The NYC 1990s Nightlife Chronicles

Going out in the ‘90s primarily meant going to one of the city’s mega clubs, huge places with an ever-changing carousel of costumes, faces, themed parties and rooms, and the latest, most addictive music. It was the antithesis of boredom, a form of creative chaos like nothing else!

GET IN HERE

In the heyday of the ‘90s clubbing scene, it didn’t matter whether you had money or fame. If the doorman didn’t want you to come in, you couldn’t do anything about it, no matter how many hundred dollar bills you waved in his face. Bottle service didn’t even exist, so there was no slick workaround, even for people willing to shell out on that scale.

Many times, even famous celebrities would be snubbed at the door. This would lead to tabloid-worthy hissy fits, complete with screams of “Do you even know who I am?” and “You better start looking for a new job, because you’re about to get fired!” All of this just added to the appeal, of course. Getting in was as egalitarian as it was unpredictable. And that same celebrity would just as likely come back next week, pretend like nothing had happened, and kiss the doorman on the way in.