The Alley Cat, a new subterranean nightlife destination at the white-hot Beekman Hotel, celebrated its first week in business with a reality star-studded gathering last night. The event, hosted by Fredrik Eklund, star of Million Dollar Listing and the new spin-off show Bethenny & Fredrik, served to showcase the Beekman’s luxury condominium offerings, currently listed by Eklund at Douglas Elliman.
The blend of nightlife and reality TV theater was fitting given the bar’s theatrical theme. Its full name, Alley Cat Amateur Theatre, pays tribute to Beekman’s location on Park Row—once the site of the Park Theater owned by John Jacob Astor and John Beekman. Park Row, f.k.a. Theatre Alley, served as a back entrance for the theater’s players. Today, the building’s theatrical past is represented the lounge’s quirky, Vaudevillian décor, complete with a collection of marionette dolls and a costume designer’s dress form.
The Alley Cat is the newest of the Beekman’s well-bred hospitality offerings. A collaboration between nightlife guru Serge Becker and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio, the swanky new bar joins the Beekman’s two existing dining options: Temple Court, also by Colicchio, and Keith McNally-helmed brasserie Augustine.
While the Alley Cat, which opened officially last Friday, is sure to be a hot ticket, the Beekman’s 67 residences, starting around $2 million, offer another level of exclusivity. In addition to top-shelf room service options and access to the hotel’s full slate of amenities, buying into one of the Beekman’s 67 units comes with priority entry to the Alley Cat, and a so-called Beekman Black Card with $10,000 in credit to be used within the hotel. But with the residence’s sleek, Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed interiors and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, you might never want to leave.
