Santos' House Party Party

The downstairs of Santos' House Party soft-opened last night after 3 years of construction. According to NY Mag, the too small space is "a godsend for anyone who has ever danced in the basement of 205 thinking the experience could benefit from a little more space and a much sicker sound system." Lovely. The upstairs part will be opening soon.

· Santos House Party Actually Houses a Party [Grub Street]

Cain Southern Plans On Hold

Jamie, Jayma and the rest of the Cain gang have long planned to escape their first home in Chelsea and set up shop somewhere else. After several false starts, they had apparently settled on an alley space at 408 Broadway. Uh, not so fast. After pulling their liquor license application from the last CB 1 meeting, a Little Birdy tells us that unfortunately, the plans may have to be scrapped completely. The Community Board is dead set against Cain, or any re-imagination of it, opening in their ritzy hood. Alley or no alley, lower Broadway or wherever. The Cain crew has not given up hope of pulling something off here, but it's just not looking to good.

Smith and Mills Reduxe: Holy Bat Shit

Early Friday morning, we received several frantic emails regarding a possible raid at Smith and Mills. Later that morning, we received a copy of a letter to the local Community Board that our tipster (and Smith and Mills neighbor) submitted. Obviously there was some serious animosity between the two parties. Smith and Mills owner Matt Abramyck checked in with Grub Street (why not us?) on the matter with his neighbor Victoria Hillstron, saying “She has cornered my partner, yells at our staff, yells at our customers — she’s a real-life nightmare.”

You know Matt, you may be on to something. Because when we woke up on Saturday morning, our in box was filled with 14 raving emails from Ms. Hillstrom, some with blurry photos, some with crude videos, that accused Smith and Mills from arson to running away with the spoon. We seriously doubt any of these claims, and sincerely apologize for getting involved with this mess in the first place.

Smith and Mills Insanity!

Below is the transcript of a letter written by an upstairs neighbor of Smith and Mills. This fight is beyond nasty!

Dear Boards, Friends and Neighbors,

Many of you read the article "Bar Brawl" in The Post and hope you know this was a publicity stunt. Not a word of this story was true. As you know there would be no reason to "brawl" on N Moore. They were asked to move a Moped. Sanitation had been after for weeks.

I did write the Mayor because what they were doing had became dangerous. A danger to all of us. They had a fire and a history of fire. Our house could of burnt down. Our home is all 3 floors above them. They caught a womans coat on fire. Burning it to shreds. Had it been a few hours later there would have been many more coats and many more people. Someone could have been killed. That is why I wrote the Mayor. Packing so many people in and then lock themselves in with a look out to whistle when they see the Police. Police and Fire were not able to handle. Mostly because they tell so many stories. Somehow suggesting we were the only ones concerned. When all the neighbors had banded together to suspend their license suspecting their intent from the start.

These are the boys from Beatrice Inn. Sadly, no one investigated or even the press would have connected the dots long before printing this story. Explaining the reason for no sign. When it turns out it was as simple as googling Matt Abramcyk and Beatrice Inn all along. Since its no secret what they are up to in the media. It seems this had to do with their troubles at Beatrice Inn. Rather then anything that had happened here and their concerns for getting caught on both licenses.


We were told of "the neighbor" above Beatrice the day the story broke. Seems she got them in a world of trouble costing them a small fortune. They then paid her another fortune to move and leave her home. Then set out to make up these stories on us. All while the "Mayor's Task Force" was at Beatrice by thier own admission on google in an article "Beatrice Currently Shut Down to Everyone, Not Just You" at the very same time. For all of the same troubles we had with them here relating to soundspoofing, noise, issues of electrical & plumbing. Partying all over the streets till the wee hours. Having no regard for others or the law.

New York Magazine said they were taking the "offense" in an article "Smith and Mills Fights for Its Rights to Party". When both are on restaurant licenses but have no kitchens. Strangely all in basements. In our case now attempting to cook to pretend it to be a restaurant ruining everything we own. Since that building has no vent or exhaust. In fear of getting caught on both licenses. While Hipguide New York just illustrated thier reasoning and not one department has stepped in to stop them. When its a danger to all to of us.

Blackbook magazine's "STRAIGHT OFF THE HANGOVER BEATRICE INN COMES MATT ABRAMCYKS SMITH AND MILLS spoke to their intent from the start. While preying on residentials streets, where its neighbors are unsuspecting, then preying on its residents. On the most beautiful and relevant tree lined streets in Manhattan.

They even tried to arrest me, a resident of N Moore, for walking down the street. After being cited and fined by Police and Fire 3 times the week before. After throwing parties during fashion week for over 100 people in a single car garage and spilling on its streets. Waiting for me to innocently walk one day in one day and found it befitting to put a resident of an 8 bedroom home in handcuffs, over the word of a bar. Attempting arrest which failed. When they were caught lying to the officers by Annie, the Manager at Ivy's, demanding my release. Explaining to the officers they were lying. I was never told what I was accused or permitted to speak or even had my name and hope you can begin to grasp the brevity of how far they are willing to go in the name of thier folly.

They now are telling even taller tales on the Supreme Court. Asking it to somehow concern itself with our home. In a lawsuit only meant to further harass us. When I've not spoken to them or looked in thier direction for 7 months after the false attempt. Yet the very relief seek from the courts. Harassing us full on ever since the false attempt and more out of control then ever which finally led to fire. I had told the Police I would write the Mayor because his daughter is our neighbor. Her building could have burnt down too. This "sister" story was pure cinema. Still insisting we were the only ones this concerned. Because that is what these boys had told them. I suspect with the same counsel that handled their troubles at Beatrice.

After putting resident of an 8 bedroom home in handcuffs, breaking into our home, never having soundproofed the space because they have no money.

In a space simply too small for what they are doing. I hope you can understand why anyone would call the Police. Its dangerous. Since they can not sue us for calling 311 or writing the Mayor or calling the Police "anonymously" they invented these fairy tales on us and the courts and press. Trading on our notoriety on a pack of lies, they know full well to be a to lies themselves, holding us up on our own notoriety. When they never even paid us for the space, damaged our home from stem to stern and we are the only ones who suffered any harm what so ever.

To put a resident of N Moore in handcuffs or tell tall tales on the courts or break in anyones home in the name of a liquor license is completely and extremely serious. I'm not certain you can imagine what it would be like to have been preyed on because you were alone or harassed full on by boys in a bar. Afraid to leave your home in fear of what they will do next. Accused of stripping jackhammers from hotel construction workers in the press. Even accused of causing the hotel's delay in an attempt to give their false claim merit. Even trading on Robert Deniro's name in this lawsuit in an attempt to shop this story in the press which failed and ask that you lend your voices. Before we too in the words of Spencer Morgan of the Observer have "Bedlam at Beatrice" or others suffer harm too.

Holy camoly Birdys. This one is getting real nasty.

Raid at Smith & Mills

A Little Birdy filed this breathless report from Smith and Mills at 2:30 AM, saying

Hey Mayor Task force just moved in on Smith and Mills. All same troubles at Beatrice Inn. Turns out no broken bottles, no screaming get out. The construction delayed bc all nabes suspended their license May 06 thru April 07. About get nailed lying on supreme court. SLA about nail them too over license and putting its residents harms way.

All of this seems to add up to big trouble. Consider this developing.

[Photo Credit]

Blogging For a Flogging: Greenwich Hotel

Looky what's back? The Flogging. Its been a while since we've been naughty, but when we are bad, we need to be punished. Now that the Greenwich Hotel and Ago are open to the (paying) public, David Rockwell and his firm have gotten a lot of credit and praise for the design. Undeserved credit, as Rockwell really had nothing to do with the exceptional work. It's time to set the record straight.

We’d like to set the record straight on the proper design credits for Robert De Niro’s new Greenwich Hotel and Ago restaurant. While Rockwell Group originally developed a proposal for the site, those plans were abandoned over 4 years ago. Our firm, Grayling, designed the new building’s exterior, Ago restaurant, all of the Greenwich Hotel’s public spaces and guest corridors and one of the duplex suites (the other duplex suite was done by Rockwell Group).

The building has a rich and detailed creative story that unfolded over several years and involved many talented people (Samantha Crasco, Mikio Shinegawa, Paul Alter of Skolnick Architects, Matt Markowitz). It would be a shame not to give proper credit where it belongs.

We couldn't agree more and apologize for the mistake. In fact we had already discussed this way back when. But let the world know, Grayling did the work, and they did a heck of a job.

Pumping Up the Greenwich Hotel

Celebrity owners, celebrity fueled Italian restaurants, starchitects, and hand crafted bricks, it seems that Robert De Niro and Co. newly opened Greenwich Hotel had just about everything going for it. So as opening day approached, those of us who had been closely tracking the project were anxiously awaiting a chance to get inside and see what the fuss was about. But we (and every other website) was basically denied, with PR and staff saying the first look had been promised to an international publication. Turns out it was just a page in this month's Vanity Fair which spouts what all of you already know, hand-cut bricks, the corked ceiling Ago, pricey suites and all that jazz. One interesting point - all of the lobby art you see behind Bobby D. was painted by his late father. From what you can see, the place does look pretty sweet. David Rockwell and his team certainly delivered the goods, but it seems that we won't be getting inside to see for ourselves any time soon.

For more frustrating fun, check out their revamped website which offers a few glimpses of what up to $1300 will get you.

All images courtesy of Vanity Fair.

DeNiro's Hotel Hits the Web

Newyorkology (via Eater) comes through with the recently launched website for Robert De Niro and friends Greenwich Hotel. Ressies are being accepted for the first 3 weeks of April, when the hotel will then become the de facto home of out of town stars during the Tribeca Film Festival. Glamorous. Metro Travel Guide supplies the rest of the gory details about the rooms and property, including the Shibui Spa that "features a lantern-lit swimming pool and a lounge area". Best news - Ago will be delvireing room service to guests 24/7. Osso bucco all night. That's worth the $725 per night intro rate, right? Right.

The Daily Hipster

We are stepping into the way back machine on this one. Almost four months after we announced that Bobby D et al would be installing Ago in the Greenwich Hotel, along with some other choice details, Mr. and Mrs. Rush and Molloy have decided to break the same exact story. Good effort all around. Our original little birdy also notes, "They not only rip you off, but they got it wrong. David Rockwell really didn't design it. The folks at Greyling did." Thanks LB. We can always count on you.

How to Name A Hotel

It's time to check in on the hotel scene once again. We head down to Tribeca, where Robert De Niro et al are preparing to open their first hotel. After breaking the Ago news, we have some additional details on the hotel, including the official name. Let's begin.

1. In a genius act of branding, the Greenwich Street property has officially been named the Greenwich Hotel. Again, genius.
2. According to a little birdy who has taken a tour, the hotel rooms are mostly on the small side. There are "a few really sweet duplex suites." Sweet.
3. The designers used hand crafted bricks from a special Pennsylvania brick foundry. Apparently they use some ancient brick making formula so each brick is unique.
4. There are some really cool arches in the building made from said bricks.
5. "It will make the Bowery Hotel look like a Red Roof Inn." - Little Birdy

We assume more details and hopefully some images will appear in the coming weeks. Expected opening is sometime post summer.

Ago Coming to Town

Robert De Niro's yet to open Downtown Hotel in Tribeca has finalized plans for its lobby restaurant and we have the scoop-du-jour. Ago, the LA and Miami Italian Hotspot, will be occupying the lobby space, and expect celebs and gawkers to make this one the big openings of 2007. The pairing makes perfect sense, since Bobby D and those other Tribeca heavyweights (literally) the Weinstein Brothers were chef Agostino Sciandri original partners when he jumped ship from legendary Brentwood trattoria Toscana to open the first Ago in West Hollywood a few years back.

Our little birdy has also spilled the beans on at least part of the design. Apparently, the ceiling is made of 9 million wine corks. That's 9 with six zeroes worth of corkage that someone had to jam into the ceiling! Our job ain't looking half bad now.