Big Apple Bytes
Learning from New York Nightlife Trends

Plenty of evidence is showing that 2007 will be a special year, including the opening of several new mid-size and huge live music venues (many thought were gone forever); the open air trend, which has been fueling city dweller demand for dining and dancing in lush rooftop settings with extraordinary views; innovative ideas; sexy unique promotions; offbeat neighborhoods as prime targets for glamorous makeovers; and much more.

The Road Less Taken
    Investigating off-the-beaten-track neighborhoods — that can get hot in the blink of an eye by intitial gentrification taking place through nightlife establishments moving in first — historically is a proven formula for any large city on the upswing.
    A classic case is the awesome development of New York’s meatpacking district (MPD). Once a bleak outback for the butcher trade, it now shows no of signs slowing down. With headlines labeling it “Manhattan’s trendiest neighborhood,” it is the new home to some of the city’s most celebrated clubs and restaurants.
    The lesson learned is to look under the radar for potential new growth areas as the key to finding low cost start-up sites with character appeal.
    Club owners, restaurateurs, investors and savvy realtors can learn from the trends of this now fashionable tourist Mecca. Interested readers can track MPD study findings from a statistical analysis of the area, commissioned by my nightlife brokerage for the period between 2000 and 2005, at www.pickenrealestate.com.
 
Historic Ethnic Neighborhoods
    Ethnic neighborhoods hold on to time-honored traditions, but, as families move on, change is inevitable.
    LITA is the best current example. LITA stands for Little Italy, a tiny strand of four or five blocks, just North of the Italian community which attracted generations to its colorful unique stores and Italian cuisine. New LITA stores, restaurants and shops are serving the overflow of Little Italy tourists and wealthy new residents who bought apartments on its borders. Club and restaurant owners have started calling me to check out available new sites, auguring a new trend within the borders of lower Manhattan.

Reinventing Manhattan
    A sure-fire development, bound to happen in other major cities as the word gets out, is installation of newly designed live music venues, once a Big Apple staple. The new live venue facilities are being built on a grander scale than ever before, with modern improvements, lavish dancing space and expansive views from every table.
    The new ultra-size clubs will captivate with all-glass elevators, hi-tech acoustics and lighting systems, three-story high ceilings, multi-tiered dance floors, TV/video and digital computer screens, the latest sounds in live music and/or provided by world acclaimed DJs ratcheting up lively rhythms.

Rooftops
    One trend that keeps going is rooftop dining/dancing and lounging. These dramatic views can be duplicated somewhat in most metropolitan cities. Outdoor spaces revive older buildings and make for memorable moments under the stars. I advise searching for hidden jewels with outdoor potential.

Making Your Bed
    Another trend that has stuck around is the concept of patrons relaxing on beds, but a number of club owners are entertaining thoughts about out-bedding the competition — by creating new lifestyle venues in the NYC metropolitan area and perhaps other cities, including Las Vegas.
    The live grown-up playground entertainment idea is booming, while revenues reportedly are down in all other adult style entertainment mediums, such as DVDs, video, Internet and magazines.
    Perhaps no better sign of this movement exists than the Palms Hotel’s multi-million dollar Playboy Club in Las Vegas.