travelenthusiast

I will be going to NYC in September and I would like to go to a sing along piano bar. Is anyone familiar with one?

earl30

most are mainly gay bars, is that what you are looking for? brandy's on upper east side is one. rose's turn in the village is another.

Proenza_Preschooler

Very gay--The Monster on Grove Street. Those queens would just love you, sweetie darling.

Thingorjus,
who was stabbed outside the Monster in 1993.

mclaurie

Don't Tell Mama & Brandy's are not so gay. The Duplex and Marie's Crisis are welcoming to all. The only place I'd say is mostly gay is the Townhouse.

NeoPatrick

Marie's Crisis. How fun. We laughed so hard it hurt! It's right next to Rose's Turn in the Village (but I've never been there). I've been to Don't Tell Mama a few times, but mainly in the front room they have waiters and bartenders performing -- I don't remember a lot of real "sing along" going on. And in their back room they have regular cabaret shows.

If you want a really fun evening, go to the West Bank Cafe on 42nd Street near 9th after 10:30 on Friday nights. In the downstairs cabaret theatre they have "Cast Party". Anyone can put in their name to get up and sing, but there are a lot of Broadway performers and chorus members who appear and perform every Friday night. It's really a lot of fun, no cover or minimum, and reasonably priced drinks.

mclaurie

Rose's Turn has closed. RIP.
http://www.rosesturn.com/

If you click thru on that website for cabaret hotline there are some interesting listings NeoPatrick.

skatedancer

are any of these places okay to be with a teen (16 YO)? Is it even allowed (being bars)? The West Bank Cafe sounds particularly good if so.

NeoPatrick

skatedancer, yes, there have been a few teens at Cast Party some nights when I've been there -- although I think most have been related to performers. Perhaps a call to whatever the establishment first might be in order. I'm never clear about where and when teens are allowed into places in NYC. I might point out that the emcee is flambouyantly gay and the language can get a little wild.

nytraveler

If a place serves food then anyeone can enter. If it's a bar only - with no food - it would be very rare to allow anyone underage (21) to enter. But- you can call and ask.

travelenthusiast

Thanks for the responses. If the suggested bars are gay, I am not interested in them. My husband and I have gone to sing along piano bars in the Caribbean and have had a great time there. I have a very bad voice so getting up to sing in front of a crowd is not what I'm looking for. I do like to sing along at my own table when allowed and when others are doing it too.

I will be going to NYC for a weekend with my mother in September. I thought that if there was a sing along bar in NYC like I had gone to in the caribbean that she might enjoy it also for some after dinner entertainment one night.

When I did a search on line I found info on Brandy's which earl30 said was predominantly gay so I guess that is ruled out.

I also found a place called Sweet Caroline's at the Ha! comedy club on 46th Street that advertised dueling piano's. Has anyone heard of them?

mclaurie

In my experience Brandy's is NOT predominantly gay. Some of the performers may be (and some not) but the audience is always mixed. Gay men enjoy piano bars. This shouldn't keep you from enjoying same. As I posted earlier, the Townhouse is the only place that's really almost all gay men. None of these places requires you to get up and perform. I've had a good time at all of them. I haven't been to the dueling piano thing.

travelenthusiast

Thanks Mclaurie. If you hear anything about the dueling pianos before the end of September, please post it.

NeoPatrick

Have you looked at the website for Sweet Caroline's?

http://www.sweetcarolinesnyc.com/

It sounds like primarily rock and roll, as opposed to the more Broadway or pop sounds of most piano bars. And I'm not so sure it's quite "sing-a-long".

I had to look up Brandy's and now realize we did go there back in 2001 when we rented on the upper east side. I'd have to say, I didn't think it was "gay" at all.

I think Don't Tell Mama --the front room/piano bar sounds like something you'd probably like -- even if there isn't a lot of sing-a-long. It's certainly more "improvisational" in feel than most cabarets would be as several waiters/bartenders get up and sing each night -- and invariably very good.

skatedancer

DD is definitely interested in the West Bank Cafe. I've already been told that I'm not allowed to get tired before she's ready to leave. Uh oh!!

ekscrunchy

Mimi's on Second Avenue in the East 50s is a neighborhood piano bar where you can sing along..

Gekko

The aforementioned Brandy's, on East 84th Street, is a great piano bar and a ton of fun.

I highly recommend it.

marilynl

Here's another vote for Brandy's, on east 84th, which in our experience was not a gay bar.

bugswife1

Maybe Helen's Hideaway?
Does anyone on this board remember 88's? God I loved that place! Somewhere over the rainbow......

Gekko

Brandy's is certainly not a "gay bar." It's on the UES, after all.

NeoPatrick

???. I'm a bit confused. Isn't 91st and 2nd on the UES too?

newyork.gaycities.com/bars/408-tool-box

And while Brandy's may not be a "gays only" bar -- it is listed in most gay guides and here is a typical listing for it. It's certainly not for anyone who might be uncomfortable being around a mainly gay crowd. Note the "mainly gay crowd and their straight friends" comment:

http://www.sheckys.com/newyorkcity/s..._bar_1_510.asp