Hold Up, The Iconic 21 Club May Not Be Gone For Good...

If you're among a certain subset of New Yorker for which sipping chichi martinis and dining next to presidents is a regular occurrence, you probably spent this weekend mourning the loss of 21 Club, the iconic speakeasy-turned-status-affirming-destination beloved by the likes of JFK, Hemingway, Sinatra, and a slew of power brokers and one percenters. 

The Midtown mainstay, which has been temporarily closed since March due to COVID, announced its shuttering after 90 years. But we may not have to say goodbye to those famous jockeys forever.

While a 21 Club spokesperson did say, "In light of the ongoing global crisis and anticipated extended recovery period for the hospitality industry, the difficult decision was made that it will not be feasible to reopen the 21 Club in its current form for the foreseeable future," they also left room for holding out hope. 

"The company is exploring potential opportunities that will allow 21 Club to remain a viable operation in the long term, while retaining its distinctive character. At this early stage, we are not ready to announce any final concept or timeframe, but the vision is that 21 Club will always remain an important social and cultural hub and icon of New York, one that is well positioned to fulfill its role in the City’s exciting future when the time comes."

Personally, we like to focus on the positive - and it sounds a lot like this old school fixture will bounce back, along with the rest of the city, eventually. We mean, it did manage to survive prohibition...

[Photo via 21 Club]