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New Yorkers are fond of the "work hard, play hard" maxim, but the truth is, Gothamites don't need much of an excuse to hit the town. Any day of the week could easily be mistaken for a Friday or Saturday; the bottom line is that when the the mood strikes, there are always plenty of choices in this 24-hour city. Whether it's raising a glass in a historic saloon, a dimly lit cocktail den, or a swanky rooftop lounge; checking out the latest band; or laughing it up at a comedy show, it isn't hard for visitors to get a piece of the action.
The nightlife scene still resides largely downtown—in the dives and speakeasies of the East Village and Lower East Side, the classic jazz joints and piano bars of the West Village, and the Meatpacking District's and Chelsea's "see-and-be-seen" clubs. Midtown, especially around Hell's Kitchen, has developed a vibrant scene, too, and plenty of upscale hangouts dot the Upper East and Upper West Sides. Brooklyn and Harlem are go-to destinations for in-the-know locals.
Keep in mind that when you go is just as important as where you go. A club that is packed at 11 pm might empty out by midnight, and a bar that raged last night may be completely empty tonight. Time Out New York magazine has a good list of roving parties (www.timeout.com/newyork), as does Urban Daddy (www.urbandaddy.com/new-york). Scour industry-centric websites, too, like Eater and Grub Street, which catalog the comings and goings of many a nightlife impresario. New York magazine and the New York Times have listings of cabaret and jazz shows, the latter mainly in its Friday and Sunday Arts sections. Bear in mind that a venue's life span is often measured in months, not years. Phone ahead or check online to make sure your target hasn't closed or turned into a polka hall (although, you never know—that could be fun, too).
Housed behind an unremarkable door in the stairwell of the subway station at the southeast corner of 7th Avenue and West 28th Street, this 600-square-foot speakeasy-like cocktail bar has enough room for 30 lucky people. The dimly lit space pops with blue and purple hues, as a DJ plays funk and electronica. The experience will quickly make you forget you're drinking a nicely made (but somewhat pricey) cocktail in a subway station.
Bar B is kind of an odd duck, but in the most charming of ways. It's a narrow, no-bigger-than-a-hallway venue with no seats—just standing room at a long counter (unless you can nab a sidewalk table). It's also a hybrid, of sorts: there are cocktails, like an excellent Negroni, but the largely Japanese staff also offers excellent Italian and Iberian snacks, too. Sip a glass of wine and nosh on chicken-liver-pate-topped bruschetta, or tuck into a bowl of penne all'Amatriciana. Best of all, everything is very nicely priced.
The drag shows and freewheeling, flirty dance nights are what lure a mostly male crowd to this cute, casual neighborhood hangout, far less pretentious (some might say it's adorably divey) than some of its grander Chelsea neighbors.
New Yorkers love a speakeasy. Hidden behind a clandestine door inside jewel box–size Stone Street Coffee, 1920s-esque Bathtub Gin is a dark, brooding yet sleek spot for elevated and creative libations using unlikely ingredients like quail eggs, salt-and-vinegar potato chips, and graham crackers. Not surprisingly, the bar stocks an impressive array of gin, but cocktails are also made with rum, vodka, whisky, and other spirits. There's a food menu of bar bites like steak tartare and fried olives.
It's a restaurant. It's a bar. It's a winery. But above all the new-ish location of City Winery at Pier 57 is a music venue, attracting top-notch artists and comedians. The 350-seat auditorium is an intimate spot to catch a show. Singer Rufus Wainwright, comedian John Mulaney, and musician Norah Jones have graced the stage. Even the late, great Prince put on unannounced shows at City Winery. The in-house eatery serves everything from burgers to seafood to flatbreads and the bar has 12 different wines on tap.
This 10,000-square-foot club—complete with a chandelier and roomy downstairs lounge—has scheduled shows by popular headliners such as Roy Wood Jr. and Kate Clinton, as well as occasional pop-in performances by big-name funny folks like Dave Chappelle and Lewis Black.
At this gay bar, the plentiful flat-screen TVs and cheap Budweisers draw sports enthusiasts of every stripe, from athlete to armchair. The bar also sponsors—and frequently hosts parties for—a number of local gay sports teams. The two-for-one happy hour in the early evening on weekdays is one of the best deals in the neighborhood.
At this southern-inflected bar you can have your cocktails and eat your fried oysters and smoked cheddar biscuits, too. Located in far West Chelsea (a short walk from the 7 line's 34th St.–Hudson Yards subway station), this relaxed watering hole from New York restaurateur and hospitality king Danny Meyer is an intimate space to quaff and nibble the night away. The bar also offers a nice happy hour with discounted signature cocktails from 3 to 7 pm on opening days.
Set in an erstwhile horse stable, The Eagle is the New York City hub for the community of leather fetishists and an institution in the local gay community. Leather daddies and those who love them frequent this bi-level chainlink-clad bar to show off their leather-clad bodies and sip beer and cocktails. The bar is also a den of sorts for the local bear community. During the warm-weather months, the anything-goes rooftop bar is open. One need not be dressed in leather or particularly hirsute to enter. Everyone is welcome.
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