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You know, we really wish there was some place in San Francisco to go that was stylishly exclusive. Really, we'd go out more, but everytime we go to some club we're surrounded by -- gasp! -- people who aren't as exceptionally talented, handsome and rich as we are. Some place where we could sit back with a cocktail and chat with Gavin about how to make San Francisco more business friendly, and joke about how 'market rate' housing is affordable -- you just need an interest free loan from Ann and Gordon! Oh, Gavin, you're so droll...we seem to have spilled our martini on Wilkes Bashford.
Well, our high-class prayers have been answered with the recent opening of Otis on Maiden Lane between Grant and Kearny. Jet-set society darlings Damon White and Joseph Latimore must have felt that the gap between rich and poor was finely wide enough here in San Francisco to open the space, which plans to be heavy with invite-only events. Which means that while waiting patiently for the Gavster to kick the homeless out of the city, you'll be able to avoid the people who buy their Isaac Mizrahi at Target, too! Oh, but wait, who's that disshevelled individual charging in with the pellet gun? Must have had his general assistance taken away while waiting for supportive housing. Either that, or there's something Fabian Basabe isn't telling us. Willie, when you're done mopping up that mess we made of Wilkes' suit, won't you grab us another drink, dahling? Gin, dry, one olive. Ta.
Photo of rich choads Alex Fisher and Patrick Herning at Otis by Drew Altizer from the Nob Hill Gazette.
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One of the things I was really happy to have left behind in london was that rediculous elitist attitude of bouncers and managers at Soho Club doorways. Honestly - I'd be in a swanky bar/restaurant one day spending 100s of pounds on a huge birthday dinner with friends. Two days later the same place wouldn't let me past the poncy velvet rope for a drink at the bar. I really, really hate it. I even had to join a club when I lived there. It sucked. There is almost a rant coming on. Here's hoping this is the first and last we see of it in SF. At least it might help to keep all the la-dee-dahs out of the other SF watering holes, that's all that us regular people can hope for.
While I totally agree with Sam in theory, I'd also love a membership to Otis (Jackson hates this about me, I can tell). It would provide a nice wallet-space compliment to my gun club and gym memberships, and would probably be as frequently in use.
I'm not mad! Eve, you'd totally class that place up. And we would instantly have better gossip about the very people I gently mock!
Otis, you'd better send Eve an invite to your next to-do, or we shall take of the kid-gloves and give you a right spanking next time.
The smug feeling you get on being allowed into the members only club isn't nearly as satisfying as the joyous feeling of being let into ALL clubs which is how SF was in the days before Otis.
Oh sigh, I am all sad now.
Hmm, a club that I have no interest in going to won't let me in. Works out well for all parties, no need to be sad. It's not like there's a velvet rope in front of Pops.
The thing is - you never know if you don't want to be in Otis - you never know what you are missing out on, it presents a certain amount of intrigue, however sure you are that you don't really want to be mixing with the people in there.
San Francisco was so gloriously free of this scourge until now.I prefered it that way.
i am worried about the velvet ropes popping up everywhere. i hope its not the start of a silly elitist trend.
Gosh darnit, I hate elitist events. It is so un-San Francisco. Which is what I was telling a friend while at some secret dance party over the weekend, you know, the kind where you can only find out about if you know somebody in the know and get on their mailing list. I asked one of the promoters why they go to such lengths to keep people from knowing what the deal with the party is, and he just told me it's to keep the stupid frat dudes out. Yeah, I hate those stupid frat dudes. And I'm so glad I can go to events that stupid frat dudes don't know about
Oh I am SURE I wouldn't want to be in Otis. Anyone who would want to belong to a private club like that are the exact kind of people I try to avoid at all costs. Majorly BORING shit.
All those other elite san francisco clubs with their well dressed, attractive people. I mean what club in SF ISNT packed to the gills with people dressed up nicely hanging out in a nicely designed upscale lounge. What I think SF needs much more of is cheaply thrown together, (everything painted black so you dont see the dirt)poorly lit, smelly bars. What I would give to be surrounded by a ton of average people, music blasting.
I thought I moved out of the South to get away from inbreds. Why would I stand in line to mingle with them?
I think (hope) it will be fine in SF - as long as the trend doesn't develop. Keep them all in the one place and the rest of us wont care much. I like dive bars as much as I like swanky/dressy ones. I pick or mix depending on my prevalent mood.
But nothing irritates me more than when I am in a spendy mood, with a pockeful of cocktail cash, and some effer won't let me in the club. This is par for the course in Soho, London, after the pubs have shut. And I just hope all those places go bust in the end, when the G-list celebrities they fawn on drop from their gutterpress limelight.
First of all, Damon the part owner, is very far from being a stylish jet setter. In fact, he is a poor man with a temper who has no idea what he is doing. He is in debt up to his ears and his bar sucks ass. In fast, every employee in there is awful. The music sucks, the bartender can't make a drink to save her life, and the place is too small to even be comfortable. The only good thing about this place, is to watch Damon (flying high) try and act like a dick to all the people that actually invested the money to get this joke of a bar off the ground. Don't waiste your time. This club is sure to fail, thanks to Damon.
Damon is actually really cool, down to earth and by no means "Flying High"..... Jealous Much?
Ok this idea has some potential, but really, does San Francisco have that many truely deserving-read interesting, social scenesters to fill a small room, not really! I have lived in Miami, New York and London, where the trend actually started first- so 5 years ago!
Any real promoter knows in order for a party to be cool, you can't just have a room full of rich people. HOW BORING! Even Studio 54 let some "street people" in with j'nais se quoi!
Otis, hmm, it's like, so small you get claustrophobic. SF's night scene is like America in general, it's either upscale and full of knob heads with no taste in anything, but hell bent in excuding wealth, so they marry some snooty gold digger from Specific Whites and drive around in a Range Rover. Or it's completely
ghetto, on 6th street, and full of kids who couldn't spend Christmas.
Nothing in the middle of course, that's affordable and hip. The music in both types of establishments is usually garbage. Here's a heads up from a clued in European, SF's night life blows, and you can't get a drink after 2AM. It's so fwee and libewal in California, yeah right. Or you could go on a booat party with a bunch of pseudo hippy rich kids from marin, dancing to dance music with all the blackness taken out, but plenty of Dead Head vibes thrown in. Get me out this frigging backwater that mistakes a Europhile veneer for culture.
You know it's true. Just admit to yourself.
horrifying staff. unbelievably tacky and uneccessarily pretentious
who ever said damon sucks ass...u r a lame asshole. it's losers like u who sit around, not doin shit...needin to bring down others to boost up your sorry attitude. just mad cuz we don't like u.