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Over the past year, New York Nights has offered a unique perspective on the issues that affect the culture and business of nightlife. I’m looking forward to offering you more insight and information in 2009 but if you’ve missed any of our weekly features, don’t worry. I’ve provided links to all of them below.
Let me know what you think; what you want to know more about, where you think nightlife is going in the New Year and what you enjoy about NYN. Thank you for all your support and have a great year.
The New York Nights Weekly Recap for March 28, 2008
The New York Nights Weekly Recap for April 4, 2008
The New York Nights Poll: How has the Smoking Ban Affected You?
The New York Nights Weekly Recap for April 11, 2008
The New York Nights Weekly Recap for April 18, 2008
Last Call: A New York Nights Special Report for April 25, 2008
The NYN Weekly Recap for May 2, 2008
The NYN Weekly Recap for May 9, 2008
The New York Nights Insider for May 23, 2008
The New York Nights Insider for May 30, 2008
The New York Nights Insider for June 6, 2008
The New York Nights Insider for June 13, 2008
The New York Nights Insider for June 20, 2008
New York Nights Insider: The Pride Issue
The New York Nights Insider: The Independence Issue
The New York Nights Insider: The Alternative Venue Issue
New York Nights Insider: The Turning Point Issue
New York Nights Insider: The Mid Summer Issue
New York Nights Insider: The Liquor and Sex Issue
NYN Insider: The Down Market Issue
New York Nights Insider: The Image Issue
The NYN Insider: The Common Sense Issue
The New York Nights Insider: The Outside Influence Issue
New York Nights Insider: The End of Summer Issue
NYN Insider: The Down Side Issue \
NYN Insider: The Economy Issue
NYN Insider: The Sub Culture Issue
NYN Insider: The Controversy Issue
NYN Insider: The Woman’ Issue
NYN Insider: The Food and Wine Issue
NYN Insider: The Future Issue
NYN Insider: The Experience Issue (with Election Update!)
NYN Insider: The Crime Issue
NYN Insider: The Election Holiday Issue
NYN Insider: The Music and Fashion Issue
NYN Insider: The Culture Issue
NYN Insider: The Perception Issue
Have funGamal
By Gamal Hennessy
In the outer boroughs, there are clubs that are different than the lounges or nightclubs you might be used to. These are clubs frequented by immigrant laborers and staffed by women who are paid, per dance, to dance with the patrons. A new report and federal lawsuit claims that these women are abused on several levels. Is the situation different in mainstream clubs, or is the situation just a difference of degrees?
A report in last week’s Associated Press explained that dollar dance clubs exist in various Latin American neighborhoods around the city. While it is not a strip club, women are paid to dance with men. Men pay $2 for a single dance or $40 for an hour of company. Prostitution is not supposed to be part of the job, but workers frequently have to be protected by security from over aggressive patrons who want more than just a dance and within their communities these women are often viewed as prostitutes.
A recent crime has pushed these clubs into the spotlight. In December of 2007, a 24 year old dancer named Adriana Valderrama was shot and killed near the Tulcingo Café in Queens. The ensuing investigation revealed allegations of sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions inside dollar dance clubs.
The perceptions and allegations surrounding dollar dance clubs are not limited to the outer boroughs. High profile spots like The Box are also currently facing allegations of sexual abuse and trading female attention for money is a common practice in modern clubs. They call it dollar dancing. We call it bottle service. One practice is explicit, the other is only implied. The prices might be different, but the end result is the same. People (men and women) come to the conclusion that sexually charged social interaction can be purchased.
This is not criticism of sexuality in nightlife, or a condemnation of buying a woman a drink. It is a critique against the concept of buying company. It is easier to buy a dollar dance than to actually approach a woman. It is a display of social value to buy a bottle for female attention, even if the tactic lacks subtlety. But the closer the connection we have between money and sex, the more nightlife will be perceived in a negative light. There has been a link between money and sex since money was invented, but managing that perception is crucial to the image of the city’s clubs.
Have fun.
Gamal
Source: Christian Salazar: Associated Press
By Gamal Hennessy
The future looks uncertain for the downtown cabaret known as The Box. Once seen as a symbol of a new era in nightlife, it quickly became known for celebrity bottle service and risqué burlesque shows. Now it is under attack from local residents and its own staff. Will it weather the current storm? Do we want it to?
Originally conceived as dinner theater and not a club, The Box opened in offering high priced sexually charged performances like “Twincest” from the Porcelain Twinz and other members of the Hammerstein Beauties. It quickly became a magnet for celebrities and celebrity watchers.
But less than two years after its opening, the club (or if you prefer dinner theater) is under siege. From the outside, community board 3 has made threats against its liquor license, claiming that the traffic problems and noise that the Box generates make it undesirable. From the inside, there are threats of a lawsuit from the Twinz who claim the Box has “…unsafe working conditions, prostitutes on staff, in house drug dealing, open drug use throughout the club, and coerced sex with management as a condition of continued employment…”
The owners of the Box have issued a public defense of what they describe as their creative practices, and they are working with the community board to resolve the outstanding issues before their application goes back before the board in October. While a member of the board has stated that the possible employment suit is brought to the attention of the State Liquor Authority, it is not brought before the board in relation to the license.
Is the Box a victim of disgruntled workers and anti-social residents? Or is it an abusive pit of sex and drugs? Or is it both? The problem with cases like the Box is that the truth is often at the mercy of personal perception and it might be impossible to find out. New York Nights is an advocate of the nightlife industry, but we only support venues that add to the quality of nightlife in the city. Clubs that leave our nightlife open to public attack need to close. Anti-nightlife advocates create their own reasons for wanting clubs closed. We don’t have to help them by playing into their stereotypes.
Have fun.
Gamal
Source: Allen Salkin: New York Times
Give us your opinion on what’s going on. Use the comments space below to tell people what you think.
By Gamal Hennessy
In spite of the fact that condoms have been around since 1350 B.C. not everyone trusts them. In spite of the fact that condoms are the most successful method of preventing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted disease not everyone thinks they are worth the trouble. In spite of the fact that condoms can be purchased in every Duane Reade, bodega and pharmacy from South Ferry to Yonkers, some people don’t have any. If they work and they are easy to get, what reason can someone have for not using them? Understanding the thought process might help you recognize these people when you go out so you have a chance to avoid them.
The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene randomly sampled 10,000 adults New Yorkers about their sexual history. According to their study, 1 in 4 New Yorkers do not use condoms as part of their sexual practice. Yvonne Fulbright, a columnist for Fox News has put together a list of reasons some of these people for their choice.
· “Condoms dull the sensation of sexual intercourse.”
· “Other people get STD’s, not me.”
· “I’m usually drunk or high when I have sex, so I don’t remember to use a condom.”
· “I’m on the pill, so I don’t need a condom.”
· “She was ready to go, we didn’t have one and I didn’t want to kill the mood going to the store.”
· “I wanted to, but my partner didn’t and I didn’t want to disappoint them.”
· “I was in love and people in love don’t use condoms.”
· “I wanted him to get me pregnant so he would stay.”
· “I feel guilty about carrying one around.”
Sex is an integral part of nightlife. It is often sublimated in almost every aspect of the experience. That means that STD’s are a potential problem for all of us. During the AIDS outbreak, nightlife and the arts were the hardest hit communities. Consider this, if you go out this weekend and get 8 phone numbers (because you’re so damn sexy), 2 of those people don’t use condoms or have had sex with someone who doesn’t use condoms if the Department of Health is accurate. HIV cases are on the rise again in certain segments of the population. Herpes cases are also on the rise. If you go out at night and sex is part of the equation, then that risk is also part of the equation. Most of that risk goes away when the condom comes out.
Some people might decide that sex without a condom is more desirable than life itself. Despite what we might think, people have a right to make that choice, even if their reasons for that choice lack reason, judgment and common sense. What they can’t do is make that choice for you. If you think sex with a condom (which is pretty hot by the way) is a small price to pay for living, don’t let someone else take your choice away. Guys and girls can walk around with condoms. You can speak up for yourself when clothes are flying off. And although it might be annoying, painful and mess up an entire night you can walk away from someone who doesn’t want to use one. You might be walking away from more painful consequences.
Have fun.
Gamal
By Gamal Hennessy
News wires, newspapers and blogs all over the world ran last week’s story of Ingrid Rivera’s murder at the hands of a bar back. The combination of celebrity association (Lil’ Kim wasn’t involved), sex (reports say there wasn’t any) and violence makes this story titillating and easy to add to the universal gossip mill of the internet. It is also very easy to use this incident as an example of the threat nightlife poses to society at large. What might be lost in the overall discussion is that while Ingrid Rivera’s murder was tragic, death inside a New York nightclub or bar is very rare.
The consensus among media outlets is that Syed Rahman, an employee of Spotlight Live, lured Ms. Rivera to the roof of the club during a birthday party for rapper Lil’ Kim. He tried to make sexual advances towards her that she rejected. At that point, Syed attacked her, killing her with a blow to the head. Her body was found two days later in a utility shed on the roof. Syed was arrested that same day and reportedly confessed to the crime.
An associated story detailed the deaths associated with New York nightlife over the past 20 years. While there were little over 100 people killed between 1988 and this point in 2008, there are three things that are worth noting. First, an unusual number of incidents involve club security or other worker inside the club. Second of the 100 people killed, 87 of them died in the Happy Land fire of 1990, which means the other 13-25 deaths accounted for all the murders that took place in more than 1,000 local nightlife establishments. Finally, there is an estimated 65,000,000 entries into New York bars, lounges and nightclubs every year in New York, which means while there have literally been millions of people in New York nightlife almost every one of them makes it back home.
We are not saying that Ms. Rivera’s death or any of the deaths associated with nightlife are an acceptable part of the industry. We are not saying that initiatives like the recent nightlife security plan are not necessary. What we are saying is that while murder in nightclubs is abhorrent, it is also very rare. We don’t want opponents of our nightlife to use this crime as ammunition to close clubs down.
Have fun.
Gamal
Money and status are obvious assets when it comes to dating in New York nightlife. The prominent titles have changed over the years, but the basic concept has remained constant. Doctors and lawyers always have a certain degree of cache. Internet executives got a lot of play before their bubble burst in the mid 90’s. Investment bankers had the expense accounts to order bottle service and even buy out certain venues for the past several years. But now that the economy is faltering, can people in these industries have a successful dating life? And what does that mean to the rest of us who didn’t have Wall Street hustle? Can dating get better as the stock market collapses?
The answer might seem obvious on the surface, but the deeper answer depends on if your potential dating pool looks for money or time. If people are looking to date someone who has money or status, then a bad economy will have a negative effect on dating. If last week you were a I banker for Bear Sterns and this week you’re living with your mom, your dating potential has decreased drastically. However, successful financial types are very similar to other successful professionals. The higher up you go, the more time you devote to your job and the less time you devote to your social life. Even going to the club and buying bottle service becomes an exercise in work. Clients, associates and potential vendors take up more time than actual dating. As more financial types find themselves with more free time, they might be able to spend more time actually meeting people outside your industry.
Of course, depending on the type of person you’re looking for and where you spend your time looking, the loss of a high profile job could cripple your dating life. Men and ladies who need you to buy a bottle before they say hello aren’t going to suddenly gush over your sudden increase of free time. They are going to go after the people who have what they are looking for. And with everyone suing each other in a down market, things look good for lawyers…
Now what if you didn’t have a Wall Street job to begin with? How will the down market affect your dating potential? Well, a bad economy is only bad for your bed room if money was your main tool of attraction. If you rely on looks, charm, artistic talent, or a combination of seductive tools, then your opportunities can rise in a down market. Speaking purely on competitive terms, if the influence of the finance types goes down, the influence of the rest of us goes up. Of course, you have to look outside of the VIP area, but there is opportunity in chaotic times….
Source: John Carney: Deal Breaker
And if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
By Gamal Hennessy
HIV rates are rising among some groups that make up the nightlife population. To deal with this situation, some groups are advocating a greater ability to reach these people with education and testing. Others are pushing for more condoms made available in the nightlife environment. These efforts are commendable, but they might prove futile if at risk groups are not willing to protect themselves. There is evidence that some people are going beyond hiding sexual details from their partners. They are hiding information from their doctors too.
Data from a recent survey from the Centers for Disease Control National HIV Behavioral Survey shows that 39% of men in New York City do not disclose their sexual practices to their doctors. In addition, the study shows that doctors are also reluctant to inquire about a patients sexual practices. The men who didn’t talk to their doctors were less likely to be tested for HIV, and less likely to get information from their doctors about the disease. While the study focused on men who have sex with other men, the majority of these men did not identify themselves as gay and did not limit their sexual partners to just men. Experts point to the continued stigma surrounding coming out as a leading cause of the silence between patients and doctors about sexual activity.
Between the schizophrenic attidutes that pervade sexuality in American in general and the continuing stigma associated with homosexuality in particular, it isn’t suprising that some are reluctant to discuss or even acknowledge their sexuality, even to the people who are supposed to protect them. While the lack to communication between patients and doctors places everyone at risk, it is probably unrealistic to think this situation will change. If 1 in 3 at risk men in the nightlife environment can’t or won’t protect themselves, and they are having sex with men and women we all need protection. More condom use will protect you from the people who won’t protect themselves.
Source: New York City Health Department: E-Max HealthAnd if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
Sexually transmitted disease is on the rise in New York City. Condom use is down. Certain clubs are being targeted for promoting sexual acts on their premises. Advocates fear that a new round of suppression, fines and ostracizing will push these clubs underground and increase the spread of AIDS. One group has developed a proposal that would help local health departments and nightlife venues work together to protect the public.
The proposal advocates changes in the state health code to allow for sex with a condom in sex clubs and bathhouses. It is currently illegal to have any type of sex in these establishments with or without a condom. (See Nightlife News for April 29th ‘Cracking Down on Gay Sex Clubs”) The change was advocated by the Commercial Sex Venues Coalition and adopted by the New York City's Prevention Planning Group the group that advises the city on HIV prevention initiatives. Both groups want to use the sex venues as centers for safe sex education and HIV testing. They feel that before they can take that step, some form of protected sex has to be exempted from the public health and sanitary laws.
If the goal is increasing condom use and decreasing the spread of STD’s in clubs then this proposal makes sense. NYN suggested last month that gay and straight clubs provide and promote the use of condoms. But this opens up several questions for club owners, managers, security and patrons. Are clubs going to be liable for the possible consequences of sex in their establishments (unwanted pregnancies, rape, STD’s) if they offer condoms? Do managers have to provide separate areas for sex? Does security have to monitor activity in the club to determine if condoms are being used? Will patrons have to watch their step or trip over someone or several someone’s who can’t wait until they get home? It might make more sense for the clubs to offer the condoms but not the permission to have sex inside. That way, we have easier access to the condoms without having to slip in someone’s over enthusiasm when we’re trying to dance…
By the way, I didn’t know there was a Commercial Sex Venues Coalition, but it sounds like an interesting job….
Source: Duncan Osborne Gay City News
And if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
Restraining orders are not available to any partner who was harassed, abused, beaten or threatened. In order to get one, you have to go to the police, have the guy (the abusers are usually guys) arrested and then get the prosecutor to help you, unless you were married. Most people aren’t willing to go through all that. Now Governor Paterson has agreed to expand the law to cover a wider range of relationships, including people who are dating.
A Brooklyn politician named Helene Weinstein has been pushing for a change in the law since 1988, but this is the first year that there was support from the state senate and the governor’s office. The new law will allow anyone in an “intimate relationship” to get a restraining order in civil court instead of going to criminal court. The relationship could be straight or gay and doesn’t have to include sex at all. The intimate relationship could even be created on the first date if that’s when the stalking starts.
With so many current relationships falling outside the traditional marriage structure, it makes sense that the law evolves to match the society it’s supposed to protect. Even though restraining orders can’t keep someone safe, it’s a step in the right direction and extending that to everyone who could be abused is another positive step. An expanded law can itself be abused by manipulative dates, but a lot of us have seen people at clubs abusing their partners. Maybe a few of them will be able to drink in peace once the law is past. And if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
Yvonne Fulbright: Fox News
The first week of June is pivotal in the New York summer season. The weather is consistently hot, everyone is out of school and the city is primed for its annual nightlife rituals. Drinking on rooftop bars, going to outdoor concerts and weekends in the Hamptons are staples of New York summer.
Summer sex is another less publicized, but no less important feature of summer nightlife. The change in seasons prompts a change in behavior on a variety of different levels.
There are several factors that increase the frequency and variety of summer sex. On a biological level, increased sunlight raises levels of MSH hormone and melatonin. On a visual level, more skin is revealed in public and that skin tends to be more tanned and attractive. On a social level, more people are focused on relaxation and pleasure as opposed to school and work. On a functional level, it is simply more comfortable to engage in sex when everyone is wearing less clothing. The combination of all these factors creates an atmosphere conducive to fun in the sun.
While we agree that summer weather promotes sexual activity, it’s clear that the exposed skin, raised hormones and focus on pleasure are a part of New York nightlife in every season. It’s also clear that higher levels of sex in an already sexual environment (supported by large amount of alcohol) can lead to al fresco sexual experiences. Couples are hiding in secluded shadows inside and outside club more often common than might think. If you find yourself in these circumstances…congratulations. We have two pieces of advice for you. Pay attention to the rules of public sex, and for God’s sake remember to bring a condom.
Opinion
The Evolution of Gay Sex Clubs(Steve Weinstein Village Voice)
This year’s New York Pride Week marks a turning point in the relationship between heterosexual and homosexual culture in America. California has recently started issuing same sex marriage licenses and the political climate might be right for other states to follow suit.
This year could also see a change in the relationship between homosexuals and nightlife. As the social system changes, staples of gay culture begin to fade away. Gay sex clubs might be one of those staples. It is not necessarily government persecution or disease that’s fueling this trend. A certain segment of the gay community doesn’t seem to want those kinds of parties anymore. The argument is that because coming out doesn’t automatically lead to social isolation anymore, gays and lesbians are less likely to seek release in public sex venues and are therefore less likely to seek out gay sex parties.
While there might be some merit to this argument, there is evidence that the city is helping the trend along by exerting pressure on local gay sex clubs (See Nightlife News Health 4/29/08: “City Cracks Whip on Gay Sex Clubs”) and HIV is still a major concern (See Nightlife News Health 1/8/08: “HIV Cases on the Rise”). Maybe it’s the combination of all three factors, plus the rise of the internet as a source of sexual contact, that are killing off the gay sex parties. This combination could lead to lower HIV rates and further social acceptance between straight and gay communities. It could also be another sign of the homogenization of nightlife in New York, where more and more things are the same and the unique flavor of the city is harder to find.
And if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
Health
Herpes Cases on the Rise in NYC(Dan Mangan: New York Post)
Fortunately one of the underlying motivations in nightlife is sex. From the music to the clothing to the liquor, sexual overtones range from subtle to blatant. Unfortunately this atmosphere might contribute to a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) in the city. One study has determined that herpes is more widespread in the city that in other parts of the country.
The 2004 report from the city’s Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 1 in 4 New York adults, or 26%, carry the herpes simplex 2 virus. Since only 15% of the carriers will develop visible symptoms, most of the people who have it don’t know it and are more likely to pass it onto others.
This does not mean that New Yorkers are having too much sex. But it is worth mentioning that getting herpes makes you more vulnerable to HIV. HIV cases are also on the rise in New York among certain demographic groups, which correlates to the city’s findings on herpes. The solution is simple; better sex through condom use. Condoms protect against herpes, HIV and other STD’s so using them will help curtail the spread of both viruses. There might not be such a thing as too much sex, but there might be such a thing as too much unprotected sex.
Unfortunately, condom use is down in New York, especially among at risk groups. Is access the answer? In some schools, condoms are already available and it has arguably helped. Is it time for condoms to become available in bars and clubs, close to the mints and cologne that the bathroom attendant hovers over or sitting at the end of the bar with the club logo on it? Some might claim that condoms in clubs might encourage people to have sex in clubs, but this is ignoring the reality of clubs. Condoms in clubs won’t encourage people have sex. Dark lighting, pounding music, strong drinks and a room full of barely dressed people who want to have sex encourage people to have sex. And club security already clamps down on dancing that gets too dirty, so it’s not as if condoms are going to suddenly remind people about sex. The only thing that condoms can do in clubs (if they get used) is to make the whole process safer for everyone involved. And if you want to find out more about what's going on in New York nightlife, sign up for NYN Insider. It's free.
Nightlife News for February 19th 2008
By Gamal Hennessy
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