Nightlife in New York: from New York bars to clubs and lounges to coffeehouses and bowling alleys. There are over 1,300 establishments across the five boroughs that offer many options for late night entertainment. Nightlife in New York is really a dynamic scene and it's essential to find what's hot and what's not.
The three most popular nightspots in the city as of year 2005 are all restaurants with hot bar scenes: Pastis, Spice Market and Blue Water Grill. West Chelsea/ Meatpacking District has the most active nightlife in New York with high-end clubs such as Cain, Aer and Level V continuing to open at a breakneck pace.
Another hot New York area is the Lower East Side, which saw the rise of East Side Company Bar, the Delancey and Girls Room, among others. Micro neighborhoods are also a trend. Examples include the Allen Street corridor which boasts Epstein's Bar and Lucky Jack's; the swath of East Houston Street that includes White Rabbit, Stay and the Vasmay Lounge; and the expanse of Sixth Avenue in Chelsea where Rogue, Xes lounge and Orchid have all sprouted. Another trend in the nightlife in New York is the revival of rooftop establishments across the city. Rooftops such as Cabanas, Plunge and BED New York are increasingly popular.
Nightlife in New York is frequently a younger person's pursuit, 43% of these fun-seekers are in their 20's, 37% in their 30's and only 20% are age 40 or older. So if you're young and trendy, New York is your city. Check out Chelsea's Dusk, the bar that simultaneously strives to be a local watering hole and an upscale haunt. Dusk boasts some of the trappings of a club/lounge, like its huge mirror mosaic wall and sleek bar. But it also has a pool table, jukebox and a non-gussied-up clientele. Dusk is one of the only spots in the club-clustered area that's open late during the week, and one of the few places to get a cheap drink.
If you are a clubber that doesn't want to miss out on any night of the week, there are venues that cater for people like you. Mondays are for real clubbers so check out Cielo. Here, house-music fanatics come out for Francoise K's Dubby House at the "Deep Space" party.
Happy Valley is a trashy, off-the-beaten path club. It was an anti-destination before nightlife doyenne Susanne Bartsch's free-for-all arrived for former club kids and their followers. The place to be on Tuesdays.
The Delancey is home for "Filthy" party that takes over the former bank's subterranean vaults. The clubbers get down to a mashed-up soundtrack of new wave, punk, and disco. Check out the venue on Wednesday.
The downtowners, classic rockers, models, and bottle buyers alike dance and mingle at Boudoir on Thursday nights. One of the spots to visit on Friday is Element.
At the Saturday night "Robot Rock" party at Movida, everyone knows the latest rock, new-wave, or electro tune that's playing overhead. The venue has an open bar from 10:00pm to 11:00p.m. and happy hour from 2:00 to 3:00 a.m.
Ben Cho and Brian DeGraw rock the house at Sway as fans stretch around the block outside the lounge for the weekly Smiths party on Sundays.
So what are YOUR preferences regarding the New York City nightlife experience?