The Limelight

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Deconsecrated church where the New York Limelight was situated. It is now known as "Avalon".

The Limelight is the name of a string of different nightclubs that were owned and operated by Peter Gatien: in Atlanta, Chicago, Hollywood, Florida, New York, and London.

Contents

[edit] History

The first Limelight was opened in Hollywood, Florida in the 70s. When it burned to the ground in the late 70s, Peter Gatien turned to Atlanta for his next incarnation of Limelight. The next Limelight (nicknamed Slimelight) was opened in Atlanta in February 1980. It was housed in a strip mall in the former home of the Harlequin Dinner Theatre. In 1983, Gatien relocated to New York to open another Limelight club, and his brother Maurice was given the reins of the Atlanta club. Maurice reportedly had less talent for the nightclub world than Peter. "Peter was the brains behind the operation," says house photographer and publicist Guy D'Alema. "Maurice ... didn't want to spend a dime and didn't have a creative bone in his body."[1] The club was located next to a 24-hour Kroger grocery store, which became known, affectionately, as "Disco Kroger."[2]

The Limelight in Chicago was housed in the former home of the Chicago Historical Society, the building itself being a historical structure. While short-lived as a club under the Limelight moniker, it exists to this day as a nightclub (presently the location of both Excalibur and Vision nightclubs). The Limelight, London, was located in a former Welsh Presbyterian church that dates back to 1754 on Shaftesbury Avenue, just off Cambridge Circus. The club's decline in popularity led to its closure and takeover in 2003 by Australian pub chain 'The Walkabout' who have converted it into a sports bar.

The Limelight in New York, which was owned by Peter Gatien and designed by Ari Bahat opened in November 1983. Located in the former "Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion" on Sixth Avenue in an area once known as the "Ladies' Mile", located in Manhattan's Chelsea district, and originally started as a disco music and rock music club. In the 1990s, it became a prominent place to hear techno, goth, and industrial music, and to obtain recreational drugs. It earned the media's attention in 1996 when club and party promoter Michael Alig was arrested and later convicted for the killing and dismemberment of Angel Melendez, a resident drug dealer at the club. The 2003 film Party Monster, starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green, was based on this event. The Limelight was closed by the police, but subsequently reopened several times during the 1990s. In September 2003, it reopened under the name "Avalon," however it closed its doors for good in 2007.[3] While Gatien's Limelight is no longer at the center of New York nightlife, many of the cadre of club kids such as Richie Rich and Amanda Lepore have remained active after the Limelight's demise.

[edit] Future

According to press articles, the nightclub will reopen its' doors once again, however this time as a retail store. Jack Menashe, who formerly owned SoHo nightclub Lounge, is turning the long-vacant location into the Limelight Marketplace with the help of designers James Mansour and Melisca Klisanin.[4] Limelight Marketplace is billed as a three-story shoppers' paradise selling jewelry, organic goods and more. [5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ghosts of hotspots past from atlanta.creativeloafing.com, April 23, 2003
  2. ^ Turn off the mirror ball: 'Disco Kroger' getting makeover from the Atlanta Constitution Journal, May 1, 2008
  3. ^ Holy Headache! Finding Limelight’s Next Act from The New York Observer 24 February 2009
  4. ^ The Limelight is Going Retail from the New York Post, 17 July 2009
  5. ^ Limelight Marketplace Readies to Open from Gothamist.com, 14 October 2009

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Limelight"