Clubbing in New York isn't what it used to be, and the team behind new nightspot Touch knows it. All New York vets, they can recall a fonder day when bona fide clubs reigned supreme—and hope to re-create the sensation with their new spot, opening tonight.
The 12,000-square-foot club—housed in the former Float space—has undergone a multimillion-dollar gut renovation, whose finished product is the vision of nightlife designer Fernando Flores (230 Fifth, Plunge, Gramercy Park Hotel).
While not surprising in all its typical monosyllabic and slightly dramatic glory, the club's name actually stems from the club's main gimmick (what are you these days without one?): a "hands-on" theme that extends to a high-tech, interactive SensaCell bar top that reacts to patrons' every movement, affecting the colors of the room through LED panels.
"We want to bring back the mixed format of large nightclubs, in the same genre of Tunnel," says Touch's director of operations, who goes by the name Sauce.
When asked about the type of crowd Touch aims to attract, the response was quick—and devoid of any modest hopefulness. "A very high-end, celebrity, trend-setting crowd." says Sauce, who references
Cain and
Marquee as
lounges (not clubs) that have successfully achieved this and cites Marquee as an establishment that comes close to the overall idea of Touch. He doesn't, however, consider it a competitor, because they're without a full dance floor.
"It's going to be very difficult to get in, [like] Studio 54, " Sauce adds, claiming the only way past the ironclad door is to know someone or be an all-around "fantastic clubgoer."
So will the average New Yorker looking for a fun night out actually be able to get in? After all, this native-New York writer knows for a fact that Tunnel, in the '90s, let her slightly underage, non-celebrity ass in when all she wanted to do was dance.
"The average New Yorker is high on our list these days," Sauce responds, likely referring to the idea of what New York has become.
If you're not blessed with club connects or if you’re without recognizable club royalty status, it looks like you're on your own. New Yorkers, according to Sauce are "ingenious" when it comes to matters such as this and cryptically recommends figuring out a way to get in. “Use your noggin," he advises.
Stay tuned for more on Touch, as we brave the doors tomorrow (in our Studio 54 finest, of course).
Touch
240 W. 52nd St. (between Broadway and Eighth Ave.)
Thur. – Sat., 10 p.m. – 4 a.m.
touchnewyorkcity.com
