Down By The Hipsterhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/en-US2008-12-04T19:22:48ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Robot Strippers Will Not Revolutionize Strip Clubhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/4/robot-strippers-will-not-revolutionize-strip-club.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-04T18:18:11ZGentleman's Club Lonnie Hanover Rick's CabaretCurrently on display at the MuTate Exhibition in London are robot pole dancers, one of the strangest, least productive uses of robot technology ever invented. Memo to Lonnie Hanover, please tell your employees at Rick's Cabaret that their jobs are safe - at least from robots. [Via BBC]

]]>Little Branch Has a Second Branchhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/4/little-branch-has-a-second-branch.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-04T13:30:51ZWest Village Sasha Petraske Little BranchFrom the desk of the Daddy, a little surprise from the depths of Little Branch, Sasha Petraske's below ground cocktail den in the heart of the West Village. According to UD, the Branch has forever been running a secret private bar while packed-in patrons struggle to find a comfy space to sip their $15 cocktails. To get access, "duck past the curtain and up the stairs (back to ground level) for a secret floor that's managed to stay under the radar for the more than three years LB has been open." Oops. The room is perfect for small groups looking to keep it chill and don't mind dropping $400 an hour for their own private bartender. Seems worth it to us. Happy branching. 

]]>AfterNewshttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/3/afternews.htmlRoundup!2008-12-03T21:20:52ZAfternews
  • A new inn on the block [NYM]
  • LQ runs dry [GoaG]
  • Macao goes exclusive [Eater]
  • At least the europeans are still partying [Cityfile]
    • ]]>    The End of the Elephanthttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/3/the-end-of-the-elephant.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-03T20:27:35ZPink ElephantAfter the double dip of staff departures, a former Pink Elephant insider who recently abandoned the club after being involved over the past 4 years to tell us what's up. To sum it up - shit show. According to the Pink Birdy,

    Place is a mess. Struggling to survive really. Everyone who made the venue a success over the last 4 years has left from promoters to staff to partners. Nosediving right into 2009

    This mass exodus shouldn't stop you from giving your favorite promoters at least $225 to buy a New Years ticket - it may be the final fiesta at the Pink.

    ]]>    Pink Elephant Exodus Continueshttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/3/pink-elephant-exodus-continues.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-03T16:56:28Z27th Street New York City Nightlife Pink ElephantIs it over for Pink Elephant? After Shawn Kolodny announced his departure late last night, DBTH has just received word that Pink's Director of Events Timonthy Fried has also left the company, saying:

    I wanted to take the time to let everyone know that I will no longer continue working with Pink Elephant or any affiliated properties as the Director of Events.

    That's two key players in one day, leading us to believe that it's curtain for Pink Elephant. The club, which just celebrated it's fourth anniversary, appears to be on death's doorstep. Will 27th ever be the same? Of course. But it's still sad.

    ]]>    On the Circuit: Fishing on the Upper East Sidehttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/3/on-the-circuit-fishing-on-the-upper-east-side.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-03T15:32:27ZNew York City Restaurants On the Circuit Fishtail David Burke Upper East Side

    Photo courtesy of Eater

    Last night, DBTH ventured way uptown to check out Fish Tail, David Burke's new sustainable fish focused restaurant on East 62nd. The reason? The invite promised free food and drinks, and in this economy, that sounded like a pretty good deal. The place was jammed to the gills (get it?) on our arrival and stayed that way throughout, with Upper East Siders literally jumping out of their seats at the first sight of a waiter with any morsel of food on their tray. At one point, we saw a woman in a fur coat (one of many) grabbing garbage from a bus boy, confusing a napkin for a scallop. Stay classy, y'all. Just when we were ready to give up and head back downtown to normalville, we managed to snag a space at the raw bar and were treated to a cornicopia of oysters and sashimi that made the whole night worthwhile. Thankfully. We departed soon after and walked into a crowd of about 30 uptowners who were standing in the cold, hoping to be let in. David Burke certainly draws a crowd.

    ]]>    Pink Elephant Shakeup: Shawn Kolodny Heads Southhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/3/pink-elephant-shakeup-shawn-kolodny-heads-south.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-03T13:09:59ZKiss and Fly Pink Elephant Shawn KolodnyIn a major nightclub shakeup, Shawn Kolodny has ankled his post as Marketing Director at Pink Elephant and taken a position with the Kiss and Fly operation. Kolodny sent a message to his contacts via Facebook, saying

    I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving Pink Elephant.

    It is with great sadness that I have to leave Pink Elephant, a company I founded and built into a international nightlife brand over the past 4 years. Therefore, it is with great excitement that I am joining the Kiss and Fly, Bagatelle, and RDV family. I look forward to seeing you at my new home. Please let me know if you want to come to the club, restaurant or the lounge. I can help you with any of your needs, whether it is for a table reservation, a special event, or our new private dining. My new email address is Shawn@kissandflyclub.com and my phone number has stayed the same, 917 208 2072. I look forward to sharing all three venues with you!

    Does this spell additional trouble for Pink Elephant, a club which had its sights set on international expansion but not appears to be facing upheaval on the home front, first with a bankruptcy filing and now losing a key team member. This hire seems to also cement Kiss and Fly's position in the scene, where is has quietly enjoyed an outstanding run in an area that most considered way past its prime. It's going to be a wild 2009.

    ]]>    Death and Co. Yolks it Up For Fallhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/2/death-and-co-yolks-it-up-for-fall.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-02T17:45:59ZCocktails Death and Co East VillageDeath and Company has released its fall cocktail menu [PDF], and is featuring a full section of Flips. If you have $13 burning a hole in your pocket and a desire to drink a frothy, egg based cocktail, head on over to East 6th Street. [GS]

    ]]>    Flyer Follies: The Return of Britneyhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/2/flyer-follies-the-return-of-britney.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-02T16:41:39ZMeatpacking District Tenjune Flyer Follies

    It's Britney's bday, and to celebrate that and the release of her new album, she will be throwing down at Tenjune. How fab! How 2006!

    ]]>    Ecco Shows Greenhouse Greenhttp://www.downbythehipster.com/blog/2008/12/2/ecco-shows-greenhouse-green.htmlDown By The Hipster2008-12-02T14:00:26ZDBTH West Coast Greenhouse Los Angeles Nightlife EccoFrom DBTH West Coast comes Ecco, a new and totally green nightclub in the heart of Hollywood. Owned by Danny B, David Stratton, Sean Muniz and Matthew Portnoff, Ecco ain't just buying wind credits. Instead, the club's power will be supplied by the LA Department of Water & Power’s Green Power resources. How green! And a Little Birdy tells us that this place is going to be big, saying they are having "huge opening night party this Wednesday and it sounds like the real deal (although based on the pics, the design isnt as baller). The whole launch of the show apparently will be documented in a Discovery Channel show hosted by Adrian Grenier. Greenhouse did it first, but Ecco gets to be closer to the celebs, aka all the press you could possibly want." It seems that the celebs will flock to anything green, it just may be Ecco, and not Greenhouse.

    ]]>