If you’ve lived in Manhattan long enough, you probably have a blurry memory of The Jane Ballroom New York. Maybe it involves dancing on a velvet sofa under a massive disco ball while a taxidermied ram watched from the wall. Or maybe it was the time you realize the person bumping into you was actually a famous actress or a random indie rocker from the early 2010s.
It was a weird place. Beautiful, but weird.
For years, The Jane was the kind of spot where the door was tough but the energy inside was chaotic in the best way possible. It didn’t feel like the polished, corporate lounges in Midtown. It felt like a bohemian mansion that hadn't been dusted since 1920. But recently, things changed. The "for the public" era of the Jane Ballroom effectively ended, and honestly, a lot of people are still trying to figure out if they can even get through the front door anymore.
The Shift to SVB NYC: Why The Jane Ballroom New York Went Private
In late 2022, hotelier Jeff Klein—the guy behind the legendary Sunset Tower in LA—closed on a $62 million deal to buy the hotel. His plan? To turn the famous ballroom into the New York outpost of his ultra-exclusive San Vicente Bungalows.
Basically, the era of the $18 cocktail and a lucky nod from the doorman is over.
Now, the ballroom has been reimagined as a members-only space. Klein’s model isn't about how much money you have, or so he says. He’s gone on record saying he’s rejected billionaires because they were "boring." Instead, he wants "interesting" people—artists, writers, and creative types. While that sounds nice and egalitarian in theory, for the average New Yorker who just wanted to dance on a Saturday night, it means the ballroom is now a ghost to the general public.
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The interiors were revamped by British designer Rose Uniacke. Think less "grungy taxidermy" and more "refined English townhouse." It still keeps the bones of the original architecture, but the vibe has shifted from a sweaty dance floor to a place where people probably discuss film scripts over organic wine.
A History That’s Genuinely Wild
You can’t talk about The Jane Ballroom New York without mentioning that the building has one of the most intense backstories in the city. It was built in 1908 as the American Seaman's Friend Society Sailors' Home and Institute. The architect, William A. Boring, also designed the immigrant station at Ellis Island.
He didn't design it to be a party palace. He designed it as a safe harbor for sailors.
The rooms were tiny—basically ship cabins. That’s why, to this day, the hotel rooms are famously small and affordable (for Manhattan). But the most famous historical footnote? In 1912, the survivors of the Titanic were brought here. The surviving crew members actually held a memorial service right there in the ballroom, which was an auditorium back then.
When you were dancing there in 2015, you were standing on the same floor where traumatized sailors sang "Nearer, My God, to Thee" just days after the world's most famous shipwreck. It’s heavy.
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From Sailors to Rockstars
Before it was the "cool" Jane, the building went through some rough decades. By the 1980s and 90s, it was a bit of a flophouse. It was gritty. It was part of the downtown punk and queer scene. Hedwig and the Angry Inch actually started here when the space was used for theater.
In 2008, it was restored and became the nightlife destination we remember. The ballroom became a living room for the Meatpacking District's spillover. It had this specific aesthetic—faded rugs, wingback chairs, and that massive fireplace—that made it feel like you were at a party in a wealthy, eccentric uncle's attic.
What Most People Get Wrong About Access Today
There is a lot of confusion about whether the hotel is "closed."
It’s not. You can still book a room at The Jane Hotel. The tiny "Standard Cabins" with shared bathrooms are still there, often starting around $150–$250, which is a steal for the West Village. It’s one of the last places in the neighborhood where "dash more than cash" travelers can actually afford to stay.
However, staying at the hotel does not automatically grant you access to the new private ballroom or the rooftop.
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The San Vicente Bungalows (SVB) operation is a separate beast. If you aren't a member or a guest of a member, the ballroom is effectively off-limits. This has caused a bit of a rift in the local community. The West Village isn't exactly short on exclusive clubs, but losing a venue as iconic as the Jane Ballroom to the "members only" trend felt like the final nail in the coffin for the neighborhood's old-school soul.
The Reality of the Rooftop
The rooftop bar was always the crown jewel. It had those incredible views of the Hudson River and the Jersey skyline. Under the new ownership, the roof has also been pulled into the private club circuit.
It used to be that if you knew the right person or showed up early enough, you could catch a sunset there. Now, it’s a controlled environment. The goal is to keep the capacity low and the "nuisance" to the neighbors at zero. It’s a recurring theme in New York nightlife: a spot gets too popular, the neighbors complain, a developer buys it, and it goes private to "control" the crowd.
Why the Jane Still Matters
Even if you can't get into the ballroom tonight, the building remains a landmark. It’s a piece of maritime history. It’s a reminder of a time when the West Side Highway was a forest of piers and sailors instead of joggers and high-end boutiques.
If you want to experience the vibe without a membership card, your best bet is to:
- Book a Cabin: Stay overnight to experience the ship-cabin architecture. It’s a claustrophobic but charming slice of NYC history.
- Walk the Exterior: The building is a designated landmark. The polygonal tower on the corner of Jane and West Street is still one of the most beautiful sights in the Village.
- Explore the Neighborhood: The Jane sits right at the intersection of the West Village and Meatpacking. You’re steps away from the High Line and the Whitney Museum.
The Jane Ballroom New York has lived many lives. It’s been a sanctuary for sailors, a morgue-side vigil for the Titanic crew, a punk rock theater, a celebrity dance floor, and now, a playground for the creative elite. While the "party" as we knew it has changed, the building isn't going anywhere. It’s just waiting for its next century to begin.
To see the building for yourself, head to 113 Jane Street. Even if you just stand on the sidewalk and look up at the brickwork, you’re looking at over a hundred years of New York’s weirdest, saddest, and most glamorous stories.