Unless you're a female model, you can't hang out in this NYC lounge

When you enter the Union Square Coffee Shop, you find your typical diner-like eatery, complete with a bar and plushy booths. Patrons sip on coffee, read newspapers and chat. It's just your normal lunch hour.

But like a spy on a top-secret mission you head to the back of the restaurant, and come face-to-face with a doorway below a sign simply lit with the word "lounge." You lean forward; it leads to a set of stairs lined with candles, winding into the abyss.

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A tall woman swooshes past you as if she owns the place, descending into the darkness. She's headed to the Modellounge — a safe haven for female fashion models in New York. Read more...

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