42ND STREET

[TRAVEL] Uwern Jong checks out dancing feet of a totally different kind on 42nd street.

The infamous lyrics from that Broadway number have never rung truer...

"In the heart of little old New York, You'll find a thoroughfare. It's the part of little old New York, That runs into Times Square."

There's something new afoot on 42nd Street, particularly on the west end, around 10th Ave - an area that Manhattan natives raise their brow when you mention that you're going there. But redevelopment is taking on the street usually famous for its Broadway-ish shows. Gone are the tired warehouse buildings and sleazy sex shops and rebirthed are glass commercial and residential buildings, edgy, sophisticated - but without forgetting the area's roots.

"Come and meet those dancing feet, On the avenue I'm taking you to, Forty-Second Street."

My journey to 42nd Street and 10th coincides with the launch of XL, a brand new gay super-club. The previous Chelsea venue of the same name has gone through some re-imagining and re-opened, a little later than originally anticipated, but with a mega-dancefloor, theater and event space, underneath what is to be (if it ever opens) New Yorks's first gay hotel The Out NYC.

(In the meantime, if you're looking for a place to stay in the area, you can check into new ultra-futuristic Yotel, literally just across the street from the venue. Don't forget to check out Out There's good friend Patrick Duffy's Sunday event EAT YO BRUNCH at the Yotel and stay tuned for more exciting developments to come as Patrick gets installed as Director of Programming at the hotel).

"Where the underworld can meet the elite, 42nd Street"

Back to XL, its first Friday night party sees Rokit from FornabioVoss taking resident there, with its usual stable of pretty, up for it club-kids. It was busy, with the queue going round the block with revellers waiting in the longest line in the world, some making it past the velvet ropes, others waving their membership cards in the cold New York night outside. John Blair, the man behind the club is after all, notorious for starting a system in the 90s of giving patrons cards which ranked them by attractiveness: white for the average people, gold for the above average, and VIP for the hot.

That's New York hype for you, but I'm not quite sure what the fuss is all about. Yes, the club is super trendy, but I can't help but wonder, with New York gays being such followers of fashion, if it has the legs to stand the years to come. That said, that's what many critics said about Heaven in London when it opened in the seventies and it's still going strong now. I guess only time will tell.

Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun and I wasn't short of subjects wanting to be photographed in celebration of the venue's launch. So heres it is Ladies and Gentlemen (and those in between), check out our photos from the night and don't forget to tag yourself...