Is This Club To Hot For Rye To Handle?
By Spencer Stapleton III & Clive Cumberbatch IV
For over a decade, 1 Oak has dominated the New York City nightlife scene. With its chic interiors, world-renowned DJ’s, and celebrity clientele, the club has made itself the number one destination for partygoers to shake what they got, as long as they can get in through the club’s notoriously tight door.
In recent years the Chelsea hotspot, located on West 17th street, has boldly expanded into cities around the world — Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tokyo, and Dubai. And this December, the club’s owners plan to make their boldest expansion to date: Rye, New York. For one night only, on New Years Eve, the place that Rihanna calls her second home will open its doors to Westchester County’s beautiful and elite. 1 Oak will take over, the now closed, Morgans Fish House on 22 Elm Place and make Rye one of the world’s most sought after NYE destinations.
The Rye Record was able to sit down with 1 Oak co-owner Richie Akiva to discuss this unforeseen expansion and answer the question that’s been burning through our brains: why Rye?
“It’s simple math really,” Akiva said. “Rye has a massively underserved population of women who wear skinny jeans and want to stay out later than Aurora’s last call at 9:30. These women love to get down to A$AP Rocky and Calvin Harris and I can help. See, before they went all ‘white picket fence,’ some of them were at my club’s opening in 2007… what goes around comes back around. And no, I didn’t mean to quote my best-friend, like-for-real-best-friend, Justin Timberlake there.”
But will the club’s brand remain the same after one night in suburbia? Looking to assure the public that the club will be able to maintain its exclusivity was longtime doorman, Crain Molesphini. “1 Oak Rye will have the same discerning door as all our spots. The No-Bridge-and-Tunnel-Policy will be strictly enforced. If you’re wearing that brand with the whale, don’t bother. Molesphini also discussed how he plans to handle the “how much you bench” crowd from Somers and Eastchester, saying “if they look classy, it’s a maybe. If they reek of cologne and hair gel, ring in the New Year elsewhere.”
So, who will have the honor of spinning at 1 Oak E.P.? None other than the newly crowned king of hip-hop, DJ Khaled. The rap impresario who famously said “You want my advice, don’t play yourself,” is looking forward to making Rye moms own the dancefloor and bust out “The Dougie” and “Lean Back” well into the wee hours of the A.M. When asked about the gig, Khaled stated, “While I will never be interviewed on ‘Ryemarkable Moms’ [one of his favorite shows, the other being NCIS New Orleans], you can’t be worthy of the hip hop crown without a shoutout on The Rye Moms’ Facebook Page.”
Will Angela’s be forced to extend its hours to serve the increased traffic this holiday season? Who knows? But one thing is guaranteed: Rye, if only for a night, will be off the chain.
