The Authentic Source for
Enjoy an aperitif in this legendary society club where the Bloody Mary — here known as “Red Snapper” — first landed in America and was perfected. Maxfield Parrish’s masterpiece King Cole mural keeps watch on hotel guests and knowledgeable New Yorkers.
The Village Vanguard is one of the coolest places to check out jazz in New York City. Always attracting top quality musicians like Geri Allen, the atmosphere is intimate. Check out their own weekly jazz orchestra on Mondays.
Split level Chelsea dance club from nightlife makers the Butter Group (1Oak). Different atmospheres on each level, with the upstairs booming, high energy dance floor, and the lower level having that downtown lounge feel, more relaxed, which is not to say things don't get a little wild when the energy is right. Crowd is eclectic as is the music which offers no attempt to appeal to lovers of a specific genre. Rather the goal is to bring together different people and scenes to create cross-pollination and a friendly, "it" vibe. Which, given the number of celebs that frequent the place, they may well have achieved.
In the decades since it opened in 1993, KGB has become something of a New York literary institution. Writers hooked up in the publishing world read here with pleasure and without pay to an adoring public over drinks almost every Sunday evening (fiction), Monday evening (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The crowd loves it. Admission is free, drinks are cheap and strong, and the level of excellence is such that KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York Magazine, the Village Voice, and everyone else who bestows these awards of recognition.
Paddy’s a great place to listen Irish rock from the likes of Black 47 and The Prodigals while drinking the ample Guinness provided on-tap—the bar is, after all, the "first and only" all-draught Guinness bar. Just stay away from the Budweiser and all of its variants if you want any respect.
The folks behind Lucky Dog strike again with this uncle's-den-cum-dive-bar in Williamsburg, complete with a painting of Willie Nelson, patron saint of grizzle. Popular spot to grab a brew and check out some live music, which skews toward a gruff country style. Click to see upcoming acts.
With 19th century floorboards and booths with saloon-style swinging doors, Black Rabbit takes a cue from the true spirit Prohibition-era bars: I'm here to drink, get out of my way. Upon entering here you feel like kicking back a few shots of whiskey, doffing your fedora to the barkeep, and sauntering off to punch Hemingway in the guts. It's a noble endeavor for a New York speakeasy in the new millennium to cast off the popular artifice of "hiding" the bar, as the Back Room does, say, or as modern speakeasies like PDT do. While the aesthetic is a decidedly American period piece, the menu comes off more like a London pub. Take, for example, the Welsh rarebit, a continental beer fondue. Or, more likely, don't. The menu also includes Black Angus mini-burgers, an Acme smoked trout plate, Bratwurst with German mustard, and other seasonal goodies that are the only anachronisms to be found in the joint.
Weird. Wild. Wonderful. A Performance fueled Night Club and Creative Venue programmed with eclectic events and fabulous dance parties. Everyone is Welcome. A space created as a temple of expression, dedicated to connection, creativity and celebrating life and a belief that performance, dance and art can inspire and heal us.
Cool and trendy, one of Chinatown's original watering holes; in fact, a mainstay of the neighborhood for over 50 years. Listen to live music, or just chill out, play pool and enjoy the DJ.
This lively hotspot on the top floor of the famed Peninsula hotel allows dramatic, sweeping views of many of Manhattan's architectural gems from its east and west terraces. A favorite with New York's business crowd, The Salon de Ning offers just the right amount of Chinoiserie, and is open from 4:00 pm in the summer and from 5:00 pm in the winter. It is also available for private parties, from May to October, weather permitting.
At present this brewery sells only by the keg, but tours and sampling are possible. Their beer is increasingly showing up in NYC bars and will soon be available bottled. Six points have long been associated with the craft of brewing. Since the Middle Ages, it was customary for brewers to brand their beer with a six-pointed star to signify purity and excellence. By the early twentieth century, some brewers maintained this tradition by incorporating the symbol into their logos. In the 20th century, breweries turned their focus to marketing and mass-production and neglected the traditions and customs of craft breweries. Was the legend of the six-pointed brewer’s star dead… or just dormant? Sixpoints has resurrected the legend of the six-pointed brewer’s star. Sixpoints' logo and mission is a modern interpretation of classical brewing traditions, to respect and honor the century-old traditions of craft brewing while forging ahead with new techniques, styles, and flavors. Every Sixpoint Craft Ales recipe is derived from at least one of hundreds of individual homebrewed batches of beer. Knowing this, it is their firm conviction that homebrewers are the creative geniuses and mad scientists behind the resurgence in craft beer.
Sleep No More
A real New York treat. Enter the Navy Yard at the Sand Street entrance, let the security officer know you are heading to Rooftop Reds, and they will give you directions to Building 275. Hike up the 4 flights of stairs and land in a kind of New York heaven. Huge rooftop with small bar where the proprietors serve up wine from around the state, and some of their own stuff. Grab a bottle find a table, and sit amongst the very grapes that will, in do time, be turned into wine! Great views, friendly service. Pack a picnic or buy one of the pre-made offerings.
Hang with the hip-hop scene at this boom bap'n busty booty club. Nestled in warehouse district of Sunset park, separated from the more gentile world of homes and families by the elevated BQE, Club Lust has emerged as the go to strip club / party joint of the Hip Hop scene.
Chicago City Limits is New York's longest-running comedy revue, thrilling audiences for over twenty-two years with its unique style of improvisational comedy. Its critically acclaimed show, award-winning National Touring Company, and top notch theatre training program has made Chicago City Limits a New York landmark. CCL recently returned to the Jan Hus Playhouse, where they performed for over 14 years. Their new show, "Hus on First?" takes aim at the faces, places and events that surround us, with comedy scenes and songs inspired by audience suggestions. There's an improvised version of the game show Jeopardy, a musical -- complete with tunes, lyrics and book -- created on-the-spot based upon audience member's recent experience, the finals of American Idol and much, much more. The show is smart, funny and topical, and great fun for the whole family. Chicago City Limits was founded in 1977 in Chicago by George Todisco and actors participating in the workshop program at The Second City. In 1979, Chicago City Limits relocated to New York, performing regularly at Catch a Rising Star, the Improvisation, the Duplex, and other noted clubs. It established its own theater in the summer of 1980 and began a continuous run of over 8,500 performances. Over the years, Chicago City Limits has made numerous TV appearances, including "The Today Show," "McLaughlin," "The Joan Rivers Show," "The Jackie Mason Show," Comedy Central, PBS, and "Good Day NY." The group appeared in its own TV new comedy series, "Reel News," on the USA network.
Regarding the Jazz scene in New York City, one of the Blue Note's managers matter-of-factly told us: "This is it." Indeed, the Blue Note is arguably the world’s most popular jazz club. Although the club only opened their doors in the early 80’s, it has the feel of a longtime veteran in the New York Jazz scene. Once you get over the commercial feel of the joint, including its gold-plaque embedded tables, mediocre meals named after jazz songs, and overpriced gift shop, the Blue Note is truly among the best of its kind. Expect to see world-renowned talent on any given day except for Mondays, which is reserved for exceptional local talent. Show times are 9:00 and 11:30 during the week and additional Sunday matinees at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM. Check the schedule link for show details. Although considered one of the top venues in the world for presenting Jazz, the Blue Note also feature all the biggest names in Blues, Latin, Brazilian, Fusion, R&B, Soul, Contemporary, Big Band and Popular music.
The self-proclaimed voluminous ultralounge, Marquee offers much of everything, more over-the-top style, décor and DJs than most people could ever imagine. Everyone seems beautiful, and the bottle service and specialty cocktails make it all seem even more beautiful. If you're not someone, be patient trying to get through the doors--you're not the only one.
Since 1999, the Slipper Room has been instrumental in reviving—perhaps even creating—the burlesque community in New York City, for the first eleven years as the cozy, intimate cocktail lounge it once was, and now as the two-level burlesque theater and bar and it's become. James Habacker, the producer and host behind the Slipper Room's early years, designed the space himself when the original building was demolished, making the Slipper Room not just perfect but designed to meet the needs of neo-burlesque performers, with sightlines and lighting well in mind. The main room is a stunning paean to Jazz Age with a stage that vaults the full two stories up, where balcony visitors get a bird's eye view of the action.
Avant Gardner is an enormous 80,000 square foot complex occupying an entire city block of industrial Bushwick in Brooklyn. Comprised of a plethora of stages and full-service event spaces, Avant Gardner’s diverse calendar celebrates community and culture, offering a range of experiences enhanced by the space’s unrivaled audio visual features. The vast complex includes The Brooklyn Mirage, The Great Hall, The King’s Hall and The Lost Circus, all serving as individual locales, or combined to make Avant Gardner the second largest entertainment venue in Brooklyn.
Even though this safari style live music club is called Sounds of Brazil, you can expect to dance to all different types of music here. There’s reggae, hip-hop, R&B, jazz and salsa just to name a few. In a nutshell, S.O.B’s embraces NYC's diversity, and is a quality place to get your groove on. S.O.B.’s was opened by owner and director Larry Gold way back in 1982 with the purpose of exposing the musical wealth and heritage of the Afro-Latino Diaspora to as many people as possible. True to its mission, it has become renowned as the premiere venue not only for World Music, but all genres, in New York City and the world over. In its early days, SOBs existed on a barren stretch at the corner of Varick and Houston Streets, but the area soon became the trendy neighborhood of SoHo and the venue’s reputation began to grow with performances from Latin legends like Tito Puente, Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz & Eddie Palmieri. The tradition of Brazilian artists has been nothing short of incredible. Legends like Seu Jorge, Ben Jorge & Astrud Gilberto have all graced the stage of the venue which gained its namesake from their native country. In terms of the the new latin sound, the list only gets more impressive with names like Isaac Delgado, Orquesta Aragon, Los Papines, Manolito Simonet, Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro & Los Van Van. Over the course of its 28 years in business, SOBs has also developed a reputation in the music industry as a breeding ground for emerging artists and trends. For newer performers, a show at SOBs can be the springboard for their careers, garnering them press from mainstream local, national and even international publications as well as attracting attention from music industry professionals. This has been the true with uncounted artists, including John Legend, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Common, Drake & Ryan Leslie. The venue gives more established artists the opportunity to connect with their fans on a personal level, due to its unique, intimate setting . Today the SOBs draws both local and international crowds and continues to specialize in Latin music, Haitian, Brazilian, Caribbean, R&B, Hip-Hop and World music. It exists as a unique place to experience the lively sounds from all types of cultures within the global diaspora, a fact reflective in its slogan the “Home of Universal Music”.