Veruka was a nightclub in
Manhattan, owned by Noel Ashman. The club operated between January 1997 and June 2004, and was known for its strict door policy and celebrity patrons.
History
The name Veruka was derived from Veruca Salt, the character of the story ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'' Veruka
was located on Broome Street at Sixth Avenue. It had a multi-level lounge and was one of New York's first clubs to have
bottle service. In 2001, designer
Todd Oldham redesigned the club. Hip-hop songwriter
John Forté (of the
Fugees) was among the club's celebrity
DJs
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
.
Celebrity regulars included
Sean Penn,
Ben Affleck,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Mark Wahlberg,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Nicolas Cage,
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981.
Born in ...
,
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
,
Denis Leary,
John Waters,
Martin Sheen,
and
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
, and was a popular location for the
New York Yankees.
Owner Noel Ashman opened a new club, The Leonora, in Chelsea in August 2014.
Ashman described The Leonora as a modernized version of Veruka.
References
Nightclubs in Manhattan
Defunct nightclubs in New York (state)
1997 establishments in New York City
2004 disestablishments in New York (state)
SoHo, Manhattan
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