The space that once housed Spy and Discotheque will now hold the Imperial, “a new downtown venue in the Flatiron District.” (Wait, since when does the Flatiron District = downtown?) The owners are veteran promoter/operators, Paul Coleman Drohan and Cornelis Craane, who’ve served time at clubs like Palladium, Danceteria, the Roxy, China Club — you get the idea. They’re doing what many have done before (GalleryBar, most recently) and differentiating themselves from the other bottle-service boîtes via an in-house gallery. Curator Ryan Rish’s first show, featuring our own Claw Money and other street artists, will launch this Friday at a Halloween party presided over by hip-hop pioneer Mele Mel. As for the Imperial (no relation to Le Royale), expect 30-foot ceilings, a back room, two bottle-service areas, two bars, a stage, and giant screens, one of them projecting over a waterfall. We apologize in advance for the next two shots — they were photographed gonzo-street-art style.
The Imperial, 17 W. 19th St.; 212-352-2001
