New York Nightlife: Retroclubnyc

by Michael Barbieri
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My husband and I are both in our 50’s, and now tend to be homebodies.  In the time we’ve been together, New York’s nightlife scene has changed tremendously, and seems to be geared towards the millennial crowd.  Long lines, expensive cover charges, bottle service, and generic house music - what I refer to as “thump-thump” - are just not terribly appealing to us.

For quite some time, we’ve longed for a bar or club that targets our generation; a place where we could go and simply grab a cocktail at the bar, while listening to familiar music, and not feeling out of place in a sea of 20-somethings who are more interested in their smartphones than in the company of their friends.

Retroclubnyc fits the bill perfectly.

Retroclub is a bar and dance club, aimed mostly at the 35-and-older crowd. Of course everyone is welcome, but anyone expecting to hear the latest techno, EDM, or rap hits, may be a little let down.  Instead, the music remains rooted firmly in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.  Disco, New Wave, and classic 90’s R&B will be on the playlist here!

Located at 161 W. 23rd St, Retroclubnyc appears, from the outside, to be a small space, but at about 2500 square feet, it actually extends deep into the block.  As you enter, there is a lounge area to the left, with 7 or 8 cozy tables and cushy banquettes.  Table service and bottle service are both available, and tables can be reserved.  Farther in, there is a 40 foot bar, with plenty of room to sit and order cocktails.  Repurposed crystal decanters hang as lamps over the bar, providing a pleasantly soft light.  Opposite the bar, there is a bar rail with more high stools, a nice little booth, perfect for a small groups, and a banquette seating area towards the rear.  Finally, all the way at the back is a nice-sized dance floor with state-of-the-art intelligent lighting and a cluster of three large mirror balls, to enhance the dancers’ experience.  More banquettes surround the dance floor, along with low tables and comfy ottomans for additional seating.  Along the far wall, there is a raised platform which could be used for live performances at some point in the future.  

I had been there once, during the day, before operating hours.  I met with Jeff, the owner, and he showed me around.  He gave me a tour of the space, which has been in development for about a year.  At the moment, the club is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, beginning at 9 pm, although they plan, eventually, to be open 6 nights a week.  They also have Happy Hour events, and there are plans for a VIP room downstairs, where private events or parties can be booked in the near future.

Seeing the empty space during the day was one thing, but in order to write this article, I really wanted to experience the club with a crowd.  With people, music, lighting, and cocktails!  So on a recent Saturday night, my husband and I headed over to Retroclubnyc .  We arrived about 9:15, and were among the first few people there, but I got a chance to say hello to the owner, meet his wife, Gayle, and introduced them to my husband, Vincent.  After our friendly chat, Vincent and I grabbed a couple of spots at the bar and checked out the drink menu.

Apart from the usual red, white and rose wines, and both draft and bottled beers, the menu has several categories: Classic Cocktails like Martinis, Side Cars, Gimlets, and Negronis, Retro Shots like Kamikazes, B-52’s, and Jager Bombs, and Signature Cocktails like the classic Retro-Tini, and their take on a Cosmo, called a Dance-a-politan.  Vincent and I, however, were drawn to the Retro Throwback Cocktails, which included Red Devils, Sloe Gin Fizzes, Alabama Slammers, and Harvey Wallbangers.  Vincent chose a Woo-Woo - a simple, sweet mix of vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice.  He tends to go for sweeter drinks and he enjoyed it, saying it tasted like alcoholic Kool-Aid.  I ordered a Tequila Sunrise; my first ever!  A classic mix of tequila, orange juice, and grenadine, it was less sweet, but no less potent!  

There was also a small selection of bar food, including Crab Cakes, Shrimp Cocktail, and the Cured Meat & Cheese Board with Fresh Bread, but we didn’t have a chance to sample the fare.  Maybe next time!

As we sat at the bar, and chatted more with the owner’s wife, the place began to fill up very quickly.  I noticed a bachelorette party group come in and make their way to the back.  There were also assorted, friendly people; people of different generations, but mostly folks in their 30’s, 40’s 50’s and beyond!  A lovely lady, probably in her late 60’s, dressed to impress and having a great time, stopped Vincent at one point, excitedly exclaiming “This is CRAZY!”  The music selection really began to take off: we heard Cheryl Lynn’s classic “To Be Real’” a disco re-mix of the “I Love New York” theme, and one of my favorites, Lipps Inc’s “Funkytown!”  I made my way to the dance floor, where there was already a good crowd, dancing to Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff,” Earth Wind & Fire’s “Serpentine Fire,” Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” and Vicki Sue Robinson’s “Turn The Beat Around!”  This was great music, and I would’ve felt completely comfortable dancing here with Vincent.  We also spotted one of the servers providing bottle service to the bachelorettes, complete with a glowing bucket of ice, and a huge sparkler to mark the occasion.  We were actually having so much fun, we ordered a second round of drinks - a real rarity for us!  As we left the club and made our way home, we remarked on how much we had enjoyed ourselves, and began listing all of our friends that we thought would love it too.

The owner told me that the entire community has been supportive of his development of the club, and he hopes to have a diverse, inclusive crowd; it won’t be a gay bar, per se, it’ll be an “everyone bar,” and that’s great, because my circle of friends includes gay and straight, younger and older, male, female, and trans, and I think they’d all have a good time at Retroclub.  I know I’ll be back!

For more information, go to www.retroclubnyc.com