Spotlights

Spotlight

New York City

Nightlife

The nightlife scene in New York City careens from quiet and sophisticated to mega-decibel raunchy, live music to "celebrity" DJ's, and everything in between, including cabaret, comedy, theater, performing arts, and more. With clubs, bars, music venues, and theater marquees forever in a state of flux, your best bet is to consult the weekly Time Out New York (www.timeoutny.com) or the free Village Voice (www.villagevoice.com) for the most up-to-date listings of what's hot (and what's not) during your visit.

Bars and clubs
In the interest of not ruining your night out on the town, we'll steer clear of recommending any dance clubs, as the natives tend to deem even the hottest places passé in the blink of an eye. Bars have a longer shelf life, with much of the activity centered on the West and East Village areas, as well as the über-chic Meatpacking District – although there are neighborhood watering holes and posh lounges to get you liquored up in just about every New York nook and cranny.

For some kitschy, tried-and-true nights out, we propose Beauty Bar (231 E. 14th St. btwn Second & Third Aves.; 212/539-1389; www.beautybar.com) where you can get a cocktail and a manicure at this tiny, often packed salon-cum-watering hole. Pravda (281 Lafayette St. btwn Houston & Prince Sts.; 212/226-4696), is Russian-themed – but not as heavy-handed as other themed bars. The vibe at this SoHo fave has settled into sophisticated and low-key; martinis are the star, with appetizers and caviar a close second.

Of the city's prevalent hotel bars and lounges, the Hotel Gansevoort (18 Ninth Ave. at 13th St.; 212/206-6700) located in the heart of the Meatpacking District, is top-notch, with O Bar, a sleek Japanese inspired creation that's a cross between Tokyo and Downtown; the outdoor Garden of Ono just outside; and the rooftop bar, Plunge, for a sophisticated scene and fantastic views.

For a cold pint sans the scene, favorites include Hell's Kitchen's House of Brews (363 W. 46th St. btwn Eighth & Ninth Aves.; 212/245-0551; or 302 W. 51st St. Eighth & Ninth Aves.; 212/541-7080; www.houseofbrewsny.com), a laid-back but sophisticated spot to catch the game and sample brews from around the world; while charming Chumley's (86 Bedford St. at Barrow St.; 212/675-4449) in the West Village once served as a 1920s speakeasy now serves cold pints in cozy environs. McSorleys (15 E. 7th St btwn Second & Third Aves.; 212/474-9148) in the East Village is the city's original Irish pub (opened in 1854), just be prepared to drink beer – only dark or light ale is on the menu. Hit a Lower East Side Bavarian beer garden at Loreley (7 Rivington St. btwn Bowery & Chrystie St.; 212/253-7077; www.loreleynyc.com), where twelve imported German beers are on tap. The city also boasts a lively gay nightlife scene, centered largely on the Chelsea and West Village neighborhoods, and more recently, Hell's Kitchen. Two popular gay bars include trendy Barrage (401 W. 47th St. btwn Ninth & Tenth Aves.; 212/586-9390), with its popular 11pm to midnight happy hour, and the funky, regularly renovated Barracuda (275 W. 22nd St. btwn Seventh and Eighth Aves.; 212/645-8613), host to some killer drag shows.

Music, Theater, and Performing Arts
There's bound to be a big-name gig going off somewhere in town during your visit, either at the mammoth Madison Square Garden (Seventh Ave. btwn 31st & 33rd Sts., 212/465-6741; www.thegarden.com), or the more intimate and prestigious venues of Radio City Music Hall (1260 Sixth Ave. at 50th St.; 212/307-7171; www.radiocity.com) and Carnegie Hall (154 W. 57th St. btwn Sixth & Seventh Ave.; 212/247-7800; www.carnegiehall.org). A number of smaller venues like the Bowery Ballroom (6 Delancey St. btwn Bowery & Chrystie St.; 212/533-2111; www.boweryballroom.com) and Irving Plaza (17 Irving Pl. at 15th St.; 212/777-6817; www.irvingplaza.com) are prime destinations for up-and-coming traveling rock bands; while smooth jazz and blues resonate from Greenwich Village's legendary Blue Note (131 W. 3rd St. at Sixth Ave; 212/475-8592; www.bluenotejazz.com) and Village Vanguard (178 Seventh Ave. S. at 11th St.; 212/255-4037; www.villagevanguard.com). Café Carlyle (35 E. 76th St. btwn Madison & Park Aves.; 212/744-1600; www.thecarlyle.com) offers sophisticated cabaret, while you just might run into the girl (or guy) from Ipanema at S.O.B.'s (200 Varick St. at Houston St.; 212/243-4940), where Brazilian and other Latin music is the specialty.

For a bursting-at-the-seams cultural calendar of classical and contemporary symphonies, dance, jazz, opera, film, theater, and more, head straight for Lincoln Center (Broadway btwn 62nd & 66th Sts.; 212-875-5000; www.lincolncenter.org), where several of New York's most prestigious companies, from The Metropolitan Opera to the New York Philharmonic, are in residence.

No visit to New York City would be complete without a visit to the Great White Way. There are tons of innovative off- and even off-off-Broadway performances. Ticket prices usually range from $10 for the tiny downtown troupes to over $100 for an orchestra seat at a hit Broadway extravaganza. You can cut the price in half by spending thirty minutes to an hour standing on line for same-day discounted tickets to most Broadway and off-Broadway performances at the TKTS booth (www.tdf.org/tkts) in Times Square. For more Broadway info check out www.livebroadway.com; for off-Broadway, try www.offbroadwayonline.com.