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Mayor Eric Adams bids farewell to NYC’s nightlife mayor Ariel Palitz
This town’s not big enough for two Nightlife Mayors. And Eric Adams is officially the only party pasha left for now.
Ariel Palitz, the founding director of New York’s Office of Nightlife, a.k.a., “The Nightlife Mayor” had her final party in the position on Sunday night at Lower East Side hot spot Mr. Purple, and Hizzoner was there to bid her farewell. (Adams, of course, has gained a reputation for being something of a “Nightlife Mayor” himself because he seems to be on the scene every night).
The bash kicked off on Hotel Indigo rooftop bar at 8 p.m., with Mayor Adams arriving at around 11. He gave a speech praising Palitz for a job well done.
“People don’t come here because they want to go to sleep at night… She understood it. She navigated us through COVID. Can you imagine?” he said.
Palitz then got on the mic and thanked Adams for having faith in her, and assured the crowd that “nightlife was in good hands with Mayor Adams.” (You can say that again.)
Melba’s restaurant owner Melba Wilson, Chapel Bar’s Baizy Keflay, Boulton & Watt and Mister Paradise owner Darin Rubell, 90s Club Kid and designer Richie Rich, rap legend Kurtis Blow, Richie Romero, Chris Reda, Tony Montana, Someday Bar owner Megan Rickerson and Purple’s manager Aleksey Kernes were a few of Palitz’s pals in nightlife and hospitality who came out for her bon voyage bash.
Nightlife mayors from cities like Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Austin, Orlando, Pittsburgh and even Bogota, Colombia, were also on the scene.
Rich and Melba were in their element, dancing to DJ J Period and SONI withanEYE spinning tunes by Prince and Vanity 6’s “Nasty Girl.”
Palitz has held the role of nightlife mayor since former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s created the position in 2018. She announced back in February that she was stepping down “after five years, through two administrations, and a pandemic.”
“Leading the Office of Nightlife is truly the greatest job in city government, and if you love and know this industry and believe you can help make it even better, then I challenge you to answer the call just like I did,” she said, encouraging potential replacements to apply for the gig.
Rich has already thrown his hat in the ring. He told Page Six last month, “I’ve been preparing for this opportunity my whole life.”
“I’ve seen the evolution of nightlife over the years, and I would love the chance to serve my city in a big way and make it go boom!” he said.
