Old name, new management, as downtown club reopens for business

The building on South Cayuga Street has had many incarnations since the iconic Morris’ Menswear store moved onto the Ithaca Commons nearly three decades ago, but this month new partners opened a business under an old name. Lot 10 is back, with copilots Chris Washburn, Brian Falvey, and Chris Serrano at the helm of the nightclub, bar, and event space.

Most recently, the building housed two separate establishments, with the Seven Of jazz club on the ground floor and The Upstairs — well, upstairs — hosting live music and DJ nights. The original Lot 10 opened in early 2012 in the Cayuga Street space formerly occupied by Delilah’s, WildFire, and the Ithaca outlet of Binghamton’s legendary Lost Dog Cafe, with a name plucked from the City of Ithaca’s property index. Now, the two floors are reunited under the old moniker.

“Between the three of us, we have over 40 years combined experience in the nightlife industry and understand what it takes to make a bar fun, sustainable, and successful,” said Washburn as he announced the new partnership. He and Falvey took over the Moonshadow Tavern 15 years ago and relaunched it as Moonies, a dance club that quickly established a college-aged customer base. 

Washburn tells 14850 Magazine that the upstairs will focus on the college crowd with a DJ-driven dance atmosphere, “like Moonies, but much cleaner with better flow.” The downstairs will be available simultaneously for other events.

The new Lot 10 will provide a new home for ThursGay, the weekly Thursday night event series held at the Range for the last several years until that venue closed at the beginning of August. The first ThursGay at Lot 10 is tonight, August 29th! Doors open at 9pm with a $5 cover, and the show starts at 9:30. 

“Having a ‘home’ venue for us is exciting,” longtime ThursGay host and organizer Tilia Cordata tells 14850 Magazine. “The Range closing so abruptly was definitely a shock to the whole scene and community.” Lot 10’s ground floor space is more accessible, “so we no longer have steps folks need to climb to attend,” and the space has gender-neutral bathrooms. Cordata adds that “the option for patrons to go to the back patio space during intermission, or to take a break is also a nice perk.”

Tonight’s debut ThursGay show at its new location features “a star-studded cast of local performers,” hosted by Tilia Cordata, Noah Phence, and Queen Tessential, and featuring Goblin, Saylix Morrison, Butch Lite, and Skarlet Killz, Cordata tells us, “and following that show we will be returning to our pattern of Show, DJ night, Show, Drag Bingo, so pay attention to our social media to see what’s coming up!”

Lot 10 is also the new venue for Latin Wednesdays, another recurring event displaced by the Range’s closure. The weekly event features dance workshops, beginner lessons, and a dance party with salsa, bachata, reggaeton, and more.

Upstairs this Thursday, Lot 10 has a no-cover night starting at 10pm, featuring DJ Washburn spinning the music, and $3 shots, drinks, and beers, along with an opportunity to win tickets to upcoming nearby Pitbull, Post Malone, and Flo Rida shows, as well as a Yankees vs. Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium.

“Once we get rolling and get through the beginning trial periods,” Washburn tells us, “we will start to expand further” with additional entertainment, and late-night snacks from the building’s kitchen.

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