Who

Don Hill is a gray-haired veteran scenester and the owner of the SoHo rock club that bears his name.

Backstory

Donald Mulvihill spent eight years running the now-shuttered Cat Club on East 13th Street, earning cred by hosting performances by David Bowie and the Ramones back in the day. In 1993, he opened Don Hill with the hope the venue could "support local bands and parties that a lot of other places wouldn't take a chance on." He's managed to do just that while also getting kudos for the club's old-school debauchery and divey atmosphere, not to mention some of the most legendary parties in town including Squeezebox, BeavHer, and, more recently, MisShapes. (In fact, the MisShapes misanthropes Leigh Lezark, Geordon Nicol, and Greg Krelenstein all originally met at Don Hill's.)

Hill himself isn't known for anything other than Don Hill's, but its status as one of the city's longest-running dives has given him enormous downtown cred. He's also credited with revitalizing the far West Side below Houston Street. When it opened, Don Hill's was one of the few clubs operating in the then-industrial area. Hill explained, "When I came here…people said, 'You're going to die.' Now there are five or six restaurants on the block."

Personal

While his club's in the heart of grimy downtown, Hill's home neighborhood is decidedly less hipsterish: He lives on East 84th Street.

True story

Although Don Hill's typically attracts sleazy scenesters—or celebs seeking sleaze— it hosts the occasional pop star, too. Teen dream Ashlee Simpson attracted buzz in September 2006 when she was seen straddling Pete Wentz in the club's VIP section. Later in the night, she vomited in the club's bathroom, while the management blockaded the door for her.