A
megaclub in
New York City that debuted in 1983 and continued on to the mid-nineties. It was located in a converted Episcopal
church at 20th St. & 6th Ave (660 6th Ave.). It was owned by
Peter Gatien, who owned 3 other clubs,
Palladium,
USA, and
Tunnel.
It peaked in popularity around 1994, as the clubkid epicenter, with Michael Alig's notorious Disco 2000 parties, and drug availability (Ecstacy, Special K). It was closed in 1996 after a series of raids brought on by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. This led to federal racketeering charges and a state suit for $1.3 million in back taxes. This was compounded by the fact that Alig was arrested for the murder of a club regular, Angel Melendez, who was reputedly a drug dealer. Due to Alig's guilty plea in the case, the government was deprived of a key witness against Gatien. As a result, Gatien was acquitted on the racketeering charges in February 1998.
Gatien attempted to re-open the Limelight. Due to his financial problems, he lost the lease on the land, but the new owner was willing to lease it to him. There was another problem -- the club could not get a liquor license because convicted criminals (from the tax evasion charges) cannot obtain a liquor license. It was reopened after a complete renovation. It has two large dance floors, a stage, and many bars. It has not bounced back to the same status it once had.
Update:
The Limelight has reopened as Estate. The crowd isn't as good as it used to be, but then again, the entire club scene in NYC has changed the past few years.