PH-D

This club was a pleasant surprise for me, considering I had never heard of it. We headed over for a friend's birthday, a group of about 7-8 girls. The hotel was chic and convenient for people from out of town, I would have returned to stay. The strategic open spaces and big white walls near the elevators was very clean and aesthetically pleasing, and reminded me of a museum. The actual club is not huge, and unfortunately much of the space is taken up by tables. My biggest complaint was that there wasn't a solidly defined place to dance, leaving us kind of bopping around next to our table. The drinks were good though, and the club was extremely generous and courteous in drinks they provided us for my friend's birthday (though this might have also had something to do with the promoter we were with). The outside balcony had a gorgeous view and had your table been outside, it would have been a nice place to spend time. However, there is not much room to stand and dance or talk outside unless you're at one of the tables because the pathway is otherwise narrow. The DJ was great, and definitely played songs we wanted to dance to. The staff was accommodating and pleasant, and we had no issues getting refills on drinks at the bar or table. The crowd tended to be in their mid-to-late 20's if I had to guess, a good overall demographic for the club, though there were a few older clubbers lurking around, as there usually tend to be. I had a great night and would definitely go back for a more low-key clubbing experience, though not if I was in the mood to be dancing the night away.

I decided to celebrate my birthday here. I called several times and called 2 weeks in advance to make sure I had all the appropriate information for my friends. I even put our names on the guest list. I was assured there was no cover charge. When I arrived with my friends the white and Asian females attending the club were allowed in without questions and without charge. The line was moving pretty fast. When it got to me and my friends we were told we had to pay 3500 to get in. When we asked why they didn't have an explanation for us. They went from 3500 dollars to 2500 to eventually 1500 which was still ridiculous. I told the bouncer I called ahead I was assured it was no cover charge and also that I was on the guest list. I basically told if we don't pay the 1500 we wouldn't get it. I was appalled at how they treated us and would never recommend this place to everyone. My friends and I weren't welcome there and they made that known with there outlandish request.

On the night of the first round of the 2013 NFL draft Hope Africa and Beyond the Boroughs held a fundraising and Draft party event, and was littered with current and former athletes and celebrities. President and founder of HOPE Africa and 2012 Super Bowl Champion, James Ihedigbo as well as the President and founder of Beyond the Boroughs, Tutan Reyes co-hosted the event located at PH-D Dream Hotel (355 West 16th Street). Advanced ticket prices were $150 per person and $175 at the door, which included an open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres. The event was held for an opportunity to support Beyond the Boroughs mission: providing college scholarships to deserving students with college acceptance letters and unmet financial need. The fundraiser was also an opportunity to support the HOPE Africa Scholarship Awards that were created in 2012 through a partnership with HOPE Africa and Beyond the Boroughs. James Ihedigbo is a University of Massachusetts graduate, and a class act. He has appeared in the last four AFC Championship games with three different teams (2009 & 2010 with The New York Jets, 2011 with The New England Patriots and 2012 with The Baltimore Ravens). However, James’ most touching and passionate work comes from his non-profit charitable foundation HOPE Africa. Tutan Reyes’ founded Beyond the Boroughs after he first hand saw how a college scholarship can impact a life. His foundation rewards underprivileged students with four-year scholarships to males and females from any race or state. Some notable athletes and celebrities that attended the event were; Former New York Giant Chris Canty; Former New York Jet Shonn Greene; Vonta Leach of the Baltimore Ravens; Bret Lockett of The New York Jets; Brittany Jackson from The WNBA; Meeka Don and Imani Showalter from Basketball Wives; The Mob Wives cast; actress Michelle Phelps; retired and former New York Giant Keith Bullock; and R&B singer Mario. Ray Rice of The Baltimore Ravens made a fashionable late entrance as well. James and Tutan were extremely pleasant hosts, and the event went off without a hitch. PH-D is known for attracting the biggest names and is also regarded as one of the best nightlife spots in New York City. On a normal Thursday night, PH-D has a reputation of being very hard to get in to (for men), and to reserve a table can cost you well over $2,000. However, this was not a normal Thursday night as Hope Africa and Beyond the Boroughs really went out of their way to make it a success. Look out for all our interviews and photos on PureSportsNY.com

The Dream Downtown Hotel has the word "dream" in it for a reason. The minute you step foot into the building, you are surrounded by beautiful marble table tops and shiny surroundings almost as if you are in a dream. With its exclusive feeling you will get an inside look on who's who in New York whether you are by a socialite, a Manhattan Elite, a promotor or someone that had got in by chance that night. You will not be able to tell for anyone that is anybody has already stepped foot into this club. There's a strict dress code for people that are wanting to enter this club so if you are not dressed down to the nines, these bouncers will not let you in. As long as you look attractive and/or have money to spend that night, you will not have a problem getting into this club. Every now and then celebrities are known to be spotted at this particular venue and in order to spot them, you must look closely for these celebs try to mix in with the crowd and not draw attention. There is a beautiful view on the twelfth floor with glass windows overlooking the Hudson River and skyline. You have the choice of either taking a sip of a cocktail in the lounge area inside or going outside on the deck overlooking the city lights. The twelfth floor is where you will most likely spot celebrities or athletes hanging out in the indoor lounge area. Although the outside is beautiful, it is a very narrow space leaving little room for you to move around and the security tends to get agitated if you walk in and out frequently. The upside is that outside there is a beautiful view with attractive plants nearby. The downside is that more often than not, there will not be a place to sit and as a woman standing in 7 inch heels for more than 20 minutes without sitting can bring an immense amount of pain. It is advised that you arrive before 9:30 to increase your chances of getting in, especially if you are not part of the unspoken New York City "elite" , celebrity or not as fortunate to have a large amount of funds to be spent at this venue. Overall, this is a very nice place to go to if you want to get a taste of how the Wall Street hustlers and the famous individuals hang out for a night. Just remember to dress properly and get there in a timely fashion,

I've been here a few times and have always had a good time! The entire place is absolutely beautiful. PH-D is located on the penthouse floor of the Dream Hotel in Chelsea and hosts views that rival those seen at the Standard. The nice thing about PH-D is that there is space outside for socializing in case the inside area gets too overwhelming. The drinks are expensive but lets get real -- it's New York... What do you expect? Great music, great crowd -- have fun dancing the night away!

To be fair, yes, PH-D looks very beautiful. The view of the New York City skyline that one sees through its many wall-length windows is breathtaking, the speaker-studded DJ throne at the far end is cool in a sci-fi kind of way, and in general the furniture and layout have a feeling of sleek luxury to then. This feels like the kind of place vampires would hang out, and that's wonderful. However, it then costs over twenty dollars for two fingers of scotch, and this was after you negotiated your way up in the elevator past the tower doorman in the skinny jeans. On top of that, the crowd if your typical clubber fare, the type of people who like to go to places like this to remind themselves that they're worth it. Overall, I'd call this place a bust, but hey, if you have the coin and patience, then shmooze away, pal.

I came here on a Thursday night for bottle service, and overall had a good time but getting in was quite the conundrum. For one, the doorman is in a little holding pen inside the hotel entrance so it's easy to miss him and get in the wrong elevator, dodge hotel guests with their luggage, make a trip through the restaurant bar before becoming frustrated and getting ready to leave and running into him on your way out. Your blacklight stamp will also be checked upon entrance to the elevator entrance, when waiting for the elevator, upon entrance to the elevator, and again when you leave the elevator - because ninja's have been known to hijack the elevator shafts and try to jump in before you reach the 12th floor. Once you get into the actual club, the decor is very well done and the view is amazing. The bottle service booths are big and comfortable, the chandeliers are glitzy, but the real highlight is the view of the Empire State Building and Midtown in general which is completely unobstructed from their outdoor terrace where people go to smoke cigarettes and take pictures against the skyline. The music is also danceable with a mix of Top 40 songs from the 2000's which was good to get everyone moving, especially since the crowd seemed to already be quite loopy at 1 o'clock. I'd definitely stop by again, especially in the daytime where the daytime brunch is supposed to be quite the afternoon out.