Two levels below ground, Little Sister, an intimate late night lounge in Moxy East Village operated by Tao Group, is a sexier, more sophisticated update of the underground clubs that defined East Village nightlife in the 1990s. An unobtrusive stairwell lined with LED strips and featuring an abstract spray-painted mural by the San Francisco-based artist Apex leads guests to Little Sister. A dramatic custom wall covering depicts the 17th-century Stuyvesant homestead—with members of The Ramones, who frequently played the East Village, discreetly lurking from corners. The bucolic, forested scene hints at what the neighborhood might have looked like before all the buildings descended on the area. Above, the wood-clad, barrel-vaulted ceiling adorned with locally crafted vintage chandeliers outfitted with flickering filament LED bulbs conjures a hidden underground chamber where whiskey might have been stored in the bootlegged era. The ceiling contains strips of LEDs emphasizing niches and changing color, all of which can be activated by the DJ booth in the late hours when Little Sister transforms into a hedonistic paradise. Seating areas feature plush velvet frame banquettes with gold accents, jewel-toned velvet sofas, and additional leather banquette seating, while underneath, porcelain tile flooring has been crafted to recall polished and age-weathered concrete. A glowing copper DJ stand reinforces the club-like atmosphere, the space enhanced by a stone and mirror and copper-clad bar, which extends to the ceiling as an eccentric architectural interpretation of the bar lighting element, and is illuminated by an overhead bank of backlit resin whiskey bottles, casting a seductive amber glow. Nearby, red velvet seating in the VIP area with embossed leather accents add touches of luxury while streaks of gold provide a hit of contemporary richness, as do velvet seating and accents of leather and polished copper. For an air of authenticity, the space enlisted legendary doorman Wass Stevens to conceptualize an exclusive experience at the entrance.
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