The new 40/40, located in the sprawling confines of the Barclays is a unique twist on the Manhattan flagship location. The ambiance is the same, but the new digs are tailor-made for the arena with the Brooklyn Nets hardwood in full view for club patrons.
"I walked around here earlier and I just seen everybody busy and at work trying to finish up and it was a great feeling," Jay-Z told gathering press as he entered the 40/40 for its grand opening. "A guy stopped me in the hallway and said, 'Man this is a great thing for New York City.' And that's what the whole thing was about.
Rihanna, J. Cole, Lyor Cohen and Hov's close friends and family all attended the first party at the eye-popping club. The opening comes just a night before Jigga will christen the Barclays with an inaugural performance on Friday. The multiplatinum rap star will follow with seven more shows.
The Barclays features 101 luxury suites, four bars and lounge destinations, three clubs and of course Jay-Z's 40/40 Club and Restaurant. There will be eight retail shops as well. In the coming months, the multi-billion dollar complex will not only house the Nets, but also open its doors to an array of artists like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Green Day and Barbra Streisand. College basketball and boxing events will also bring fans through the door. Not since Ebbets Field, the Major League park which the Dodgers called home until they moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950's, has Brooklyn had an entertainment complex of this magnitude. [mtv]
