The Roxy (sometimes Roxy NYC) was a nightclub and former disco roller rink, located at 515 West 18th Street in Manhattan, a borough of New York City, United States. Located in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, it began as a roller disco in 1978, founded by Steve Bauman, Richard Newhouse and Steve Greenberg.
- Venue
- The Roxy (New York City)
- Town
- Manhattan, US
The Roxy (sometimes Roxy NYC) was a nightclub and former disco roller rink, located at 515 West 18th Street in Manhattan, a borough of New York City, United States. Located in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, it began as a roller disco in 1978, founded by Steve Bauman, Richard Newhouse and Steve Greenberg. It was acquired in 1985 by Gene DiNino. The Roxy closed permanently in March 2007. Beginning in the early 1980s, the owners began hosting private party nights. Referred to by many as the "Studio 54 of roller rinks", these parties thrived for several years. Then, as the popularity of skating began to fade, the space was revamped into a dance club in June 1982 by Ruza Blue whose idea it was to transform the roller rink into a dance club. The Roxy hosted a party for the Olympic gold medal-winning USA Ice Hockey team in 1980. Ruza Blue, nicknamed "Kool Lady Blue", produced the first multi-racial, multi-cultural hip-hop dance clubs in New York City. She was the founder of Club Negril (1981-82) and The Roxy where she showcased elements of hip hop, plus more for the first time downtown in a nightclub environment on a regular weekly basis; this was where true hip hop first gained recognition. Her clubs featured a mash up of all musical styles from early hip hop, electro, funk, soul, disco, rock, punk, dub and electronic dance music. Jon Baker, the future founder of Gee Street Records, worked the door. Hip-hop pioneers, including Grand Mixer D.ST Jazzy Jay and Afrika Bambaataa began DJing there and Kool Lady Blue sponsored breaking or b-boy/b-girl competitions featuring the Rock Steady Crew, Graffiti Artist Murals, Emcees like Fab 5 Freddy hosting the nights and she even had the idea to book Double-dutch exhibitions by The Fantastic Four local American Double Dutch League champions and added Double Dutch to the hip-hop equation at Negril and The Roxy. Musicians including Madonna, Run DMC, Kraftwerk, Shannon, Malcolm McLaren, New Edition, Kurtis Blow, The Beastie Boys, Yel