Arena

Story

Area was a themed nightclub that operated from 1983 to 1987 at 157 Hudson Street in Manhattan, New York City.The club was known for its unusual invitations.The club was founded by brothers Eric Goode and Christopher Goode, Shawn Hausman and Darius Azari. The brick building housing Area was originally built in 1866 to house the stables of the American Express Company.The club was open from Wednesday to Saturday, 11 pm till 4 am. Area attracted many celebrities. Writing for Details was Stephen Saben and Michael Musto, writing for The Village Voice magazine, these tabloids chronicled the doings there, and looked back on the phenomenon in Musto's book, Downtown.There are several mentions of Area in Andy Warhol's diaries. Ben Buchanan was the official photographer for the club and was there most nights documenting the scene. These photos were in Details every month and often in the New York Post and Daily News.DemiseOf the "three hot clubs" in lower Manhattan in the 1980s—Area, Limelight, and Danceteria - Area " a natural death", Limelight survived with a less artistic clientele, and Danceteria " way to expensive office space".After gentrification of the neighborhood, the building was converted to multifamily residential use, with terraced penthouses atop the existing structure.