The British may be on their way to New York.
There’s an unconfirmed rumor that the former Friars Club townhouse on East 55th St. will get a new, exclusive tenant.
That would be Annabel’s, London’s hottest club for the rich and famous.
Richard Caring owns Annabel’s, as well as many top restaurants in London. He reopened the club in 2018 and has never looked back. Annabel’s attracts people like Mick Jagger, Harry Styles, Kylie Minogue, etc. In other words, you and I are not getting in, even for a glass of water!
This news comes as Gary Barnett of Extell Real Estate has purchased the famed Friars building at 57 East 55th St. out of foreclosure for $19 million. Barnett loves to build skyscrapers, but the Friars is landmarked. It’s a unique Tudor style building with a rich history.
With private clubs flourishing in Manhattan, it would seem likely one of them would want to move in and make the place over. It’s better than making it a Sephora! If it’s not Annabel’s, it could easily be an outpost for one of the other clubs that cost tens of thousands for members.
The Friars Club was once a thriving enterprise until it was taken over by people who literally looted it, diminished its standing until no celebrities would set foot in the place. There was an FBI raid, lawsuits, scandals.
Bit by bit, it was destroyed. The former home of Sinatra, Joan Rivers, Jerry Lewis, Larry King, and so on was squandered for all kinds of personal gain.
You can still see the Friars– or at least a replica — in a famous “Seinfeld” episode. But it’s sad to think all these great institutions — I’m still mourning the 21 Club — are gone forever.
