Susanne Bartsch Presents 'Bartschland: Tales of New York City Nightlife'

I moved to NYC from Chicago for art school in 1989. If I'm honest, I was a scared little boy from the Midwest with southern roots. One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to be in art school, study fashion, and give NYC a try.

In my first week in NYC, I was fully embraced and somewhat guided by the LGBTQ+ community. On campus, very few of us were out, so we had a close-knit network. However, where we all felt the most free was in NYC's nightlife in the 90s. For the past thirty-four years, Susanne Bartsch has been the "Queen of Nightlife" in NYC, exporting that magic to Miami, London, Paris, and even Japan.

Exploring her new book, Susanne Bartsch Presents: Bartschland: Tales of New York City Nightlife, I had so many flashbacks of talented people taken by AIDS who are no longer with us. I'm also reminded of the great friends and muses I have to this day, who helped with some of her events and her annual toy drive, particularly, Christopher Demers and Jonathan Bee.

As an entrepreneur, Susanne's fierce approach to creating a safe and magical place for people from all walks of life is a testament to the powerhouse she is. Many legends have collaborated or attended her parties. On any given night, you could see RuPaul, Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier, supermodels, Candis Cayne, Amanda Lepore, Richie Rich, and many others.

Her book truly encapsulates her magic and all those she surrounded herself with to make NYC Nightlife a crayon box of possibility.

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(VIDEO) Susanne Bartsch Presents Her Bartschland Collection