The latest Lure for Hollywood night life?
It’s hardly a Trump Tower-like effort to put together a hot night life space. Sure, there’s the licensing, staffing, furnishing and promoting, but it’s usually something that can be done in a couple months. Unless, of course, you inherit a monster like the one that sits at 1439 Ivar Ave. in Hollywood.
Nestled behind Amoeba Music, across from the ArcLight Cinemas structure, the yawning, 18,000-square-foot space has seen several incarnations come and go, and now it’s been reinvented again as the super club Lure.
An ultra-glam destination for DJ devotees, design nuts and even foodies, Lure comes courtesy of Sunset Entertainment Group, which has wrapped the space’s expansive main courtyard, cavernous dance hall and stone terrace into one fluid effort to fetch your adoration and dollars.
Designed by Gulla Jonsdottir (the Hollywood Roosevelt redesign, Red O, Eden, Roxbury), the joint boasts a massive diamond facade, topiary chandeliers, oversize booths and a fairly show-stopping array of hi-def LED walls and four LED-paneled bars.
It’s a space that seems stunningly, disproportionately expensive — especially in a Hollywood bar landscape where smaller joints have become the standard. But the owners have their reasons.
“People have been traveling to Las Vegas forever to see huge DJ acts,” said managing partner Eric James Virgets. “The market here is calling out for something on that same scale, and not everyone can afford to fly out to Vegas every weekend.”
It’s an interesting thought, that such a gigantic effort could be an economical one. “Yes, the space is sexy and cool and mystical, but I did not want to waste money. We spent the proper amount on sound and light. It’s a big risk, but it’s the right one,” Virgets adds.
Sound includes a 50,000-watt Line Array system to please the DJ acts Lure will tempt away from Sin City and place in Hollywood’s backyard — a backyard that Virgets insists is hungry for this space.
“It’s one of the most sought-after locations in Hollywood. There was a real outcry from the community: event planners, studios wanted to have a venue that could accommodate the size we can,” he said.
Like, say, Oscar parties? Virgets and crew are displaying an ambition on a par with the scale of the place. Lure’s already bringing in a different kind of crowd with its Sunday afternoon party, and it’s also featuring a high-brow dinner menu.
Chef Louis Fuentes was tapped to create what Lure calls a “gastro lounge” vibe, fusing Latin American cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences. It rolls out with service on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
Before it was Lure, the space was the Cabana Club, which struggled to find a programming identity. Prior to that, a portion of the space was Green Door, a Euro-drenched salon that strayed from electronics and boasted live jazz.
We’ll see how the current face-lift fares as the summer months unfurl, but there’s no denying that Lure has gone big.
Lure Hollywood
Where: 1439 Ivar Ave.
When: Dinner 7-11 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.
Price: No cover with reservations.
Info: dinner: (323) 463-0005; bottle/table: (323) 463-0009; lurehollywood.com
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