Hot Mess at Porky's in NYC

The award winners are on Sunday nights at Hot Mess at Porky's for small venue and Coo-coo Club at Hiro Lounge if you're in the mood for a larger crowd.

New York City is known as the city that never sleeps.  The nightlife in Manhattan has a reputation of its own, but lately things the glitz and glamor of the big city has taken a different direction.

The days of big venue dance parties seem to be over. The smaller venues are dominating, while the hopeful sit by waiting for the occasional circuit party.  What has New York City become?

In 2001 when I first started working in the gay nightlife scene, I never would have believed that this business would have evolved the way it has. 

My generation became known as the "post club kid era."  We couldn't keep up with the club kids from before like Richie Rich and Amanda Lapore, and we definitely weren't immoral enough to plot murder like Michael Alig or even James St. James.  The crowd divided in two parts.  Everyone had their 'mega-club' and everyone had their 'hang-out.'

For me, it was Kurfew on Fridays as my 'hang out' and Roxy on Saturdays as my 'mega club.'  Both seemed like staples that would always be there, but Kurfew fell first followed by Roxy several years later.

As the years went on, 'mega-clubs' began to diminish while 'hang outs' continued to grow.  Before we knew it, patrons were shelling out a week's pay on a bottle and VIP treatment.  Those who can't afford that flock to neighborhood bars.

Even the city's most popular gay promoter, John Blair, has retreated to a much smaller venue at Splash in Chelsea.  The award winners are on Sunday nights at Hot Mess at Porky's for small venue and Coo-coo Club at Hiro Lounge if you're in the mood for a larger crowd.  Both of these parties are known for the celebrity clientele and constant media attention.  The nightlife elite normally hit up both venues, Hot Mess early in the night and Hiro til' the sun comes up.

New York City can't exactly live on two lively parties that just happen to fall on the same night.   Or can it?  I guess we will just have to wait and see.