Marquee New York

The story

The building was a parking and garbage truck repair facility before it became one of Manhattan's most storied nightclubs. Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg spotted the Chelsea space and built Marquee inside it, opening in December 2003 with $2 million invested. The name came last: Tepperberg had floated "Two Rooms" and "10th Avenue Club" before noticing the marquee structure on the building's exterior. That accidental detail became the identity. Since 2009 it has operated under Tao Group Hospitality, anchoring a nightlife empire that began with a former truck yard.