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Rare images of NYC nightclubs from the 1980s and ’90s, including the Limelight and Roxy

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amny-Nightclubs / jcm 1988
Jessica Rosenblum, who’s in charge of the door, only lets members, friends or interesting-looking people into Nell’s Nightclub on West 14th Street on Feb. 2, 1988. Photo Credit: Newsday / Susan Farley
  • John Keveanos and Matty Walsh stand outside the legendary Jimmy Ryan's Dixieland club, at 154 E. 54 St., Manhattan, on Dec. 22, 1983. The nightclub closed later that year.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Dick Yarwood
  • Patrons enjoy drinks by the bar at Tramps on 21st Street on May 25, 1985. The nightclub was located at 51 W. 21st St., Manhattan.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / John Keating
  • Area, an '80s nightclub that was open for only four years, between 1983 and 1987, is seen on June 24, 1985. It was located at 57 Hudson St., Manhattan.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / David L. Pokress
  • Shout Disco, pictured here on its opening night on July 31, 1985, was a new club on West 43rd Street that catered to '50s and '60s rock-and-roll.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Jim Cummins
  • Legendary doorman Haoui Montaug stands with his assistant, Yehjong Son, to review the guest list and decide who will gain entry to the Palladium on Oct. 11, 1985.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Ken Sawchuk
  • Playboy
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael Ach
  • Patrons dance at the Heartbreak Disco at 179 Varick St., Manhattan, on July 31, 1986.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • A sign for the Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave., is seen on Aug. 20, 1987. The jazz club opened in 1935.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • A sign from the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village is seen on Aug. 20, 1987.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • A sign from Fat Tuesday's jazz club in Greenwich Village is seen on Aug. 20, 1987.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • The Village Gate Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, seen on Aug. 20, 1987, was renowned for its bookings, including the legendary John Coltrane.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • Jessica Rosenblum, who's in charge of the door, only lets members, friends or interesting-looking people into Nell's Nightclub on West 14th Street on Feb. 2, 1988.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Susan Farley
  • A sign from the former Cat Club, 76 E. 13th St., Manhattan, is seen on Jan. 23, 1988.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • The balcony and dance floor are full at The World on Jan. 5, 1989. The club was located at 254 E. Second St. in the East Village.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
  • Freddie Cole, brother of the late Nat King Cole, sings to jazz enthusiasts at Marty's East at 209 E. 56th St., Manhattan, on Jan. 21, 1989.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
  • The Rose Saigon Club, located at 252 W. 43 St. in Manhattan, is seen on Feb. 23, 1989. The club was an after-hours joint with a reputation for being a drug den. Today, the location is occupied by Cheetahs Gentlemen's Club.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Ken Sawchuk
  • Wetlands Preserve opened in TriBeCa on Valentine's Day in 1989 and became nationally recognized as a mecca for jam bands like Phish, Blues Traveler and the Dave Matthews Band. Larry Block, seen on March 3, 1989, in front of the '60s decor, was the club's owner. It closed in September 2001.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Erica Berger
  • A street art sign for Handlebar in the East Village is seen on May 1, 1990.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Viorel Florescu
  • A club-goer on a swing sails over heads on May 19, 1990, at the famed Roxy club, which was once called
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Donna Dietrich
  • This shuttered location at Amsterdam and West 85 Street, seen on Nov. 6, 1990, once housed Sabu's nightclub.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
  • Roseland Ballroom, at 239 W. 52 St., Manhattan, is seen on Nov. 1, 1990.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
  • Vito Bruno, who got his start in the city's nightlife business with the 2001 Odyssey in Brooklyn (
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Donna Dietrich
  • A jazz group performs at The Village Vanguard in Manhattan's Greenwich Village on May 5, 1992.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
  • A man parties at the Limelight, 47 W. 20th St., Manhattan, on July 27, 1992.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Bruce Gilbert
  • Olympia, the Limelight's bartender for the night, poses for a photo on July 27, 1992.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Bruce Gilbert
  • An artificial palm tree stands tall inside SOB's nightclub on Jan. 11, 1992.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Mitsu Yasukawa
  • Dave Ouinet, lead singer of the rock group Motherhead Bug, belts out a tune at CBGB on Aug. 13, 1992. The club opened in the East Village at 315 Bowery in 1973 and shut its doors in 2006.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / V. Richard Haro
  • While Liberty, left, and Popi cuddle, Diego snoozes on the couch around 5 a.m. at Club Shelter on Aug. 4, 1992. The club was formerly located at 157 Hudson St., Manhattan.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Bruce Gilbert
  • Club-goers dress for a
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Erica Berger
  • A couple takes to the dance floor at Polyester, 1487 First Ave., Manhattan, on March 19, 1994.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
  • Peter Gatien, the owner of Tunnel, is seen on Aug. 31, 1995. The nightclub, located at 220 12th Ave., Manhattan, opened in 1986 and shut its doors in 2001.
    Photo Credit: Newsday / Bruce Gilbert

The nightclubs of the 1980s and ’90s were often wild landscapes that attracted unique nocturnal animals.

The Club Kids, led by impresario Michael Alig, turned places like the Limelight into backdrops of drug- and techno-induced drama, while live music dens like the Village Gate presented stages to some great jazz musicians.

A glimpse through the rare images below will remind you that as with everything in the city, the scene is constantly changing. These photos, from the early ’80s into the late ’90s, give glimpses of what it was like at iconic clubs such as the Limelight and Wetlands Preserve.

Let the party begin.

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