Stash: The Meatpacking District's Underground Secret
If you’ve wandered past Snap sports bar on 8th Avenue recently and noticed a long line of women in heels tucked against well-groomed men, you may have wondered when watching football became such a fashionable activity. But look past the throngs of glittery twenty-somethings and you’ll see a bouncer and a doorman guarding a new unmarked door, the entryway to the newest semi-secret bottle-service heavy nightclub, Stash.
According to owner and nightlife veteran Matthew Isaacs, the space is not meant to be pretentious though they do use discretion due to the small size (100-150 capacity). Those lucky enough to gain entry will find themselves walking down a long hallway decorated with selected artworks curated by Richard Alvarex, whose name some might recognize as the Boom Boom Room’s doorman.
The sounds of late night revelry float up as guests travel down a staircase to be greeted by a small, dimly lit room. Designed by nightlife legend and BlackBook columnist Steve Lewis, the space is meant to resemble a jewel box with mahogany and hickory parquet walls and floors. The crowning feature and most noticeable design element is a red and gold hand-laid mosaic domed ceiling by The Wynn Las Vegas’ Danillo Bonazzo.
Isaacs says “serious attention” is paid to those getting bottle service. There are ten tables whose banquettes are not only used to dance upon, but include compartments for people to “stash” — hence the name-their things away.
For those not interested in a table, there is plenty of room along the bar to mingle and get down to the mix of high-energy music (we heard both Tone Loc and Weezer on a recent evening). A drink menu created by mixologists Rael Petiti and Jeremy Starwn of the Mulberry Project will be in place by next week, but in the meantime bartenders are ready to serve up bespoke custom creations based on the individual's palate.
The space has been holding private parties and events since December and officially opened to the public on New Years Eve. Though a number of celebrity guests have stopped by, Isaacs is keeping things tight-lipped. What happens underground stays underground. This place is a secret after all.
