Back in 2004 Boyd opened his East Village bar Plan B, literally as a Plan B after an unsuccessful attempt at becoming an actor. He still remembers the pre-gentrification days of lower Manhattan, when he was a bartender at BOB on Eldridge Street and at Barrio (now Stanton Social), on Stanton Street. “I talk to people all the time that think it’s a good and a bad thing. It’s a big topic of discussion with the community board, residents and business owners around. I see the good and the bad as we grow. We are doing the good things. The East Village and Lower East Side is where I have made my home for business and living since moving to the city in 1999.” Now Boyd has teamed back-up with Jordan Boyd and Darren Rubell (with whom he opened art gallery cum nightspot Gallery Bar), to open Ella Lounge in an area that the team refers to as the LEV—Lower East Village—first piano bar and cocktail lounge.
“Ella is our spin on Hollywood glamour and the roaring 20s. We want to capture the energy and flair of the time by bringing it back with our music, design and staff”, says Boyd. He consulted with his uncle Carleton Varney, best known for his work on Joan Crawford’s homes and the Waldorf Towers, to recreate the alluring era. As for music in this so-called piano bar, it will range from solo musicians to small bands. Emerging and established pianists and eclectic New York City DJs will host nightly shows in the downstairs space, which Boyd calls the selling point for the nightlife trio: “we fell in love with the piano/performance space with a baby bar. We had been looking around our neighborhood for a year before finding her.” The downstairs room seats 40 people for performances and private events, while the 1700 square-foot cocktail lounge on the top floor will accommodate the bulk of the crowd.