Correction 05/15/2024: An earlier version of this article said that Deuces would be going in at the former Northern Territory space. It is going into a space that used to be an Adidas office building.
Greenpoint is known for many things—pierogi, Peter Pan Donuts, and a train that only sometimes works—but it’s not exactly known as a nightlife hotspot.
But that might change soon, with two proposed venues looking to open near each other in a relatively industrial part of the neighborhood. Developers, including the global nightlife behemoth Tao Hospitality Group, hope to open separate spots at 25 Franklin Street and 1 Meserole Avenue—developers presented at Tuesday’s most recent Brooklyn Community Board 1 meeting. While the teams are unaffiliated, the lots directly face each other.
Tao plans to open a new location at 25 Franklin Street, which most recently housed ArtsDistrict Brooklyn (you may remember them as an overpriced AI arts venue that apparently stiffed vendors on a lot of money). As part of their liquor license application, Tao applied to stay open until 4 a.m. and have a capacity of 1,000 patrons. A representative for Tao told CB1 that they don’t plan to stay open with 1,000 every night.
1 Meserole has long been vacant, but previously served as an office space for Adidas. According to a liquor license application, the spot will be called Deuces. A representative from the project said that the space will be a community center by day and a dance club by night. They plan to host kids’ after-school programming centered around music and focus on dance and house music for late-night patrons. Like Tao, they also applied to stay open until 4 a.m., but they have a much smaller capacity for 300 patrons.
CB1 did not seem impressed with either presentation (to be fair, those people are never impressed with anything). The Tao team presented first and dipped after the board thoroughly castigated them for being unprepared, so it fell to the 1 Meserole team to explain why these two spots planned to open next to each other. 1 Meserole said they had been working on this space for two years and only recently learned about Tao’s plans to open.
I don’t subscribe to the NIMBY ideology, but even this zillennial can see cause for concern over two clubs opening at the same time. Frankly (franklin-y?), 1 Meserole’s presentation appealed to me more, with at least an apparent focus on community programming and job creation. Tao, on the other hand, with high-octane, over-the-top venues all over the world, seems less of a cultural fit with our vibrant but still laid-back neck of the woods. Were there no vacancies in Williamsburg?
Now it falls to CB1 to decide whether to approve their liquor licenses, but their decision is only advisory (the state’s Liquor Authority makes the final call).
Tao says it is hosting a meeting for neighbors today at 4-6 p.m., at the venue site at 25 Franklin Street.
i guess you never heard of Europa or Exit nightclub in gp?, johnny’s cafe or other entertaining things that were there not too long ago .
I am related to the project at 1 Meserole/Deuces. If there are any questions about it please don’t hesitate to ask. Id love to give as much info as possible
@Mike whats the best way to contact you to learn more about your overall community / business plan?
Hi Mike how can you be contacted?
Your professionalism is quite low. “Tao dipped”. Go take a journalism course
or Good Room @sylwia
Emma likely moved here within the past 5 years and has never heard of those places. Not a surprise.
Tao
That’s not Northern Territory.
“Relatively industrial”??? REALLY? In what universe? I pity the nearby resident if this goes through. There are already too many places in the surrounding blocks that serve or sell alcohol and often attract rowdy crowds and noise well into the night. Enough is enough- and I hope the Community Board agrees.. Let these proposed establishments find spaces in TRULY industrial areas of the neighborhood – of which there are still many. When the phrase “Not In My Back Yard” LITERALLY means having TWO 1000 capacity nightclubs open until 4am in your backyard. then you sing a different tune. Loudly! And if the care about Greenpoint and its residents, hopefully CB1 will listen
I think Emma has been here longer than people can imagine! She is doing a great job and it’s Northern Territory as far as Brooklyn goes. If the y have an early Seniors night with great dance music why not great fun and a workout!
Nightlife needs space. NYC has a long history of clubs that have been really important for some of the dancers who go there, and its always a struggle for them to find and keep their space. It’s important that these things are allowed to thrive, it’s one of the things that makes the city special. But exactly what kind of clubs they are makes a big difference. I’d have hope for the smaller one (deuces). The bigger one looks like a total nightmare to have in the neighborhood to be honest.