Skipping the velvet rope at the city’s most exclusive clubs isn’t getting easier, but New Yorkers are getting savvier.
A 30-year-old from the city center has gone so far as to create a Google document with the names of the various doormen she has befriended at popular places like Blond.
“My friends and I like to hop from place to place when we go out on the town, but despise wasting time in long lines,” said the night owl, who asked to remain anonymous not to jeopardize his social life. “Most of the time it’s about having a personal relationship with the doorman.”
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Jordan Helms has racked up more than 28,000 followers on TikTok by sharing tips for getting into hotspots. “How you dress matters,” Helms said. “Have style. Don’t wear denim, don’t wear sneakers. His other key suggestions include going out in small groups and being “confident and assertive” at the door.
But the best advice for getting in comes straight from the source. We spoke to some of the best doormen and women in town about how to get in and have a great time at their premises.
temple bar
332 Lafayette Street; No Phone, TempleBar.co
The atmosphere: This chic Noho cocktail bar rose to prominence in the ’90s and reopened last fall after closing in 2017. It still has an exclusive air, with stars such as Cara Delevingne and Sienna Miller among its VIPs.
The doorman : Disco, the nightlife legend who’s run some of the city’s most exclusive doors – Bungalow 8, Don Hill’s, Chaos – for the past 25 years.
Its motto : “Don’t waste a good time, have a good time.”
What he is looking for: Polite regulars and anyone with a “cool vibe”. “You want a mature, martini-drinking crowd,” Disco told the Post. “You want a crowd that wants to come in and have fun inside a venue without acting like jerks. I can’t let in everyone who wants to come in. You really have to know how to get the right people in. I try to be nice and polite and people always want to give you feedback…it all depends on how you behave.
Not difficult: Upside down hats, frat boy style, shorts unless “you dress it up,” people articulate their words.
The black beasts: Social media “influencers” who brag about counting their followers in exchange for entry. “I look at them as if they were crazy. I ask: ‘Who are you?’ ” he said.
Tips: Make a reservation – large groups will not enter without one. Chat with Disco about sneakers (he’s a self-proclaimed sneakerhead), or try buying it with a slice of pizza or a Levain cookie. He is known to take such bait.
The palace
380 Canal Street; 646-448-4447; ThePalaceNYC.com
The atmosphere: You can’t make reservations at this intimate downtown lounge and nightclub filled with Gen Zers and Millennials dressed as “Euphoria” extras. (Stylist Kyle Luu, who works with Solange Knowles and Addison Rae, is a regular.) His website offers customers the option to “request a table,” which means they’ll filter your social media accounts for see if you are worthy of entry.
The doorman : Dylan Grace, the 27-year-old “cool” maker who cut his teeth at the quaint Montauk Surf Lodge. “I’m looking for people with distinctive looks, people who are very well dressed. We love high fashion,” Grace said, although the labels aren’t everything: “It’s really about the kind of energy they bring, having a good personality and really looking the part.
Its motto : “Bring your A game. Look great and stand out.
What he is looking for: “I’m pretty strict on the door with who I let in. We do not do appointments per se. Even with reservations, we’re curious and interested to know who’s booking and if they’ll fit into the environment,” Grace said. He once refused someone entry for wearing shorts, then watched them pay a guest leaving the palace $100 for his pants just to get in. The “beyond” effort got the guy in. Another thing that might get you in: being Irish or at least able to talk about the Emerald Isle. Grace is from Ireland and can’t resist a bit of nostalgia.
Not difficult: “If someone comes in Crocs or sweatpants, it’s an immediate ‘no.’ “A large group of men is also unlikely to convince him.
The black beasts: Bribes. “It immediately puts me off. It makes me feel like I’m being bought. You can’t buy us,” Grace said.
Tips: Show up early when the club opens around 11 p.m. Don’t bring a large entourage.
The blonde
11 Howard Street, 212-235-1111; 11Howard.com
The atmosphere: This stylish spot within Soho’s 11 Howard Hotel attracts couture-clad creatives, investors, musicians and visual artists who just want to let loose. Blue banquet seating is an intimate setting for early evening tableside cocktails, while later there’s a crowded dance floor with nightly DJs and two spinning disco balls.
The doorman : Ronny Estrella, fashion designer and art curator, known for wearing designer looks like Comme des Garçons.
Its motto : “Be realistic and be yourself. Don’t ask me a favor; I do not know you.
What he is looking for: “The days of the who’s who, at least for now, are over,” Estrella said. “Personal style is key and due to my career in fashion and art, this can be very important to me. So if you come to the door you look great; well dressed and with a point of style view, we welcome that. Not the only deciding factor by far, but an important one. Advance table reservations are also highly recommended. A gentleman in a Thom Brown suit would most likely pass by “If you take the time and energy to put on this gray flannel suit, you have to come party with us,” Estrella said.
Not difficult: People who don’t dress for the weather – if your ankles and toes are open and it’s winter, you’re in for the cold.
The black beasts: Walk to the ropes and expect to be let in without asking.
Tips: If you can talk art, you have a decent chance of getting in. Estrella’s current obsession are painters Amaury Padilla and Edgar Bolanos and photographer Travis Matthews. He’s also a fan of army and navy surplus stores for an affordable find. “If I see you wearing a designer that I know you haven’t heard of on Instagram or TikTok or if you’re wearing whatever you’re wearing, well, then: yes, I see you and now let’s talk about it.”
Paul’s Casablanca
305 Spring Street; 212-620-5220; PaulsCasablanca.com
The atmosphere: Hundreds of hopefuls congregate rain or shine on weekends at this favorite spot, inspired by a Moroccan garden and owned by nightlife maven Paul Sevigny.
The doorman : Fabrizio Brienza, Italian model and actor seen in “Billions” and “Inventing Anna”. He said acting and working the exclusive gate go hand in hand: “Every night up front is showtime for me. I get dressed, I put on a show, I shake hands and I kiss cheeks. It’s a bit like being on stage. I like to play my role as a superstar.
Its motto : “If you have good energy, you are ready to party.”
What he is looking for: Great personalities. “It’s not about how much money you have or who you know. The only determining factor is to make the room sexier, more elegant, more fun, more… something. We love more,” Brienza said, adding, “A great sense of humor can definitely open the chord. If someone makes me laugh, they’ll probably make someone inside laugh. We are all about fun.
Not difficult: Bribes and nameropping. “It never works. People will say “I’m friends with Paul”. Everyone is “friends” with Paul. His name is on the door. It is [the] better when Paul is standing right there. And it happens more often than you might imagine.
Black Beasts:When I tell someone, like a bunch of guys, it’s not gonna happen, and they spend the night wondering why and begging. It’s just not pretty. If we say it won’t happen tonight, it won’t happen,” Brienza said. Boring too: “People leaving the club to let their friends in. Once inside, have a good time, I’ll take care of the door.
Point: Know who you are talking to. “The best thing is when people come to tell me that they are friends with Fabrizio,” he said.
Persuade
190 Allen Street; 212-460-5100, MakeBelieveSixty.com
The atmosphere: A rooftop social club atop the Sixty Hotel on the Lower East Side where crop-top-clad Gen Zers sip matcha-infused margaritas. With palm trees, hot pink velvet seats and neon lights, it looks like the jungle of the 80s.
The porter and the woman: Allie Redmond, Ford model, works weekend days from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. She works alongside Daniel Pradieu who she calls “the muscles” behind the operation, making sure the door is secure at all times.
Redmond’s motto: “Making connections is more important than trying to slip us money.”
What she is looking for: Green Bay Packers Fans – Redmond grew up in Madison, Wis. — or anyone who shows up with their favorite snack: Wild Berry Skittles.
Not difficult: Baseball caps, sweatshirts or shorts. Saying, “’My friends are upstairs and they said it’s not that busy.’ ”
The black beasts: People sneaking into the hotel to get to the upstairs party or people trying to bring their dogs — “it’s a little loud for them,” Redmond said. She also hates when guests say “no” to turn to Pradieu. She’s the boss, and it’s always going to be a no.
Point: Wait for a large group to come out and ask nicely. “If we have a fun, casual conversation and other people leave, I’ll do my best to let people stand up. At the end of the day, we’re really not trying to be mean,” Redmond said.
