Recession or not, this summer saw the opening of some highly anticipated venues—High Line Park, DBGB Kitchen & Bar, and Brooklyn Bowl, to name a few—and the fall looks to be just as crowded with new spaces. Amid the spots opening in the next few months are some noteworthy newcomers for entertaining and events. Here's a list of some of the biggies.
1. Standard New York
The rooms, restaurant, and third-floor event spaces at the Standard are all open, but André Balazs has yet to debut the 18th and 19th floors of his meatpacking district property. Expected to open this fall are a pool, rooftop lounge, and bar, which will sport the same glossy black interiors as the rest of the hotel.
2. Le Caprice
Inside the swanky—and recently updated—Pierre hotel, will be the first American outpost of Le Caprice, a restaurant owned by the group behind Le Caprice and the Ivy in London. Slated for an October opening, this lobby-level eatery will have 76 seats in the dining room and an additional 14 seats at the bar.
3. Maialino
Originally home to the short-lived Wakiya, the Gramercy Park Hotel will have a new restaurant by November. Maialino will be the latest addition to Danny Meyer's collection of eateries, with an interior designed by David Rockwell and menu crafted by chef Nick Anderer. On the first floor of the hotel, the Roman-style trattoria will have a bar in the front, a dining room looking onto Gramercy Park, and a 20-seat private room.
4. A Voce Columbus
The spin-off of the Flatiron district's Italian eatery opens this month inside the Time Warner Center. Taking over the Café Gray spot, A Voce Columbus will seat 226 in a 9,000-square-foot space overlooking Central Park. For private events there's a 66-seat room that can be divided into two smaller areas.
5. SD26
San Domenico, which once looked out onto Central Park, is reopening in mid-September with a new location, a new name, and a new look. SD26, run by Marisa May, will have a more modern interior than its predecessor and 325 seats. Dinners and lunches will be able to take place in the 60-seat private room or the in the intimate wine cellar.
4. Clocktower at One Hanson
Inside the historic Willamsburg Savings Bank in Brooklyn, the Clocktower at One Hanson is likely to be a popular place for big galas as well as social functions for guests willing to cross the Manhattan Bridge. In addition to the grand ground-floor section, the building's new owners (who also run Skylight and Skyline Studios) will open up the lower level's vault—complete with old steel doors—for events. The entire venue will hold 1,000 for receptions.
5. Stage 37
With a location near the Javits Center, this blank-slate spot from Studio Instrument Rentals is as flexible as the neighboring Skyline Studios and Exit Art spaces. Measuring 14,000 square feet, the site is slated to open in October with room for 500 guests and the ability to accommodate performances, fashion shows, and other events that require build-out.
6. Museum of Chinese in America
The new Maya Lin-designed home for the Museum of Chinese in America will hold its official opening on September 22. The 14,000-square-foot space in Little Italy will contain galleries, a two-story interior courtyard, and a multipurpose screening room—all available for events.
7. Empire Room
Mark Grossich's Hospitality Holdings—which runs the Campbell Apartment, Madison & Vine, and World Bar—is looking to open the Empire Room in late October or early November. In the plans for the bar and lounge on the ground floor of the Empire State Building are an Art Deco-style interior, an upscale selection of cocktails, and 3,500 square feet of space.
8. Knitting Factory
The popular concert venue has moved from TriBeCa to Brooklyn and will open in Williamsburg September 9. The renovated digs—in the former Luna Lounge space—will offer a 400-square-foot stage, two full bars, and the type of lighting, sound, and audiovisual equipment necessary for live musical performances.
9. Momofuku Midtown
This French-Vietnamese restaurant inside the Chambers Hotel will expand David Chang's empire of Asian eateries from downtown to uptown. Set to open in late fall, Chang's latest will take over the spot recently vacated by Geoffrey Zakarian's Town. Thomas Schlesser, who designed DBGB and Bar Boulud, is working on the interiors, and chef Tien Ho is overseeing the menu.
10. Abe & Arthur's
The EMM Group—founded by Eugene Remm, Mark Birnbaum, and Michael Hirtenstein—currently runs Tenjune and by mid-September will have a second spot in the meatpacking district. The 10,000-square-foot space that was once Lotus will have a restaurant called Abe & Arthur's on one floor and a club known as Simyone Lounge on another.
For more comprehensive information on restaurants, bars, hotels, and other spaces, check out our New Venues page.
