The Blond Closes for Good: Guests Learned at the Halloween Party When the DJ Announced It

The Blond, the A-list nightclub tucked inside 11 Howard, is permanently closed, and the way it went out is already nightlife lore. According to reports, last Saturday’s packed Halloween party became the club’s final night, and guests only found out when the DJ announced the closure over the microphone.“It was packed. No one knew,”one attendee said.

The closure is tied to a bigger real estate story. Hotel owner Aby Rosen’s RFR Holding settled with landlord Commerz Real this week over back rent and contract disputes, handing the property back to the landlords. Hospitality group Ennismore, which runs Hoxton, Mondrian, Delano and SLS, is now the operator of 11 Howard.

For nearly a decade, The Blond was the downtown spot, drawing everyone from Madonna to Hailey Bieber to big-spending Wall Street interns. Rosen says 11 Howard has“an extraordinary future,”and there’s still an active liquor license at the address, so a new venue could rise there eventually. Would you try a new spot in the same space, or is The Blond irreplaceable?