While my previous contributions to The Other Magazine detailed the idiosyncratic existence of The Psychedelic Assembly in midtown Manhattan, I now present news that is partly somber, yet largely optimistic. The Psychedelic Assembly, as chronicled in The Other‘s Spring 2025 issue, has ceased to operate in its original form.
The iconic Athenaeum art gallery and its labyrinthine dance hall, a central hub for the global psychedelic community, announced their departure from their initial premises in May, a relocation not entirely by choice.
Admittedly, I had the privilege of visiting The Athenaeum only twice before its permanent closure. However, the second visit proved undeniably monumental as Friday, June 6th, marked the final Friday RESET rave hosted by the Psychedelic Assembly at their original headquarters.
Love by Brynja Magnussen, acrylic on canvas, 2024In the company of both long-standing acquaintances and newfound connections, alongside a few fellow journalists, I will cherish the night forever (at least the segments I can recall). I spent it dancing at a truly unparalleled haven for psychonautical explorers, weary locals, and transient seasonal residents from across the globe.
Quintessentially New York in its essence from its inception to current transformation, The Psychedelic Assembly will undoubtedly endure both in spirit and in a new physical manifestation. In the present moment, we must bid a formal farewell to what we once knew. As New York as anything ever was, The Psychedelic Assembly will surely live on both in spirit and brick-and-mortar form.
In a statement provided to The Other exclusively for this article, Psychedelic Assembly co-founder Suzy Baker offered remarks both poignant and optimistic – a clear sign of great things to come for the Assembly’s next iteration.
“[RESET]: Summer of Love was one for the books! The night ended in a giant group hug on the dance floor, a beautiful sendoff to our beloved Athenaeum,” Baker said. She pointed out that the members-only library was (and will still be) “the world’s first psychedelic library and social club.”
“But this is just the beginning.” Baker’s statement concluded, “The Psychedelic Assembly is expanding beyond our Midtown walls, with events popping up all over NYC—and soon, across the country. (Yes, we’re buying a bus!) Deep gratitude to this community; we couldn’t do it without you.”
