What Secret LES Venue?
Yesterday Gawker posted about a little-known LES space that, if you know the secret handshake, will open its doors to you. Once inside you’ll find a reception room, a capacious old theater space… even fishtanks. The night Gawker stumbled in they found a band playing, and in booze-induced wonderment, took a short video clip. The clip was included in the post yesterday but now both have disappeared, becoming as mysterious as this secret club itself! Enter Grub Street, currently digging for more answers and pointing to the Clinton Theater at 80-82 Clinton Street. According to Cinema Treasures, the 1917 old vaudeville theater had 797 first floor seats, 283 balcony seats, and 182 box seats. When it closed in the ’50s it was converted to retail and office space by the Brandt circuit. If you look at the Clinton Street address, it partially appears to be a retail shop. However, the entrance to the space, called The Rumor Mill, is really on Attorney Street — right about here. Photos via Kenc
