“Gossip” and the city

The Box

Spotted: Reserved Blair taking the stage and performing a striptease for Chuck at his burlesque club "Victrola," which is actually LES' The Box. The vaudeville-style cabaret shows that go down in this 1935 two-story brick building and former sign factory, can be racier than the revelation of Ms. Waldorf’s silky chemise would suggest, but it is network TV.

Decked to perfection with balustrades shielded by velvet curtains, Prohibition-era bottles exhumed from the basement, jewel-encrusted chandeliers and roomy U-shaped booths, the super-selective joint has some serious showbiz pedigree (it's run by Oscar Hammerstein's grandson) and is an homage to the days when glamorous dinner theater (not the Palm Beach kind), circus acts and exceptional performances ruled and patrons dined and drank in style.

And in true contemporary fashion, style doesn’t come cheap: expect to throw down a decent amount of cash for guaranteed entrance—the upstairs balcony seating runs $1,500—sans cocktails.

The Box
189 Chrystie St. at Rivington St.
212-982-9301