NYC’s Hottest Clubs Are Officially Ending Phone Use On The Dance Floor
If you didn’t post it, did it even happen ? Or are we finally asking the wrong question ? Across the city, nightlife spaces are pushing back against the glow, urging dancers to ditch their phones and actually be in the moment. In our current age of the endlessly documented life, these glowing white screens tend to light up every dark room. To counter this, clubs are experimenting with a spectrum of tactics : gentle reminders from staff, signs, and, in some cases, more intentional measures like sealed pouches, lockers or stickers placed directly over camera lenses. These changes aren’t a punishment, instead a focus on creating an environment where presence feels possible again. The push toward a phone-free dance floor gained momentum with [House of Yes](https://secretnyc.co/burlesque-in-nyc/) in Brooklyn, the vibrant, performance-fueled club. In May, the venue formally designated its dance floor as a no-phone zone during a residency, an experiment that immediately resonated with partygoers. In an interview with the New York Times, House of Yes marketing manager Sophie Winter said: > It felt like how parties used to feel. Everyone was in the moment, everyone was enjoying themselves. House of Yes isn’t alone. Across the city, many clubs are implementing their own policies to encourage partygoers to live in the moment, mimicking Winter’s thoughts on bringing partying back to its golden eras. 📱 NYC clubs banning or limiting phones ------------------------------------------ * House of Yes: Made the dance floor a phone-free zone, a policy that started with a monthly residency and has remained in place. * Elsewhere: Introduced policies to ban or limit phones on dance floors. * Signal: Banned phones at the club from the outset. * Refuge: Introduced policies to ban or limit phones on dance floors. * Nowadays: Has a no-phones dance floor policy, which is reinforced with signage urging attendees not to use phones. * Basement: Implemented a strict no-phones policy when it opened in 2019. * Green Room: Plans to install small lockers where people can voluntarily store their phones. These movements are working to revive a true, in-the-moment dance floor. Without screens, partiers are free to lose themselves in the music instead of worrying about documentation . It’s hard to say what the next era of our increasingly digital age will look like, especially at the pace things are evolving now. But these movements suggest that even as technology marches forward, people are looking for moments that let them disconnect, recalibrate, and reconnect with each other in real time. Source: https://secretnyc.co/nyc-clubs-no-phone-policy/