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Toast the New Year downtown

A ball may not drop on Public Square this New Year’s Eve, but that doesn’t mean people won’t be having one in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

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Since opening this fall, The Mines has been a popular downtown nighttime spot. New Year’s Eve is expected to draw quite a crowd, owner Thom Greco says.

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Luna is about to debut a lounge and nightclub with two VIP sections and bottle service. Co-owner Lorenzo Medico said he hopes to attract a professional crowd.

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With the grand opening of Luna nightclub at 41 S. Main St. and the variety of already-opened establishments, including The Mines, Hardware Bar, Bart & Urby’s, the Genetti Hotel and the Ramada, plenty is on tap for the over-21 crowd.

Restaurants such as Thai Thai, Katana and Caf� Toscana will add to the mix with plenty of pre-midnight dinner options.

“I think it’s going to be the center of all the celebration on New Year’s Eve, because they have so many options,” businessman Thom Greco said of the downtown.

Greco will have his two establishments open that evening: The Mines on North Main Street and Oyster, inside the Genetti Hotel and Convention Center.

He expects quite a crowd at The Mines and said the response has been favorable from patrons so far.

“It’s the best club I’ve ever built,” he said. “It’s just an amazing club in terms of sound, and it represents the underground scene.”

Greco said he plans to offer 25-cent champagne, mixed drinks and draft beers (five choices) from 10 p.m. until midnight.

“When it comes to the kids that are single … and want to go out and celebrate New Year’s Eve with their boyfriend or girlfriend, or without them and still feel like part of a crowd, that’s what The Mines is all about.”

DJ Pat McDermott will provide the entertainment, he said.

Greco’s bar and restaurant, Oyster, on Washington Street, is more romantic and appealing to couples, he said. At that location, he’ll have lobster and stone crabs on the menu because that’s what his clientele usually ask for on such an occasion.

At Genetti’s, corporate sales and catering manager Amanda Alu said about 250 people are signed up for the annual New Year’s ball, sponsored by Rittenhouse Entertainment, which will take place in a grand ballroom.

With a selection of three different dinner entrees (all carrying different prices), patrons can expect an elegant dinner and to hear The Poets perform from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. while enjoying an open bar from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. A hot breakfast will be served from 1 to 2 a.m.

The Ramada Inn on Public Square is not planning any special activities, but its restaurant, Windows, will be open and ready to cater to hungry patrons on the eve of the holiday.

Frank Rodano, owner of Rodano’s on Public Square, said his establishment, which opened this fall, will host a private party for family and friends, but another downtown bar will open its doors for the first time on Dec. 31. That’s Luna, a nightclub/cocktail lounge owned by cousins Lorenzo Medico and Patrick Son.

Luna will have two different themes: one part will be a New York-themed nightclub and an upscale Spanish-style cocktail lounge.

“I pulled a lot of ideas from my experiences living in Miami, New York and Europe,” Medico, 29, said. “I really wanted to do something for every genre and every demographic.”

The atmosphere will be geared more toward downtown professionals, he said, noting a doorman will greet customers as they walk in.

An artist from New York City will spend a few days at Luna before New Year’s to paint a mural inside the nightclub, which likely will have a 1950s Hollywood theme.

Medico said a house DJ will be employed to offer sexy, upbeat music.

In addition, the bar will offer two VIP sections with bottle service, and Medico is excited for New Year’s because he has friends traveling in from New York, New Jersey and Florida.

With the purchase of a $50 ticket in advance, patrons can enjoy a two-hour open bar, order off the tapas menu and receive a complimentary glass of champagne at midnight. The dress attire will be upscale/casual, and the party begins at 9 p.m.

“I’m going to make it a big event,” Medico said.

Walk-ins will still be welcome for a $10 cover charge that can be paid at the door.

“I just love the entertainment industry and seeing people have a good time,” Medico said.

New-wave rock band M80 will perform across the street at Hardware Bar for a $20 admission charge ($15 if purchased at ticketweb.com). Next door, DJ Retro will be on hand at Reflex, a new 1980s-themed nightclub.

Just a few blocks away, Bart and Urby’s Downtown Bar and Bistro is gearing up for another New Year’s celebration, too.

Last year’s New Year’s crowd was “great,” co-owner Brian Urbanas said.

He said about 130 turned out for a private party, but this year the bar and restaurant will be open to anyone looking for a good time.

For $60, patrons can partake of a special package deal including a buffet and an open bar from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. The bar also will be open for drop-ins, with entertainment likely coming via open jukebox.

Urbanas, who recognizes the many dining options now available in Wilkes-Barre, thinks the downtown will be the place to be this New Year’s Eve.

“I think there will be twice as many (people), if not three times as many (as last year),” he said.

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