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Jul 11, 2008 1:44 pm US/Eastern
Behind The Velvet Ropes: MARQUEE
WCBSTV.com gives you tips on making it through the front door
Tara Lipinsky, WCBSTV.com
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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WBSTV.Com Web producer and entertainment reporter Tara Lipinsky.
CBS
It's the quintessential New York nightclub, Marquee. Ever since owners Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss pulled back the velvet ropes in December of 2003 the VIP celeb-set has flocked to the hangout on a nightly basis, while bridge-and-tunnel-types wait outside waving a wad of dough, and begging like puppy dogs to be granted entrance.
Marquee is no flavor-of-the-month either. It's been the place to party for nearly five years, a dinosaur in the nightclub crowd, but the spot on Tenth Avenue between 26th and 27th still maintains the sizzle. Andrew Goldberg told WCBSTV.com there are many reasons Marquee preserves its allure. First of all, the discriminating door policy. Pricey bottle service has caused many clubs to allow anyone with an AMEX Black Card to obtain admission. Not so at Marquee, where one can reserve a table in advance (which does requires a bottle service minimum) but the door is still in charge of who is admitted. The guests are beautiful and the club maintains a good male to female ratio.
But, hospitality is the key to the club's enduring popularity. All the guests are treated just as that, guests. Superior service by a veteran staff is on tap every night. Plus, the layout consists of three distinct spaces, with a different area highlighted each night. So everyone from first-timers to the regulars have a unique experience during each visit.
Now, if you're just a regular guy or gal and want to see Marquee for yourself, Andrew has some tips on how to make it past the doorman. First, he suggests coming a bit on the early side, say 10:30 or 11 p.m. By Midnight, especially on weekends, the line is wicked. Second, come as a couple. A man and a woman together have the best chance of getting the okay. It helps keep the ratio fairly even. But don't come in a crowd, just a pair. And finally, the worst thing you could possibly do while waiting on line to get in is name drop, or offer the bouncer dough. It just won't work, and in fact, it will probably lower your chances.
Now if you do finally make it through the front door and by some miracle score a table, don't forget it's going to cost you. You can't just sit down and order a drink or two. You have to order booze by the bottle and the least expensive one on the list is $375. But don't worry most of the mixers are free.
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