"There are so many clubs in the Hollywood area. The landscape has changed dramatically," said veteran nightclub operator Ivan Kane, whose early ventures, such as Kane and Deep, began injecting life into the scene in the late '90s.
The current array of after-dark activities traces back to earlier urban renewal efforts in the area, notably the Highlands Hollywood nightclub. Launched in 2001 on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland retail complex, the 30,000-square-foot multilevel venue helped usher in an era of Las Vegas-esque "destination nightspots," clubs built with high-end amenities and overwhelming scale.
The Highlands never quite caught on with clubland's movers and shakers, but it certainly set the stage for Hollywood's upstart super-club the Kress. Since opening this summer, the 38,000-square-foot restaurant and nightclub has been the site of such VIP events as TV Guide's Emmy Awards after-party and a gala held by rap mogul Jermaine Dupri to honor the Black Entertainment Television Awards. Spread out over five floors, the Kress occupies a historic building formerly home to Frederick's of Hollywood.
Kress owner Mike Viscuso spent two years and more than $25 million refitting the building with an octagonal bar, refurbished marble walls, six $100,000 chandeliers, an ornate champagne lounge and a sushi bar. "There's nothing like it in L.A.," Viscuso said, gesturing at the club's panoramic view.
Viscuso, who is credited with helping transform San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter into a night-life mecca, is hardly the only club major-domo under the assumption that size matters. This winter, a glammed-out 13,000-square-foot mega-club called Playhouse is set to open at the site currently occupied by the Fox Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. It's the latest venture from night-life impresario Robert Vinokur, who operated similarly scaled venues in Miami and New York.
"We're going to blend the fun of Miami clubs with the sophistication of New York," Vinokur said. "But we're still working off the Hollywood theme in that we're ushering in a new era of Hollywood glam."
The Kress and Playhouse face stiff competition from established mega-clubs in the neighborhood.
The recently revamped Vanguard is 20,000 square feet, and the Avalon boasts 33,000 square feet of party acreage, including its just-opened lounge, Bardot.
