The Best Parties You Can’t Get Into
Ken Lerer, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Huffington Post will throw a dot-commer’s shindig at his Central Park West apartment starting around 1 a.m. if Obama wins. Expect plenty of multimillionaire website founders—probably former AOL Time Warner COO Bob Pittman (who just sold DailyCandy.com for a cool $130 million), and Lerer’s son, Ben, who started Thrillist.com. Private residence, NYC.
Harvey Weinstein, Georgette Mosbacher, GQ Editor-in-Chief Jim Nelson and Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindy Leive are hosting a bipartisan bash at The Public House in Midtown Manhattan.
Godless Hollywood liberals gather at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles for a California Democratic Party party. Hosts include Peter Fonda, Pierce Bronsan, Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Zucker, and Senator Barbara Boxer.
Big-shot Hollywood TV writers congregate at the Los Angeles home of Alan Yang, writer for South Park and the upcoming Office spinoff with Amy Poehler, and at the home of Peter Blake, writer for House. Private residences, Los Angeles.
Public Affairs executive Sam Lauter has organized a party for San Francisco’s elected officials, election workers, volunteers, and maybe Mayor Gavin Newsom. Political groups hosting the event include green technology innovators Cleantech for Obama, and Emerge CA, a group founded by Esprit founder and Hillary Clinton supporter Susie Tompkins. Bar, downtown San Francisco.
McCain is heading back to Phoenix for election night, where you can watch the results with exhausted campaign workers at the Biltmore Hotel. (Perhaps superstition is driving his decision, as he married Cindy and won the RNC nom at the hotel, too.) Tickets aren't available for the fete, but sources are saying McCain might leave the party to address a crowd on the front lawn, so grab a brown bag and camp out if you'd like to see the man in person. 2400 East Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, AZ.
And for West Coast geeks, the most exclusive Silicon Valley election night party in San Francisco is a small gathering at the home of Josh McFarland (a former Googler and now Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Greylock Partners). The Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, may pop in. Private residence, SOMA, San Francisco.
The Best Parties You Can Get Into!
SNL alum Colin Quinn will host election returns at the Olive Tree Cafe (above the Comedy Cellar on Macdougal St., NYC) from 8:30 p.m. Other Cellar regulars – Dave Chappelle, Lewis Black and Dave Attell -- may stop by as the results are broadcast live. Entrance is free, but guests have to spend at least $10 on food and drink.
Even if you've defected to Paris, you can still watch the results surrounded by your fellow Americans. The Obama Victory Party party at Palais Maillot kicks off at midnight and will have live results until 6 a.m. Stick around until 3, when they’ll serve "Obagels" and cream cheese.
Head to DC for any of hundreds of election day parties. At 8 p.m., f ormer American Idol contestant Antonella Barba and team are setting up a red carpet and fancy cocktails for the second year in a row at ULTRABAR (911 F Street). The party offers free WiFi. Tickets start at $25, but for VIP treatment you'll pay $500.
In the Bay Area. The USS Potomac Foundation is hosting an election night cruise and viewing party ($195 ticket) on the historic FDR presidential yacht. The foundation in only selling 100 tickets for this rare opportunity (proceeds benefit the foundation) which picks up guests at San Francisco's Pier 40 in the South Beach Marina at 6:00pm. With good food, lots of booze, and amazing views, the price might be worth it. But be sure to have an after-party in mind as the cruise wraps up at 11pm. Click here for tickets.
In Obama's hometown, Chicagoans are serious about having fun on Tuesday. The biggest event in the city will be the Obama rally in Grant Park—expect up to a million revelers, no-bag rules and exceptionally strict security. Gates (on E. Congress Pkwy. and E. Jackson Blvd.) open at 8:30pm.
Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space is hosting the Obama-Fabulous Election Night Party, with "Yes We Can!-Can!" can-can dancers, a presidential kissing booth, and an inexplicable appearance by Santa Claus. If Obama wins, the bar will even kick-start the president-elect's economic recovery with free cosmos for everybody. Begins at 6 p.m. $10 cover.
Obama Girl, that scantily clad Barack Fan we loved and then forgot about, is teaming up with the BarelyPolitical.com guys (the folks who bring you funny albeit tangential and not exactly high brow political vids) to throw a party at Haven (244 East 51st Street) at 8pm with $15.
Living Liberally, Planned Parenthood, NYC Activist Council and The New York Civil Liberties Union of Young Professionals are taking over Comix Comedy Club (14th St at 9th Avenue) for their election bash. There's no cover (though drinks can get expensive), and the LL team is promising luminaries of the comedic and liberal sort throughout the night.
British art dealer Gavin Brown is hosting a party inside the Jonathan Horowitz gallery show titled Obama 08. Expect downtown art-world denizens like Yvonne Force Villareal of the Art Production Fund and Vogue-approved artist Hope Atherton, who dates Brown. 620 Greenwich St., NYC.
