Last week, Eater reported that popular Bowery bar Mannahatta had closed, and would in a matter of weeks, be relocating a few doors down to the space currently occupied by neighborhood watering hole, Crime Scene (the bar with the dancing girl in the window and the handcuffs on the bar). Well, apparently there's a little more to it than that...

It's true that Mannahatta is closed, but it's not taking over Crime Scene, per se. Rather, Crime Scene is taking over Manahatta--not the space, but the scene, crowd, staff and even the phone number. The owner of Crime Scene (who preferred not be named, but who remains the same) has done some basic cosmetic renovations, and has brought Mannahatta's Bill Fresco on board to help her recreate (and hopefully improve upon) the look and feel of the now-shuttered bar next door.

From the resident DJs, to the mild-mannered bartenders and waitresses, to the sweet-baddass doorman, Terry, the whole experience has moved a hop, skip, and a jump away. We decided to hire Bill as the Event Coordinator and all-around pied piper. The plan was to take the elements that have made both spots successful over the years and combine them into a more upscale venue for the Bowery... We are incorporating the entire "Mannahatta party" vibe, just in a more polished and exclusive environment.

So what does that mean, specifically? Well, Eater was correct to warn Crime Scene regulars that their "Primo buyback days are numbered." The "new" Crime Scene will be, well, a bona fide scene. Expect all your favorite New York hot spot policies to be in full effect: List-only access, table reservations and bottle service highly recommended (if not straight-up required), and--just in case you didn't get the memo about the Bowery becoming the new Meatpacking District--groups of dudes arriving without a good ratio of hot girls need not apply.

Crime Scene, take two, officially soft-opens tonight, and is supposedly 100 percent booked through the weekend, so don't bother trying to convince the doorman that you're a Crime Scene regular. In fact, that's probably the fastest way to alert everyone to the fact that you're no longer cool enough to get in.

Image borrowed from Laputan