June 19, 2015 By Christian Murray
Show Palace, a Long Island City gentlemen’s club known for its fully-nude strippers and its hiring of porn stars, went before Community Board 2 last week in a quest for a liquor license.
The strip club, located at 42-50 21st Street, was denied a liquor license by the State Liquor Authority when it opened three years ago, after it was deemed to be operating in an unsuitable Long Island City location—a decision upheld by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York.
The club, which has been operating without a liquor license, has been able to take advantage of a city loophole that has allowed it to offer fully-nude, full friction shows to 18-year-old’s and above.
The club presented the argument to the board that if it were to be granted a liquor license it would be in a better position to work with the community and amend some of its business practices.
Pat O’Brien, the chairman of Community Board 2, said the argument was nonsense. “Other than the fact you will have topless entertainment with alcohol served as opposed to completely nude entertainment with no alcohol… what is changing?”
O’Brien said that it was declared an inappropriate location three years ago given the potential growth in Long Island City. If anything, that growth has continued making the task of getting a license tougher.
However, the attorney for Show Palace said the establishment is here to stay. “This meeting and the approving of their liquor license gives the community more of an ability to have an input on certain aspects of its business,” she said.
“The applicant and I will sit with you and you can say we don’t like your hours and point out something specific. If you are going to say that it is never going to happen because it’s an adult entertainment facility it puts us in a place where we have no room to move.”
However, O’Brien asked her how the club would overcome the SLA’s decision and the Appellate Division’s decision that it is not a location for a place like this.
The attorney argued that since Show Palace has been in open, it has not had an adverse impact on the neighborhood.
However, O’Brien pointed out that there has been a homicide in front of the establishment and felony assault charges.
“These things don’t happen at Chuck E. Cheese,” he said.
The board unanimously voted against the license.
O’Brien asked the attorney: “If this were on the block that you live what would you or your husband—or children think.”
To learn more about Show Palace click here (warning contains some nudity)
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11 Comments
Its near nothing and bothers no one. So long as they provide adequate crowd control, they should be allowed. I suspect politicians involved agree but don’t want to be on record supporting a nude club.
I also think the politicians side with the developers and know it would not be their first area of choice for any new projects. Another plus for the Strip Joint! 🙂
It’s located in a commercial zone not near any housing or pre schools. What’s the big deal? So some porn stars work there and some college coeds trying to pay bills too. Let them have their pie and eat it too. Community board should stop busting chops and trying to run everyone’s business or else get your check books out and start to help pay the rent.
Is this the bible bell now or NYC????
The councilman Van Bramer can have a gay party on the water that’s perfectly fine but nude dancers can’t work around liquor????
Why bring gratuitous homophobia into this? Having grown up here in the 60s and 70s I am not opposed to adult entertainment (this city has become safe and boring), but Van Bremer’s celebration of LGBT Pride was fully clothed with no paid ‘friction’ dancing.
So misogyny and objectifying women is perfectly OK with you? What a hypocrite.
Oh, grow up. Strip clubs are not dens of misogyny…the guys are paying for the company of the entertainers. And if you think that a strip club is the only place where either sex is objectified, you really need to open your eyes to human interaction. Trust me – the people getting taken advantage of in a strip club are the patrons, not the entertainers.
From what I’ve heard from a friend who was in the business is that, if a gentleman’s club is all nude it cannot serve alcohol by law!
I thought that was the case as well.
Im not sure what the problem is here. The club was there first. if people dont want to raise their kids around that scene, then dont. That should not reflect on the business owner’s responsibility or whether they are granted a liquor license or not. If the did get one the age reqirement would be 21. Sounds like a better plan to me.
Americans get so wound up about sex. It’s a strip club…what’s the big deal? The only issue I can see is if the homicide was linked to the business or activity that occurred in the business – information not included in the article.
“Gentlemen’s club?” No real gentlemen would ever go to such a tacky place like that.