Gay Nightclub History Shines On In Renovated NYC Lounge

NEW YORK CITY — High above the dancers, the bartenders and the drag queens, there's a piece of gay nightlife history at the recently renovated Ritz Bar and Lounge in Hell's Kitchen — the massive disco ball.

The revolving mirrored orb has graced the ceiling of a historic gay nightclub in Chelsea before landing at The Ritz.

First, the disco ball lived at Splash, which opened in 1991 and became famous for its dancers performing in translucent shower stalls (hence the name).

When Splash closed in 2013, The Ritz bought the disco ball from them for around $50 and has had it as the centerpiece of the dance floor ever since, Lance Hodge, the general manager of The Ritz, told Patch.

The disco ball has witnessed countless friendships and romances forming, the AIDS crisis, the legalization of same-sex marriage, 17 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, and countless performances from gay cultural icons like Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Beyonce, and more.

"[The ball] was up there on the ceiling when Britney Spears was at Splash, or Katy Perry or Lady Gaga," a DJ at The Ritz who goes by Steve Sidewalk, told Patch. "Anytime I hear any of those artists, I am reminded of the past, and it's nice to bring that past to the present crowd. It's really cool that it kind of connects everything."

When then-President Barack Obama announced his support for same sex marriage, Splash played the video clip, which reflected off the ball, Sidewalk said.

When new owners bought and renovated the Ritz this year, shortly after three men were convicted and sentenced for fatally drugging and robbing two gay men leaving the Ritz in 2022, the disco ball nearly didn't make it to the re-opening in May.

"When we were doing renovations a couple weeks back, they wanted to get something smaller for the ceiling, and I kind of told them, ‘No, this disco ball has kind of a lot of history,'" Hodges, who has worked at The Ritz for 18 years, said.

Hodges was a Ritz regular who then started working in security at the bar before rising through the ranks to general manager.

"The thing's like 50 years old, probably, and I told them we should either just redo it or keep it because of the history, because the disco ball has traveled through different decades of queer nightlife in the city," Hodges said.

Eric Hanninen, who started frequenting the bar in 2014, recently purchased the entire four-story building for $5.8 million, and is rolling out changes to make The Ritz safer, more inclusive, and more in tune with the needs of Hell’s Kitchen nightlife, he said.

"There’s a lot of work to do, but we’re committed to creating a space that welcomes everyone, celebrates queer culture, and brings back the energy that made The Ritz special in the first place," Hanninen said.

Now, below the disco ball, there's a new dance floor, a new DJ booth, a larger stage, new ambient lighting, new benches, and remodeled bathrooms.

And, in June, the bar reopened the backyard patio with seating and table service.

"I'm a gay man, and this is my home — this is my chosen family," Sidewalk said. "And it's really great that we get to come together, we get to party, we get to celebrate, you know, and we get to escape. And I think the disco ball is at the center of all that."

The Ritz Bar and Lounge is open from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily and is located at 369 W 46th St. in Hell's Kitchen.

Correction, July 2: An earlier version of this article stated the disco ball was also present at the Roxy.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.