One of the surprise highlights of the summer of 2011 was the debut of The Palms, a retro art deco homage to the ’50s Florida nightclub scene, located in a defunct Bank of America branch in Long Island City. Popping up out of nowhere last August, The Palms was one hell of a unique party: In addition to the three giant dumpster pools in a 15,000 square foot parking lot, there were food trucks, ping-pong, badminton, booze, and lots of dancing. Inside the bank, bartenders served drinks where tellers once issued withdrawals, and the vault was transformed into a snazzy sunglass boutique. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Artists Wanted, a spin-off of Third Ward, is now using the space for their main office. And one of The Palms’ creators, William Etundi Jr. (he also founded the popular underground party series The Danger) tells us, “We won’t be hosting any pool parties, but there will be interesting things popping up thoughout the summer.” Right now Etundi is busy running Artists Wanted, a online project intended to connect artists to a wider audience. Currently, Etundi’s group has persuaded the Times Square Advertising Coalition to donate space on more than a dozen billboards for a month, and artists are now using the spaces to show their work.
So pour one out for The Palms into the leaky dumpster pool of your memories. At least it’s good to know that when one pool closes, another one opens.
