From the Daily News:Private clubs have long been a staple in New York society. These clubs are extremely expensive, with membership dues that reach into the thousands. As such, they are unavailable to most of us, who have to do with a cozy corner of Starbucks for our social needs.
That’s why the Oracle Club in Long Island City is such a welcome addition to New York’s cultural landscape. It strives to be a meeting (and working) place for writers, artists and intellectuals.
Nor is it, technically, a social club, but a hybrid of an intellectual salon and the kind of writers’ spaces that have become popular in recent years. One book-lined room is reserved for writers and another for painters. A third serves as a gathering place where readings and classes (ballet, cosmology, art) are held; in this airy “salon,” a member can also simply read a book or chat with another Oracle member over a beer (yes, there is a bar).
The Oracle is the brainchild of novelist Julian Tepper and painter Jenna Gribbon, who run the club out of the ground floor of a building owned by a friend. Tepper and Gribbon live above the club with their 1-year-old son.
This wouldn’t be a New York social club without some exclusivity. Tepper and Gribbon interview all members, who — if they are accepted — gain access for $175 per month for artists, $125 for writers and $50 for salon-only members.
The club already has 25 members, who might be sequestered away in a library nook working on a novel or painting the next masterpiece downstairs — or simply enjoying a drink in the salon.
You know, just like they do on the East Side.
Artists living in LIC can afford $175/month to lounge around? My, how times have changed.
Isn't a liquor license required? They're not in the system.
I wonder if patrons are told upfront during their screening process that this place never got the C of O they were seeking and that their latest plans were rejected by DOB, meaning that collecting money from people to hang out there is not exactly kosher. Why don't reporters ever check into the legitimacy of the places they hype before they go ga ga over them?
26 comments:
How dare you question what starving artists do to make do in this economy? $175 is not expensive for someone who will be there with other artists starving together? After all their section 8s and pocket money from Mom & Dad will cover it anyhow!
Did you not know that artist only work in risque surrounding which makes their art have cache?
Goddamn Hipster trustafarians shut these mofos down...
How twee...the newbies have "arrived"...LOL!
H-m-m-m....I've got a club too.
I use it to ward off would be assailants!
The two in the picture don't look happy at all. What's the business plan? Would it take 10 or 100 or 1000 memberships at $175 to cover costs?
Too much government regulation. Enough.
Do they allow colored people? What is the racial ration of the membership?
ratio
Colored people? What year is it?
For $175 a month for a painter to have space in to paint is cheap. It's much more to rent a studio a month with a yearly lease in Bushwick. Since I'm not a member , not a member not about the rest, but it seems there's a lot of jealousy in the blog.
Since when do you care what the DOB says.
>>Colored people? What year is it?
It's unfortunately 2012, when mildly-attractive fair-skinned people not from NY think the idea of culture is being around other mildly-attractive fair-skinned people not from NY.
This is only slightly different than the 'soccer clubs' and other private social clubs all over western queens (and probably the rest of the city). There's a place near where I live that has a sign saying it's a medical equipment dealer - and if you look inside you see old guys sitting around drinking, playing cards, and joker poker machines. No liquor license, no CofO or any of that crap.
These kids want their little exclusive club let them go for it. There's certainly worse shit that could move into such a space...
"LIC gets a hoidy toidy club"
Lipstick on a pig.
"Mildly Attractive"???
I think you have a very loose definition of "Mildly".
I think you mean "Not Attractive", "Repulsive", "Hideous", "Cankled", "Shapeless"...anyone care to add?
So because you see shady establishments in your neighborhood, the LIC club should be allowed to be open without the proper permits? Why don't you call in what you see?
I know Jenna I was a temp on Bass in a band with here Sister Denise.
Those photos were created to make them look much older. They are from Tennessee, from what I get all of these hipsters don’t even see western queens as a city but more like a one big college campus where hipsters pat each other on the back and goes to each other exhibits knowing they all suck and will never have jobs.
There parents should be jailed for enabling them with this non paying liberal arts nonsense. These people wont be able to support themselves when the $$ runs out.
These "artists" create MASSIVE garbage with paper, wood, paint and styrofoam. A friend of mine owns a building on Jefferson St and has a big problem with 2 sculpture "artists" making things out of styrofoam. The crap is all over the house and sticks to everything you cant even sweep it. Now he has a 2 year battle in housing court to get them out
Hey Crappy, why don't you go to Howard Beach and complain. hahahaha
Its easy we have dumbed down college so much that just about anybody who pays the tuition can pass....aka "reporters"
Its also simply amazing how many busty blonds are hired by TV stations who cover sob stories about people being evicted because they stole $150,000 of equity from their homes for the his and hers SUV the man cave the trips to Tahiti, and of course the boob job for the wife...maybe the reporter had a one herself paid for by pole dancing and...
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Why don't reporters ever check into the legitimacy of the places they hype before they go ga ga over them?
Thanks to Clinton-Gores telle-comminication act of 95 (de-regulation and legal monopoly)
All the TV, radio stations. newspapers across America are owned by only 8 global conglomerates. (Notice all the British voices and faces on network TV and CNN latley)
All they give a shit about is tits and ass in front the TV lens (like in England, Europe and South America).
Now add writers of mostly gay males --and production team higher ups of lez and butch women hiring more of their own.
ALL DEMOCRAT LEFT WINGERS giving everbody not gay or on board with the agenda the elbow.
I worked at NBC-NY and got the hell out of that cesspool years ago. I got into this argument with SNLs co-producer Calvin Kleins daughter Marci. (a girl just out of some university who knew NOTHING about television or studios yet was dropped in overnight as producer).
She was pissed about me not clapping or cheering for Al Gore in the hallway---she called it being rude.
1-It simply was not my F_ing job to do.
2- He was annoying with his armed securiety thugs and sucked as an actor
Shows like SNL, America Idol, Jimmy Fallon have 60-200 paid pink card extras in the front and floor seats (all mic'd up) to clap and cheer. Some of these paid actors sometimes are planted in the audience to intract with guests, the ones that say lines get paid extra.
OK: Enough about the peacock that lost all it feathers
Looking for real Reporter's and Meteorologists ? FFForget about it there are no more !
Its all designated special interest assignments and NYU interns out on the streets doing the groundwork and most the writing (that must pass an editing desk) An "official face" is then sent out with a camera crew.
Whats left is fillers, re-written stuff off the internet (API and like newswires, Usernets etc)
NBC, CBS and the Daily News is the WORST of all of them.
Its all bullshit and special interest, don’t believe ANYTHING in print or on TV. BTW these people all have direct VPN connections to the mayor’s press secretary’s office---more BS and special interest
I think the comparison to soccer clubs/other social clubs isn't off base at all--there are thousands of similar operations all around the city, and they aren't causing the end of times. That said, most have the good sense to fly under the radar and not give interviews.
Its 100 % legal to have a bar, keg of beer anyplace as long as you’re not accepting money or serving minors.
Same shit with Louisa the naked cowgirl on Times Square; she can’t as for money but can take tips. The guitar is actually the tip cup that’s the whole scheme of the gig.
If these yahoo hipsters from the “sticks” want to get drunk, naked and paint each other wile swinging from ceiling fans let em ! Maybe they will all go broke, fall out some high factory windows and go home to Ohio or “whatever” West bumble F_ stupid for a "real job" culture they came from !!
They are charging for the drinks. They also appeared before CB2 for their SLA application. They haven't gotten the license yet.
Looking at the history it looks like what they are doing or want to do is cut a open space from the basement up to the 3rd floor.
This is very dangerous to the structural integrity of the building.
It’s an old building not the Queens Center Mall or a missle silo.
During more construction or emergency like a fire the whole structure could collapse inward on everbody---Stupid plan
Compared to fifteen hundred a year at the Harvard Club (HCNY.com, go to dues section)
Not to worry.
I am moving to Florida at the end of October 2016. After that, I will never set foot into Oracle.
That said, please join me in wishing Jenna well. She is amazing, in all respects.
Julian Tepper
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