Vinyl is a
danceclub located in the
Tribeca section of
Manhattan (6 Hubert St. at Hudson St.). This particular club is notable for several reasons. First, it hosted the legendary
Shelter party for a decade until the party moved to its own club in 2001. It also continues to host
Body & Soul, which to my knowledge is the only Sunday afternoon party in the tri-state area. Finally, it is the home of resident DJ
Danny Tenaglia, who spins at the Friday party
Be Yourself. These parties are of different music genres but draw
youthful crowds out for the
vibe, which makes the club an excellent place to enjoy oneself without being subjected to the usual meat marketness of other clubs.
I have to admit I have not been to Vinyl for a while, so my description may be off. The club is sparse, but don't let that get you down. The dancefloor is large enough to create a crowd, and the DJ booth is in the center. Some speakers are situated near the entrance and you can sit on the subwoofers if you're into that sort of thing. The usual lights and smoke machines are attached to the ceiling. A nice chillout room is very lightly furnished and most people are smoking various substances in there. There is a small bar but I don't think anyone really buys anything from there except water.
The club is very raver-friendly and dress is geared towards that, unlike the "dress to impress" policy of the megaclubs. Door policy is pretty open, but bring an ID and expect to get frisked. All events are 18 and over, last time I checked. The line reaches lengths of 200 people along the street, and the wait can reach upwards of a half hour to get in. Not fun when it's the middle of winter in the City.
The real appeal of the club is the music. Exepect Tenaglia's mix of progressive and deep house on Fridays. Saturday's Shelter has been replaced with a rotation of superstar DJ's as well as local talent, usually under the label of MADE Events and features mostly house and trance. On Sundays, New York's most famous (only?) diurnal party starts at 4:00 PM and has shifted to a mainstream focus as of late. Expect disco and house in the mix during Body & Soul, but don't always expect it to live up to its name in that respect, although it is always fun. Vinyl's focus is purely the music and the vibe, and if that's what you're looking for you will adore this club.
Update: Vinyl is now Arc, and has been redesigned. Body & Soul has moved out (currently discontinued as they look for a home).