1Oak Club / Lounge

Chelsea / Flatiron, New York –

1Oak may be perpetually “closed for a private event” – or so the super-exclusive club would like guests to believe – but for those in the know, the venue is very much open as long as patrons have a name to drop at the nearly impossible door.

Once inside, the select crowd of models, promoters, celebrities, and Wall Street types are greeted by a modern décor as sophisticated as they are.

A black-and-white floor plays counterpoint to the sleek oak ceiling, while the rest of the space is decked out in one conversation piece after the other, from walls covered in cursive writing or intricate layers of gold letters to immense contemporary photos by Roy Nachum – in particular the nude woman flanked by buffaloes – which contribute to the decadent atmosphere.

Spacious ostrich leather booths along the perimeter of the J-shaped room provide plenty of space for affluent businessmen to indulge in bottle service and flaunt their wealth for the glamazons dancing on the couches or under the glitzy 80s disco ball by the DJ booth in the back.

Not to be outdone by the gorgeous waitresses in black mini-dresses and knee-high boots, the club’s model-esque partygoers show up dressed to impress in sky-high stilettos and the latest designs by Alexander Wang or Brian Atwood.

Particularly popular with a late-night crowd that’s already plastered from the ridiculously expensive cocktails, 1Oak tends to get crazy in the wee hours, when a somewhat pretentious clientele pours in from other clubs to down one more bottle of champagne before calling it a night.