Wave Nightclub, situated on the top of the Cosmopolitan restaurant in Allentown, is opening its doors to the public for the first time on Friday night.
The nightclub, which features two stories and sprawling glass windows overlooking downtown Allentown, replaces the restaurant’s rooftop bar and lounge. The restaurant opened the rooftop lounge in 2011 and last year began formulating plans to enclose the rooftop lounge. The plans were designed to use up half a million dollars in state grant money that Cosmopolitan initially was awarded to pay for the original construction of the restaurant. The state later deemed the initial construction of the restaurant unsuitable for the grant money, leaving the owners and the city looking for ideas to use the funding.
The club comes at a time when pricy dance parties with brand-name DJs are reaching a crescendo. A recent New Yorker article by pop culture writer Josh Ells details the absurd excesses displayed at Las Vegas clubs like the ones Wave is attempting to emulate. $100,000 bottles of champagne. DJs making $43 million a year. Afrojack (who Forbes expects to bring in only $18 million) buying a Ferrari worth 10x the average household income of Allentown and wrecking it within 45 minutes. The list goes on. In an era when places like restaurants and casinos have waning patronage, places that are making up for that lost revenue, like EDM-infused night clubs, have become increasingly popular.
The opening party for Wave, starting at 10pm, will feature Jersey-based DJ Xtina, who has been playing AC clubs and casinos since the age of 18. Saturday night will feature Philly-based DJ Joe Broscoe. There’s a $10 cover charge and VIP/bottle service reservations can be made by calling 610-821-WAVE.