I came across this photo yesterday on the Purple Diary and didn't much consider the caption: "[Graffiti artist] Andre in front of the soon to be reopened Beatrice Inn, New York." Fans of the shuttered speakeasy have been eagerly awaiting a revival since it was first padlocked back in April.

Just heard a very realistic rumor that East Village hipster standby The Annex has been sold and will become, of all things, a sports bar. In honor of the decline of yet another club kid landmark, the infamous electro-nu-rave Ruff Club party will be throwing a final hurrah for the sweat den it made popular on September 11, bringing out some underground all-stars: the Misshapes, Spencer Product, and the Ruff Kids. Another fond farewell to a Friday night hotspot that many called home.

These days, I write for BlackBook the magazine as well as online. The magazine has limited space, and I have long stories to tell. Here's the expanded version of my September print column.

As I wander around Manhattan on deserted summer Sundays with my entourage of furry mates, I sometimes pass an old warehouse or deli that once was the hottest place around. Sometimes I sneak a glance and try to remember where the bars or DJ booth were. The Petco on Union Square, for example, was the Underground, and after that The Palace de Beaute. I smile at reptile food where lounge lizards chatted up debutantes to Jellybean Benitez beats. The "five best clubs in my memory" is an exercise I try every couple years. The list can change, as my memory serves me in some strange relationship with the amount of distractions cocktail waitrons serve me. It's my memory, and as I'm sure there were amazing clubs before my time, I'll leave that list to some other dude. You wont find El Morocco on the list, or even the Copacabana or Latin Quarter. I'm sure these were swell places, but before my time. The Peppermint Lounge -- a club where the young Beatles played -- must be noted, but again I was playing with tin soldiers at the time.

You can usually find Aaron Lacrate lighting up the 1's and 2's while spinning records in New York City or bragging that Robert Downey Jr. and Robin Williams are sporting his custom-made shirts. As creator of the clothing company Milkcrate NYC, Lacrate has avant-garde couture junkies clamoring to get one of his signature designs. When he’s not dishing out his fashion to the selective circles afforded to browse the goods, the Baltimore-bred DJ is working on building his record label, B-More Gutter World Wide. The label just released the critically acclaimed B-More Club Crack, an album his crew created as a way to allocate the signature sound of Baltimore club music worldwide. Lacrate takes time to discuss his burgeoning empire and why naming his company Milkcrate B-More just didn’t make sense.

It's common practice for us to ask celebrities what their favorite bars and restaurants are, so you'll know where to stalk them. Usually they'll list a couple of places with a few reasons why, and sometimes they'll struggle to remember the name. But rarely will they outright refuse us. Like Emily Haines, for example. The Metric singer told me buzz off when I prodded her to reveal her secret favorite New York drinking den. Instead, she just bad-mouthed the Beatrice. Yippee!

I attended the "Save the Beatrice" party at the brand spanking new Cooper Square Hotel. Paul Sevigny promised a free save the Bea T-shirt if I came. He has not kept his word. However, he does promise to keep his word to the New York City Buildings Department. A hearing today will clarify what the department will require the Beatrice Inn team to do in order to reopen. Paul promises he's "more than willing to fix anything that is required and to address any issues that they have." I asked him if the joint will open soon, and he replied, "Hell yeah."

Beatrice Inn owner Paul Sevigny called me to tell me that he had been padlocked. It wasn’t an unexpected event since the celebrity boîte had been plagued mostly by its setup, which initially put them between a rock and a hard place. With neighbors all around, Paul's crowd, which has an unusually high percentage of smokers, made more noise than some neighbors were willing to endure. The Beatrice Inn took many steps to make their presence not just bearable but also a positive thing. In reality, the Beatrice Inn enjoys a very solid relationship with the surrounding community. Rumors circulated around town about the reasons for the shutdown -- one with considerable legs claimed that "Kate Moss had been popped in her delicious nose and there was blood.” Another more plausible rumor had ex-Page 6 contributor Chris Wilson taking the pop. My source on this said that this actually did happen but inquiring cops couldn’t pin down a suspect due to "the high number of people with motive.”

Sean Avery continues to prepare for the sooner-than-later end to his notorious NHL career by joining New York's burgeoning ranks of famous people who open bars and restaurants. The Observer reports that the former Vogue intern is joining forces with Beatrice Inn co-owner Matt Abramcyk to open a "sports bar meets country club" in Tribeca. Warren 77--named after its address of 77 Warren St.--, will be an intimate affair with "six tables seating up to 36 in the restaurant area, and five tables seating up to 14 in the bar." Meh. We'd rather go to Dutch Kills.

Kelly Cutrone, the founder of People's Revolution, embarked on her first public relations venture when she realized that fashion was the new rock 'n' roll. With the help of now-partners Robyn Berkley and Emily Bungert, People's Revolution is a leading bi-coastal marketing and branding firm and a frontrunner in the fashion industry. The one-time affiliates of The Hills have their hands full for the fall ’09 collections -- handing names such as: Yigal Azrouel, David Delfin, Buckler, Mara Hoffman, Nicholas K, Sergio Da Vila, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and Chado Ralph Rucci. The lightning-speed lifestyle required for the job has earned the firm a tough-as-nails reputation, but it occasionally takes a toll on the team. Upon arriving at the People's SoHo office to sit down with BlackBook, Emily Bungert announced that her bi-annual Fashion Week ailment was already creeping in. "I’m losing my voice," she said, "I lose my voice every Fashion Week. It’s just usually not two weeks before ... it’s usually right in the middle or towards the end." Read on for more from the power trio on the days leading up to the mayhem, nostalgia for Fashion Weeks past, and, without doubt, The Hills.

Damon DeGraff, CEO of DGI Management, on his secret career aspirations, Bermuda, and why Russell Simmons is the man.

What are your New York spots? I would probably have to say the Beatrice Inn. It’s owned by one of my clients, Paul Sevigny. There is great music, great drinks, interesting people. It’s a very cool, chill, hip vibe. My favorite restaurant is probably Indochine. It’s consistent. You can always get great service and great food. I also really like GoldBar. It has good drinks and a great atmosphere. Also, from the beginning, they've always tried to put a different slant in their establishment musically than the average club.