Nell's
| Address | 246 West 14th Street |
|---|---|
| Location | New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°44′22″N 74°00′07″W / 40.73946°N 74.00184°WCoordinates: 40°44′22″N 74°00′07″W / 40.73946°N 74.00184°W |
| Type | nightclub |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Closed | May 30, 2004 |
Nell's (or Nells) was a nightclub located on 246 West 14th Street in downtown Manhattan. It opened in 1986 and closed May 30, 2004. Actress-singer Nell Campbell was its namesake and longtime proprietress. In early 2004, actor Mark Wahlberg was planning to buy Nell's. The painter Thomas Moller was Nell's original manager.[1] The space later held the nightclub Plumm opened by actor Chris Noth and his business partner Noel Ashman .
At its peak of popularity in the late 1980s, Nell's was known for denying even the famous entry to the club. In the 1990s Nell's matured into a jazz and reggae showcase.
Nell's came onto the scene when some clubgoers were tiring of the cavernous discothèques (e.g., Studio 54) popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. Decorated as a slightly shabby 19th-century English men's club, Nell's afforded its upscale patrons a place to eat, sit, socialize, and listen to live music. Other exclusive supper clubs like M.K. soon followed. On June 4, 1987, artist Robert Mapplethorpe and actress Susan Sarandon hosted a dinner for AIDS charity amfAR at Nell's.[2]
In the last decade, Nell's clientele became more multiracial. Rappers made Nell's hot again. The Notorious B.I.G. made his video for "Big Poppa" there. It was also there that Tupac met a woman in 1994 whom he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Nell's was also a frequent haunt of fictional character Patrick Bateman, in the book American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.
References
- ↑ "Nell's at debbieguide.com". Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ↑ Anne-Marie Schiro (June 5, 1987), Artists Rally To Fight AIDS New York Times.