The Story Behind Pink Elephant

Last week, DBTH shared a rumor that Pink Elephant was being run by the M2 crew and that the Pink team was looking to take their game over to Room Service. But our preverbial itch wasn't scratched. We had to keep digging. So we got down and dirty with a Little Pink Birdy to get the full scoop. As you would expect, its full of hurt feelings, bruised egos and big plans. Let's get to it.

The breakup of the original Pink Elephant team is complete. The place is now being run solely by Rocco Ancarola and Joey Morrisey (M2), and will retain the Pink Elephant name for now. The ownership of the Pink Elephant Brand is very messy, and will require time, lawyers (and their fees), and a lot of deal making to work out. There is a tremendous mess involving many of the LLC's involved (remember the bankruptcy filing in Long Island this summer), so don't expect any resolution anytime soon. In the meantime, Pink Elephant will stay the same, attracting Euro's and their hangers on to 27th Street to dance to house music and giddily jump when they see sparklers in champagne bottles. The club is still pulling in some nice revenue after almost 5 years in the game, and no one who is still involved wants to impact that cash flow.

But what about the rest of the Pink team? Right this way . . .

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La Pomme Opens Tonight

Last weekend was the Boom Boom Room and Abe & Arthur's, this weekend it's La Pomme's turn to welcome customers inside its gilded doors. The former Ultra space officially opens its doors for paying customers this weekend, and promises to offer an abundance of debauchery and live acts all weekend. Sounds like a real hoot! It's going to be a rough go trying to get party people up to Chelsea when all of the action is back in the Meatpacking District, but we wish them luck in the endeavor.

Rumor of the Day: Pink Elephant to Room Service

Here's a fun little rumor that we just heard. According to a Little Birdy, Pink Elephant on 27th Street is no longer the real Pink Elephant, and the owners of Pink Elephant are hoping to take over another venue. Confused? So are we, so we will let our Little Birdy explain. According to our LB, "M2 is operating the space & the Pink owners (David and Bobby) are gone. They went to court this morning in order to get an injunction against the M2 people to have them stop using there name." Not only that, but our LB also tells us that the Pink team are hoping to take over the former Room Service space on 21st Street that is currently hosting Mr. Black on Friday nights. Got all of that? We called Pink Elephant a few minutes ago, finding out that they are still open for business Wednesday through Sunday nights. Who is actually in charge, we don't know.

Get Ready For Limelight Marketplace!

Behold, the renderings for the planned renovation of the former Limelight space on 6th Avenue. Where there once was a church and nightclub, there is now a plan to turn the 163-year-old, landmark building into the Limelight Marketplace that will house 80 different high-end shops and 1 fine dining restaurant. But it may be not so fast for the Limelight Marketplace group because the local Community Board has a long memory of the former church as the oh so wild Limelight and the oh so crappy Avalon. So even though the LM has no plans to apply for a cabaret license, "residents are worried that the mall is 'one big dodge to get a club going there,' said Board 5 Landmarks Chairman Howard Mendes", adding that a "large empty space in the floor plan that would be 'perfect for dancing'. Can you believe it? A space that would be perfect for dancing! The plan may be scrapped because there is a space! Anyway, the developers promise that there is nothing like it in New York, and they may be right. But good luck convincing Howard "Matlock Jr." Mendes, who is still scarred from the bad old days of Peter Gatien and the Club Kids that people still worship for some odd reason. Don't worry Howie - no one cares anymore.

• Church's Third Act - Mini Mall! [NYP]

Mr. West Is Dunzo

Mr. West is closing its doors next month, almost a year to the day since it opened. For those of you who took the under, congratulations. A friend of owners DJ Jus Ske and Danny Devine tells Page 6, they "got an offer they couldn't refuse" from party promoter Patrick Duffy, who plans to open a Japanese restaurant and late-night lounge. We're guessing the offer was somewhere in the range of $47.50, and the over/under on the number of times we will eat in this new Japanese restaurant is being set at 1. Or is that too negative?

Has Roxy Done Itself In?

After DBTH broke the news of the Roxy's attempted comeback yesterday, Steve Lewis colors in the lines, saying that there is already trouble in paradise. The most current efforts to revive the space were led by Neal Erman, but the building's owner would only work with former Roxy frontman Gene Denino (real name). Those two couldn't agree on a deal, so the whole thing may be scrapped. Can anyone save it? Maybe, according to GNML, who says:

Although rumors of another group headed up by international DJ and all around nice guy Victor Calderone, spin right round like a record playing, Gene says he is not talking to them but is looking at another situation. My bet is John Blair who ran the long running gay-based Saturday night party will step up with investors.

Is anyone at BB really editing these pieces? Jesus. Anyway, no one really cares if the Roxy comes back or not. The community doesn't want it, and there is no proof that the consumers want this kind of operation either. But it's fun to watch these trains run themselves right off the tracks.

The Return Of The Roxy

Is the return of the Roxy imminent? According to concerns citizens in the nearby neighborhood, the answer is a resounding yes. Originally a warehouse converted into a roller rink, the Roxy converted itself into a full on nightclub in the mid 1980's, and became a focal point for the beginnings of hip hop in NYC. The Roxy powered into the 90's, hosting John Blair's famously gay Roxy Saturdays, but eventually closed for good in 2007 after the building was sold to residential developers. With development plans stalled, the Roxy attempted a 2008 comeback which was derailed. Now the Roxy is ready to try again, but Chelsea residents are already signaling they will fight this license application to the bitter end. Local business owners are emailing their customers and neighbors to warn them about next month's CB4 licensing hearing, talking up how the neighborhood has changed for the better and the Roxy no longer fits in. This should be a fun one.

Are These Cain's Final Months?

Like a chain of dominos, the once mighty clubs of 27th Street are all beginning to fall. Earlier this week, we broke the news that Home and Guesthouse had closed up shop. This morning comes word that Cain may be the next to go, with a Little Birdy telling DBTH, "spoke to staff at Cain they're all looking for new jobs. in 7 months Cain will supposedly open their new venture somewhere downtown in TriBeCa." If you remember, Cain had previously sought to abandon 27th Street in 2007, hoping to find an out of the way location near their still thriving Goldbar, Greenhouse, and the always popular Santos Party House. After being rebuffed by the local Community Board, they decided to retrench in their original location and redecorate, giving birth to Cain Luxe. But the re-branding isn't going so great, with a Little Birdy singing that management has resorted to "using plastic cups, charging everyone a cover, using a bazillion promoters." Eww. If it is indeed coming to a close, we can certainly salute Cain for their excellent run. Nothing lasts forever, and rather than bash their head into a wall trying to bring back the cool, it is time to simply get out. Hasta la Vista.

Home and Guesthouse Check Out

Another blow for 27th Street, as a Little Birdy tells DBTH that both Home and Guesthouse are now officially closed. Back in 2006 and 2007, Jon B. was flying high with the larger Home and more intimate Guesthouse, but the street became a shit show, and the bottle business and customer base simply vanished. Mr. B has relocated his game to Greenhouse, but these closings will certainly help push him further up the Least Important List. So let's all pour one out for Home and Guesthouse - we ain't gonna miss you.

Matt Shendell Plants an Orchard

Matt Shendell is at it again. The former owner of the not so successful Dip and Honey, and current owner/operator of the more successful The Hill, Axe Lounge at Dune and Garden of Ono will be opening the Orchard, a new restaurant and lounge on West 26th Street in Chelsea. That's kind of northwest from the rest of the places, so we will go with it. According to a LB, the 5500 SF space is still under construction, as is the final menu. But they promise DBTH that they are working on it, with an opening slated for September 2009. Until then . . .

Employee Complaints Dept: Mr. West

We love juicy, unsubstantiated complaints from nightclub employees. Today, a Little Birdy from Mr. West sings us a song about a litany of problems at the relatively new and hardly discussed nightspot, saying:

i work at mr.west, a lot of staff is disgruntled, no one is making money, and there are people talking about mr.west closing down (just thought i should let you know), because management - danny devine is never there, jus ske is spinning all over the city except at Mr.West, its a mess. It is empty every night (wednesdays are decent crowd, but no money), and not to mention, they have been calling staff last minute and cutting shifts, its not fair. last, but not least, they put cheap vodka in their grey goose bottles for promoters. i wasn't going to say something, but its unfair how they are treating me, and the rest of the staff, if the doors are closing, tell us. ahh, sorry, just venting.

No need to apologize - that's what we are here for! Got a complaint? Let us know!

See Ya: Mark Baker Leaves M2

Three months after hatching the M2 plan to salvage the train wreck disaster that was Mansion, Mark Baker has left the building. It seems that the "nightlife hero" couldn't it make it work with low level promoter Joey Morrisey, so he is off to Moscow to produce some large scale events. Baker then plans on lending his superstar skills to one of the Hamptons clubs this summer, and then will team up on a new project with Jon B. and Barry "the Shark" Mullineaux, who are running the notorious stink box that is Greenhouse. So while M2 presses forward, we can all admit that it is one of the loudest and most expensive nightlife failures this city has seen for quite some time. The crowds never turned up, even during its brash opening complete with its original Miami team and before the city's economy really tanked. People were still buying (and selling) bottles, just not at Mansion. The plans to turn the place around with the tired Ministry of Sound and theme nights flopper royally, and Baker has left it in the hands of C/D list promoters to try and salvage whatever is left.  With real estate development all but dead, the value of property in West Chelsea is greatly diminished. This club space is basically worthless until the next turnaround, and there is no telling when that will be. The end. [GNML]