My best friend and I are celebrating our 50th birthdays in NYC the last weekend in February. On Saturday night we would like to go out to a nice club for some drinks and dancing. I've been doing so much research and so many of the clubs seem to be very hard to get into unless you are someone or arrive with someone. Although we are two girls that take good care of ourselves, don't look or feel 50, love to get dressed up and look good, dance, have some drinks and have fun, we are not interested in trying to get through velvet ropes, nor will we. Can someone recommend a place that is easier to get into, attracts a nice, sophisticated yet diversified crowd, good music, dancing but not too pretentious?

Most clubs are basically for 30 and under. I don;t know offhand of a place where adults heading towards middle years can find dancing other than going as couples.

What type of music are you looking for?

And Saturday is usually an "off" night for clubs.

You might check Time Out New York website or New York Magazine to see what they suggest.

And do check where you want to have dinner first - since most clubs are dead until after 11pm.

(NYC has very arcane cabaret laws that require a special - very expensive and very difficult to get - license for anyplace that has dancing. So - most places that bother to get the license are very expensive and must be full constantly - esp given the speed at which trendy changes.)

If by any chance you are interested in Ballroom and Swing Dancing, you will find places all over the City - often connected with schools where you will find single and couples of all ages dancing - and drinking if they serve alcohol - the volume will be low enough to have an easy conversation - the lights will be high enough to see and there will be no velvet ropes and you will meet New Yorkers.

Start your search at this website and follow links www.nycdc.com

Thanks for your responses. Neither of us know how to ballroom or swing dance, although I've always wanted to learn to ballroom dance. I guess we are just looking for a WOW fun place to spend Saturday night, get dressed up, act like we are 30 again, dance, drink and celebrate our friendship (we have been best friends since jr. high school. Here in Ohio there are various nightclubs that attract all ages, so "young" 50 year olds fit right in.

nytraveler, I had to laugh when you said "adults heading towards middle years"!!! That made me feel so OLD!! LOL, but that is the truth. We know our age, we just want to go somewhere and have fun. We may be 50, but we both look like we are 38-40. So, we were hoping to fit in somewhere and just have fun.

As I said - most dance clubs are for the under 30's - and getting in is typically difficult at the trendy ones - as in you must be young, attractive, expensively and trendily dressed - and lucky. (My stepdaughters and their friends go occasionally - but they're all under 25, stunning if not gorgeous - and know how to work the door staff to get in. Guys can be somewhat older - esp if well known.) If you look at Time Out New York you can check on the type of music, how difficult it is to get in and how expensive the places are. (In trendy the only way to get a table is to buy a bottle for $300 or so - and drinks will be $25 and up.)

There are lots of places where you can have drinks and hear music - it;s the dancing that's