... even fishtanks. The night Gawker stumbled in they found a band playing, and in booze-induced wonderment, took a short video clip. The clip was included in the post yesterday but now both have disappeared, becoming as mysterious as this secret club itself!
Enter Grub Street, currently digging for more answers and pointing to the Clinton Theater at 80-82 Clinton Street. According to Cinema Treasures, the 1917 old vaudeville theater had 797 first floor seats, 283 balcony seats, and 182 box seats. When it closed in the '50s it was converted to retail and office space by the Brandt circuit. If you look at the Clinton Street address, it partially appears to be a retail shop. However, the entrance to the space, called The Rumor Mill, is really on Attorney Street -- right about here.
Photos via Kencta's Flickr.
Eater sunk their teeth into the mystery today with more questions than answers; yesterday they quoted the original Gawker post, which said "I shot as much as i could before I was forced to turn my camera off, but I think you can get an idea of the insanity that is this room. Easily one of New York's best kept secrets. I was told its an original vaudeville theater from way back and thats about all I could find out. I managed to spill a drink all over a old piano converted into a bar."
We spoke to one man who has been inside; he tells us: "When you enter the back door on Attorney you have no idea you're about to step into what amounts to a secret, spectacular time capsule. I was there for band practice in 2004 and only glimpsed the backstage area, but it was really surprisingly vast inside, all decaying grandeur and faded opulence... So can you get me an invite to the next party?" Seems that's what everyone is looking for this week.
UPDATE: See Gawker's video clip of the space here.
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Well, I guess another great space is over now! I'm not trying to be all elitist here, but sometimes descretion is the better part of valor. I'm still pissed about the frozen margarita thing at the Hat.
Whatever, secret bars are so 2005 and lame.
(Yes I drink haterade. It tastes bitter, like my tears when I'm not invited to the cool kids club.)
I cited Gothamist's report on the theater's page at Cinema Treasures.
Talk about spoiling secrets. Thank God the blogosphere wasn't around when The Crying Game came out.
I don't think it's about making things 'secret' and 'exclusive'. It's about the laws of physics, where some spaces just can't handle the traffic and large crowds without becoming destroyed, or so overcrowded that being in the space becomes unenjoyable. This is a lot different then PDT or Save The Robots, or something along those lines.
I don't think it's about making things 'secret' and 'exclusive'. It's about the laws of physics, where some spaces just can't handle the traffic and large crowds without becoming destroyed, or so overcrowded that being in the space becomes unenjoyable. This is a lot different then PDT or Save The Robots, or something along those lines.
this place used to operate as a professional recording studio. i worked with a band there in 1999. it was creepy being in there alone...
This is not a bar or an after hours. It's a private space.
isn't it still a professional recording studio? from what i recall, along with the fishtank there were tons of amps and instruments set up on the stage.
and yeah, it is a very cool space. one of the best i've ever seen in new york.
this isnt too much of a mistery to the locals.
owner: martin somack
lease holder: (since 1997) tom nastasi sublease tenant:
mezzanine area that you see the pix: josh ralph
Back area on attorney: guy benny (recording studio)
josh ralph is a rich kid that fancy's himself a recording artist/producer. he's had the space officially since 2003.
from 1997-2002 it was a recording studio called "theater 99"
it recorded records for gov't mule, moe, iggy pop,fish, and the list goes on. theater 99 went out of business 1 yr after struggling to stay alive after 911.
Secret, underground spots are out. I only party at Heartland Brewery now.
don't blame gothamist, the other blogs revealed the secret before it was posted here.
The Theater is NOT a club, bar, or some big secret.
It is a recording studio and private space kept by, as reported, The Rumor Mill a music production company. The reason no one knows about it is because it is a private space, like a home, and only the invited guests of the residents are welcome. It has remained "secret" until now because the people who have visited The Theater have respected the privacy and the magic of the space and the people who maintain it.
I rehearsed there for years with a rock band. They have a few rehearsal rooms downstairs which aren't anything special. The theater is a really amazing room that I only got to see once or twice out of respect for the owners of the space who made it clear that they didn't want anyone running around their recording studio...gee, maybe because they didn't want some dumb blogging scene-ster idiot spilling drinks all over their stuff. Jesus. Get a life, kid. It's not a bar. It's not after-hours hang. Get over it.
If they did throw parties, and I'm 99% sure they don't, and never have #1, it's none of your business, and #2, you might as well have taken a dump on their porch and then rang the doorbell and asked to be invited in for dinner.
@emilydickenson pssst...I was able to get one this summer. They might be covertly back on.
Hate to burst your bubble...there is no secret club. The Rumour Mill is a PRIVATE recording studio where anyone who enters has been directly invited by him either on business or by a close friend. Its a PRIVATE PLACE OF BUSINESS and not some after hours playground for your hipster ass. It's NOT open to the public, it's NOT a bar, it's NOT a speakeasy...so go wait on some other corner. It would be like crashing someone's apartment or private home.
I've been there twice - and it's incredible, fabulous and the most amazing space I've been in. It's a place that deserves respect & it's a real shame that someone violated a trust by taking pictures and posting lies.
The Gawker post, with video, is in Google cache, here.
also,
gov't mule "rising low" dvd was shot almost entirely at this space when it was "theater 99" it lets you see every corner of the space before it was split up into 2 places.