JoonBlog New York

Venue Review: Inc. Lounge (NYC - New York City)

The new Inc. Lounge (on the 2nd floor of the Time Hotel) is set to have its OFFICIAL opening this Thursday, May 29th. Here’s the scoop straight from the press release…

…A glass elevator transports you to the second floor where guests are introduced to comfort, style, and elegance. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the street - a nod to the voyeuristic Times Square of yesteryear.

OK, now that we have your attention, here’s a little rundown of the interior of the venue.

As you slide up to the jet-black bar,…below jeweled Lucite chandeliers, you notice the wave of compelling patent leather settees, curvy-striped leather club chairs, and brown alligator swivel stools…with plush, red velvet couches, black mirror mini plasma TVs, …Inc. Lounge is a departure from the by-gone trend of minimalist design…

If that description doesn’t wet your whistle, here’s a bit more detail on the lounge.

… The back corner houses the DJ area with an intensely high-back tufted sofa... Stretch out on the oversized cowhide ottoman centered in the room or check out the embossed leather mirrors… head to the antique inspired black lacquer pool table…order a Crimson Sunset, and nosh on a Nero pizza underneath the smoking red lips light box.

I won’t lie, we’re interested. If you can, hop on up to the opening this Thursday and maybe we’ll see you there!

  Inc. Lounge is on the second floor of The Time Hotel where you can party like a rock-star and sleep like a baby. Call 212 320 2984

Read a bit more about Inc Lounge at Eater.com, Sheckys.com and Timeout.com

Inc Lounge
224 W 49th St, 2nd Floor
(between 8th Ave & Broadway)

Venue Review: Lily Pond (NY-East Hampton)

Memorial Day weekend is the typical opening weekend for everything Hamptons and this weekend is no different. With multiple clubs, bars and restaurants opening all throughout our Long Island, one venue keeps popping up on our radar, Lily Pond and for good reason…

“Unik Ernest (PM) and Michael Satsky (Stereo) have taken over the former Flirt nightclub, and they’ve dropped mad loot on renovations—word is half a million.” [more from Sheckys.com]

Wow! Now that is a lot of money to drop on a venue that is a little farther out than the Southampton/Sag Harbor nightlife nexus. It sounds like it could be a traffic nightmare to get to, but the team has thought that detail out as well,

“They (Unik and Michael) already seem to have a lock on the nightlife landscape with a unique feature at their new East Hampton nightclub Lily Pond…Their Lily Pond nightclub will feature a helicopter landing pad a mile away.” [more from Hamtons.com]

OK, well color us impressed. This joint sounds like it has amazing potential and… [courtesy of Sheckys.com]

“This is where the recession-proof will be making an entrance.”

Agreed, especially considering who’s attached… [courtesy of Hamtons.com]

“PR guru Jonathan Cheban is also… “attached to the project” so you can bet the place will be flooded with his fabulous friends like gorgeous socialite Stella Keitel (daughter of Lorraine Bracco and Harvey Keitel) and Russian heiress Anna Anisimova. This is definitely where I’ll be sipping champagne this summer.”

Well, it’s definitely where we’d LIKE to be sipping champagne this summer, but something tells me that this just may not be happening. Opening night is this Saturday, May 24th.

Lily Pond
44 Three Mile Harbor Road
East Hampton (no phone)

Five New New York City Rooftop Bars (NYC Roofdecks)

With Spring already here and Summer right around the corner, (although someone should probably let Mother Nature know…) new roof deck hot spots are springing up all over our beloved city. With so many roofs and so little time, we decided to give you a run-down of what we think are the five best roof deck openings…

Eden Roof Top with the Grand Opening of St. Tropez Thursdays is this Thursday, May 22nd. This After Work party is hosted by yours truly, JoonBug Productions and starts at 5pm with an open Trump Vodka bar from 5-6pm.

Here’s a bit more on Eden,

“The newest rooftop lounge in Times Square comes courtesy of the makeover of the massive, 24-year-old China Club…” [more from Sheckys.com]

Eden Rooftop
268 West 47th Street
New York, NY

Highbar @ The Hilton Garden Inn has its grand opening tonight, May 20th. The mastermind behind Amalia and Aspen, Greg Brier, was recently interviewed by our main man, Steve Lewis. Check the interview out here.

More on Highbar,

“Panoramic views of the Hudson give way to urban chic decor of white leather banquettes, bamboo cabanas, movie screens…” [more from Sheckys.com]

Highbar @ the Hilton Garden Inn
251 West 48th Street
New York, NY

BED, has officially re-launched its Roof Deck, with the working name of ‘Sky Garden.’ No official opening date confirmed, but with the guys from Mansion and Pink Elephant running the show, the party is bound kick-off any day.

“Just in time for Sex and the City's big screen release: BED is back…Word is that the Meatpacking militia has gotten the rooftop reopened for the upcoming season…” [more from Gothamist.com]

BED Roof Top
530 W. 27th Street, 6th floor
New York, NY

The Pooldeck @ The Empire Hotel is now OPEN. And although it has already been reviewed here, we can’t help to think that this spot is going to be amazing!
And don’t forget, it’s for GUESTS ONLY!

“Even though you live in NYC, make like a tourist and book a room at the Empire Hotel just to take advantage of the private, guest-only roof deck that just opened…” [more from Sheckys.com]

The Pooldeck @ The Empire Hotel
4 West 63rd Street
New York, NY

Salon de Ning, The Hotel Peninsula’s reincarnated rooftop (formerly Pen-Top),
brings in the beauty of the hotel’s decor, mixed with the seduction of the Asian environment, to create one of the most brilliant spots in all of mid-town. The grand opening of this space went down last week, so its officially open for business.

Some info from The Peninsula website,

“Ladies and gents, let us present to you Salon de Ning. Tonight, she replaces Pen-Top on the roof of the Hotel Peninsula. Ain’t she a beauty?” [more from NYmag.com]

Salon de Ning
700 5th Ave. @ 55th Street
New York, NY

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 05-19-08

Silver Mt. Zion (click to purchase)
5/20
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey Street
New York, NY
“Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band began life as the more manageably named A Silver Mt. Zion in 1998, and the group continues to use SMZ as band shorthand to this day…” [more from Constellation Records]

Van Halen (click to purchase)
5/23 (postponed from 5/17)
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“For the first time in 22 years, Van Halen hit the road with original lead singer David Lee Roth for a tour of the U.S…[more from TheGarden.com]

The Eagles (click to purchase)
5/24-5/25
Prudential Center
165 Mulberry Street
Newark, NJ  07102
-AND-
5/28 & 5/31
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“The band, featuring original members Glenn Frey and Don Henley along with Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, will bring its "Long Road Out of Eden" tour to the Prudential Center in Newark on May 24-25.” [more from NJ.com]

Venue Review: Scarpetta Restaurant (NYC - New York City)

Everyone has been commenting on the opening of a new Italian restaurant in the Meat Packing District, but NYMag.com gets your mouth watering right from the start…

“Roughly translated from the Italian, fare la scarpetta means to wipe your plate clean with a hunk of bread—a practice that, depending upon the culinary circles you travel in, is considered either a sign of bad breeding or a compliment to the chef.”

Now that’s something we certainly like to try. And that must be considered a compliment at Scarpetta, especially given the pedigree of the chef behind it… [from UrbanDaddy.com]

“The chef behind it, Scott Conant, was previously the chef-owner of L'Impero and Alto, so he's someone we like to have feeding us.”

We agree wholeheartedly. And the space sounds just as tasteful as the food… [from DailyCandy.com]

“The space is split into a buzzy patio, a cafe/bar, and a dining room. We’re guessing it’ll be hopping but relaxed, elegant but not fussy. In other words, molto bene.”

Scrapetta
355 W. 14th St. (Between 8th & 9th Aves.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 690-0555

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 05-12-08

Kanye West (click to purchase tickets)
5/13
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“…West's "Glow in the Dark" tour is the rapper's latest ploy to prove that he is creatively without peer. It's a wildly conceived one-man musical…” [more from the Washington Post]

Joan as Police Woman (click to purchase tickets)
5/14
Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston St. (corner Ave A & Houston)
New York, NY

“Before striking out on her own as a singer-songwriter, Joan Wasser was a violinist, gigging and recording with Lou Reed, Tanya Donelly, and Antony and the Johnsons…” [more from Rolling Stone]

Kid Rock w/ Lynrd Skynrd (click to purchase tickets)
5/15
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“Kid Rock announced today that his "Rock And Roll Revival Tour" will continue on through the summer. The first two legs of the revue-style tour -- which has featured guests including Reverend Run, Peter Wolf, and Dickey Betts...” [more from Market Wire]

Venue Review: The Pooldeck at The Empire Hotel (NYC - New York City)

Is  it summer already? No, unfortunately not. But that doesn’t mean that the new  Pooldeck at the Empire Hotel isn’t ready for it. Here’s some info for all you  Upper West Side-ers. [more from UrbanDaddy.com]

“Built as an exclusive 150-capacity  Vegas-style pool with cabanas, … cocktail service and the requisite eye candy  that naturally flocks to rooftop pools in Manhattan, the Pooldeck is set to be  your new favorite UWS pool scene (actually, it's the only UWS pool scene).”

More  on the cabanas and nightlife [more from NYMag.com]

"Should you want to escape the glow of the Empire Hotel sign, there will  be five reserve-able cabanas, each equipped with a plasma-screen TV, a  telephone (because we don’t have cell phones?), wireless, and daybeds. There  will be food and cocktails, too, but remember that the Empire is where Jeffrey  Chodorow's steakhouse, Center Cut, is poised to go into the twelfth floor. Just  keep in mind what they say about swimming after a heavy meal.”

Now  let’s not forget, The Pooldeck is only open to GUESTS of the hotel only. So…  [courtesy of Urban Daddy]

  “…don't let that intimidate you.  You can get in the old fashioned way...with cash. Get a room at the hotel and  you'll have access to the pool, the roof deck for cocktails and those cabanas…”

The Pooldeck @ the Empire Hotel
44 W. 63rd St.
212-265-7400

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 05-05-08

Flight of The Conchords (click to purchase tickets)
5/6 – 5/7
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
(between 6th Avenue & Broadway)
NY, NY

“… Now, less than a year later and hot on the heels of a new record, it looks like the Flight of The Conchords will be playing a handful of dates across the US…” [more from BrooklynVegan.com]

Panic At The Disco! (click to purchase tickets)
5/7 – 5/8
Roseland Ballroom
239 West 52nd Street
(Btwn Broadway & 8th  Ave.)
NY, NY

“Panic At The Disco's "PRETTY. ODD." Is Pretty Huge; Critically Acclaimed Second Album Debuts at #2…” [more from Marketwire.com]

Bruce Springsteen (click to purchase tickets)
5/7 +
Count Basie
99 Monmouth St
Red Bank, NJ 07701

“Bruce Springsteen is currently touring arenas, and will present three shows at Giants Stadium this summer. But fans -- the lucky few who are able to get tickets, anyway -- will be able to see him up close and personal at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on May 7…” [more from NJ.com]