Two downtown nightclubs on East Washington Street look deserted in the daylight hours but are bringing life to the street at night.
PHX Nightclub and Sky Lounge draw hundreds of people, especially on weekends and after sports events at the nearby US Airways Center and Chase Field.
PHX is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It is free to get in early in the evening, but costs $5-$10 later in the night. Generally, the club does not advertise discounts or special events, but the cover charge hasn’t stopped people from going.
“We have a pretty consistent crowd and our DJs are amazing, so it doesn’t really affect the number of people who come in,” said Bridgitte Baldwin, general manager of PHX.
PHX, located at 122 E. Washington St., opened in April 2008 as the first and only location for the club. While PHX makes a profit primarily from bar sales and bottle service, location has also been an asset to the club.
“Downtown is a good location for Club PHX because our aim is to create an environment that is appealing to a diverse crowd,” Baldwin said. “(We) attract the downtown foot traffic and passersby.”
The clientele varies by night, Baldwin added. It generally draws more of a Hispanic crowd on Fridays and a younger, mixed crowd on Saturdays. And being that major competition has been sprouting in the area over the past couple years, the club still attracts approximately 300 to 400 people per night.
“For being open for four years as a night club, that’s a pretty long time … with so many new bars opening up all the time,” said Jason Burmann, who checks IDs at PHX.
Likewise, Sky Lounge has also benefited from its location and is seeing a good crowd.
“We have a big benefit just being across from the arena,” said Jackelyn Martinez, marketing director at Sky Lounge.
Sky Lounge and PHX sit directly across from the homes of the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The club’s busiest time of the year falls when the Diamondbacks are in season, since many people will check out the club after watching a game at Chase Field, Martinez added.
“We also have different food places available in this area that attract a lot of people during the day,” she said. “They’ll be walking, having lunch, planning their evening.”
According to people who frequent the clubs, both are consistently crowded each night they are open.
“We got here at 9 and when we left, there was this huge line,” Jorge Gonzalez said about his recent visit to Sky Lounge.
One of the biggest benefits of being downtown is the clubs’ accessibility and close proximity to the light rail stations on Central Avenue and East Washington Street.
“I think the light rail makes it a lot easier for people, especially for those who don’t like driving in this area because of all the one-way roads in downtown Phoenix,” said Maria Diaz, who passes out advertisements for Sky Lounge.
The police officers and security guards who stand in front of the clubs may also impact the businesses.
“The customers feel more comfortable coming because there’s security and police officers in the area,” Diaz said.
Sky Lounge, which has been at its 132 E. Washington St. location for six years, is open three nights a week at varying times. It is currently open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, but will soon be open on Thursday nights, according to Martinez.
She also envisions opening the club on Sunday nights exclusively for ASU students.
“Sun Devils are definitely a major target for us,” Martinez said. “We’d love to have banners, flyers, online promotions for them, radio promotions and drink specials at the bar.”
Sky Lounge makes an equal amount of money between its $10 cover charge and bar sales. Although it currently averages a good 500 to 600 customers a night, Martinez said she has seen a decline in the past six months.
“I think it’s just because so many other clubs are opening and we’ve not been keeping up with our marketing,” she said. “If you don’t keep up with your events and keep people attracted, of course they’re going to go elsewhere.”
To keep people attracted, Martinez said the club plans to remodel within the next six months.
“We’re looking to bring a more lively feel. It’s been about five years since anything’s been done to the interior or the outside,” she said. “In the near future, they can expect something completely new.”
Contact the reporter at melanie.yamaguchi@asu.edu
