Things are different on Manhattan's West 54th Street, but Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager's zenith party scheme is far from squashed. The internal exploits of the notorious Midtown venue were the pinnacle of twilight celebration more than two decades ago, and the city of sin has revived the beast that reinvented the night.
It's befitting that the quintessential club would be resurrected in the city that is the new apostle of after-hours debauchery. Las Vegas and the MGM Grand form the new body for the legendary Studio 54 to live and breathe, and crowds are gasping for more.
Vegas' 54 has already proven itself as the definitive spot among partygoers, surviving more than a decade in the harsh climate of the city's nightlife market; a market where doors staying open a year is equivalent to the exponential aging of a dog. Perhaps the lustrous life span has much to do with striving for improvement upon perfection. Just recently, the joint revamped the entrance, adding an elegant 3,000-square-foot room overflowing with color. A new VIP area has been added-while not quite as lewd as the mysterious basement of the East Coast namesake, plenty of stargazing is still possible.
The subway might be replaced by a monorail, and Bianca Jagger by Paris Hilton, but the hedonistic aura of the archetypal club of clubs continues on.