The Varick Street City Winery has been a fixture of the neighborhood for over a decade
While founder and CEO Michael Dorf wasn't eager to find a new location for his growing brand's flagship venue, he says that ultimately the move will result in a better Manhattan venue with a more inspiring setting and better guest experience.
City Winery closed on Varick Street on Wednesday, July 31. Dorf tells Q104.3's Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke that his hope is to reopen in early 2020 at a "fantastic spot" on Pier 57.
"It's right on the water. It's overlooking the new Barry Diller Island [at Pier 55], which is the most surreal looking project I've seen in New York in a long time," Dorf says. "And then it's surrounded by really beautiful architectural buildings, the Meat Packing district, Chelsea Market, the High Line, everything kind of converges right there, so it's a great spot."
Despite the indefinite period of construction at the Pier 57 location, Dorf says people can still enjoy his wine at City Vineyard locations at Pier 26 and at Rockefeller Center. Furthermore, he'll still be putting on shows at a venue on Park Row, where he's building a small venue.
"There's a beautiful old building in the middle of Park Row that was the tallest building in New York from 1902 - 1908," Dorf explains. "It's historic and beautiful. In the basement of that we're building about an [800] capacity small venue. We'll do more jazz and singer-songwriter stuff there. It'll be a lounge type of thing that will open in October. And that's great because our staff will have jobs while we're waiting for Pier 57 to open. That was really important to me."
Elsewhere in the interview Dorf recalls some of the most memorable moments over his decades in the New York music and entertainment world, including run-ins with Prince, Joni Mitchell and others.
Watch the full Out of the Box interview in the player above!
Get all the details on City Winery's concert calendar and wines here.
Thumbnail Photo: Getty Images
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