Caught Up In The Rapture

You may not have been around for the golden era of the East Village in the ’80s, when Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s unprecedented works brought New York’s center of artistic creativity to the gritty streets surrounding Tompkins Square Park. If not, you certainly know of the gloriously innovative gallery days and the strung out, free-spirited nights at Danceteria that followed.

Then came RENT, and with it, the neighborhood’s gentrification. So as much as you relish your Sunday brunch at Café Mogador, you can’t help but wonder how all the New Wave craziness diminished, only to be replaced by the current climate of hipsters and pseudo-punks.

That’s where Rapture Café & Books comes in: The new nightlife destination, celebrating its debut with a gala this evening, recalls the artistically charged glory days in a nightclub reminiscent setting that’s part coffee-house & bar (with free Wi-Fi), part performance space, and part retail emporium. Initiated by a group of local socio-politically minded creative types, Rapture’s mission is to re-instill the spirit of modern bohemia back into one of the most vibrant neighborhoods of the world. Hattie Hathaway and Joe Birdsong host the evening’s colorful festivities with a slew of integral performers like Dean Johnson and Miss Kelly Webb, and stay tuned for the Chi Chi Valenti hosted Jackie Factory party after New Year’s.



Rapture Café & Books
200 Avenue A (between 12th and 13th Streets) | View Google Map
New York, NY 10009
Tel: +1 (212) 228-1177
www.rapturecafe.com