Press

How a popular Brooklyn nightclub owned by millennial women is rewriting the party playbook

When I was 16 my most essential possession was a small backpack. It was made of a simple worn-in cloth the fabric comprised of a colorful rainbow of stripes. The colors weren’t overtly vibrant, instead dulled, to give the desired vintage effect. It was a small bag and would fit no more than a cell phone, smoking pipe – concealed in the secret pocket I had prepared in the side wall – a purse, and on beach-going days a small, portable stereo. I had a friend who poked fun at how I always looked ready for a grand adventure. Although adventure was the outward identity people perceived, the backpack was a tool of quite another design.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the nightlife industry is talking about the ways they deal with misconduct on the dancefloor.

“Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Time!” my inbox screams on a mid-December day. The invite that follows invites me to a “whimsical, joyous, vibrant concoction” space for a “female-energy-centric” sex party at Chemistry NYC. To get on this list I had to fill out a questionnaire and send in a photo of myself (for identification purposes, per their website). I also had to state I would attend Chemistry parties as a single woman (male dates cost extra). The party itself costs $20 with a one-time membership fee of $100.

It’s not that hard, really.