New York’s bar and club scenes are as vibrant and varied as you can get anywhere – except that everything you could want is all in one metropolitan area, making it difficult to choose in just one visit! Although certain venues have become classics and have withstood the test of time, many more open, close and/or metamorphose at the drop of a hat. To find bars and clubs tailored to your own personal taste, please consider using one or more of these internet resources:

 

At the present time, the hottest area for bar- and club-hopping is the Meatpacking District, located on the west side of Manhattan and sandwiched between Chelsea and the West Village. Once a low-key area home to warehouses and meatpacking plants, it also garnered an unsavory reputation as a preferred haunt for prostitutes. While remnants of the old neighborhood still exist, visitors who walk the district’s uneven cobblestone streets will now find it crowded with trendy upscale boutiques and restaurants as well as the latest cool night spots.

The Meatpacking District is now home to some of the city's elite bars, clubs, and posh new hotels. Some of my favorites include

  • Hotel Gansevoort , 18 9th Avenue - This exclusive hotel features a 45-foot heated outdoor, glass-surrounded pool situated on the rooftop complete with underwater music! The space offers 360 degree views of Manhattan and is best during summer months. Guests staying at the hotel can avoid the long lines which inevitably form at the hotel by showing their key cards. Ono, the Japanese restaurant at the hotel is also a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
  • Spice Market , 403 W 13th Street - Since this place opened in 2004, it has been constantly packed. The space is large, yet romatic with pagodas, low golden lighting and a dramatic staircase carved into the center of the room. The food is sublime! Jean-Georges Vongerichten has hit a homerun with this gem.
  • Pastis, 9 9th Avenue - Directly across from the Gansevoort, this restaurant is best for late night snacking and celebrity spotting. It's a great place to duck into to grab some pomme frittes, mussels, or a steak sandwich before heading back out for another round of play.
  • Rhone , 63 Gansevoort St - A great spot for a glass of wine (22 in all by glass!). Fairly modern and loud, but still usually a good time.

Hipsters seeking nightlife should also be sure to check out the Lower East Side, another area that, while still retaining a gritty feel, is undergoing a similar transformation and is now a fashionable destination in which to eat, drink, shop and hang out after dark.

The following is just a minute sampling of of-the-moment hotspots:

  • APT, ( website) 419 West 13th Street, – once a secret scenester meeting place, this beautiful West Village bar caters to locals and out-of-towners alike.
  • Balthazar , ( website) 80 Spring Street,– sit at the bar for great people-watching at this perennial favorite SoHo French bistro
  • Bar Veloce , ( website) 175 2nd Avenue,  – pretty Chelsea wine bar serving light Italian fare.
  • Bungalow 8, 515 West 27th Street – located in Chelsea, this exclusive and celebrity-packed club continues to exude a white-hot mystique.
  • Campbell Apartment , ( website) 15 Vanderbilt Avenue, Grand Central Terminal,  – located in Grand Central Terminal, this formal upscale bar, once the residence of industrialist John W. Campbell, harkens back to the roaring 20’s and is frequented by commuters and tourists alike.
  • Employees Only , 510 Hudson Street – if you can find this cozy hangouts low-key entrance and actually get in, but you will be just rewarded by high-quality classic cocktails.
  • Schiller’s Liquor Bar , ( website) 131 Rivington Street,  – trendy self-described “low life bar and restaurant” that is part of the Lower East Side revival.