Bars in NYC

Hi all,

For the moment I'm staying with two friends in New York City, and we're looking for some fun things to do here at night. The city is simply too big to chose a place to hang out So I would like to know if someone can help us with some nice bars or clubs. What we like: good and not too expensive beer, good music, no huge lines at the entrance, fun atmosphere, and of course nice girls

So if you have some advice, feel free to share it with us (also if you know other things we shouldn't miss out on, beside the obvious tourist traps of course). We're here until Saturday 17!

Cheers!

not from nyc, but i like double down saloon. great jukebox!

http://www.doubledownsaloon.com/newyork/index.html

I always liked the East Village. Never had to worry about covers or dress code. Here were my spots:

Manitoba's http://manitobas.com/ (as in Handsome Dick Manitoba of the Dictators)

7B: http://www.sheckysnightlife.com/newyorkcity/search/7b_1_1093.asp Used to love the jukebox there (White Stripes, Pantera, T. Rex for example). Also realized later that's where the shootout scene was in Godfather 2. Plus Sex & The City did a segment there for the show (when Carrie was arrested for pot) and the famous Crocodile Dundee scene where he figures out a girl is a guy.

Niagara: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/niagara/ (which everyone here probably knows)

Lit: http://www.litloungenyc.com/ will sometimes play awesome rock music. Random fact: Deryck Whibley was kicked out of here for spitting.

Library: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/library/ had a good jukebox from what I remember (Clash was on there)

Black & White http://nymag.com/listings/bar/black_and_white/ (below the Strokes management office)

Keep in mind I haven't been barhopping in like 4 years so definitely call and make sure these places still exist. I always liked walking through via St. Mark's Place because it was great for people watching and random shopping. Though honestly the merch seemed like a step above Hot Topic. I was about to suggest Love Saves the Day (store) but man, it closed in 2009? Boo.

For bars, Junkie is right that you can't go wrong in the East Village. I would also check out the nearby Lower East Side. Two of my favorite spots there are The Sixth Ward http://sixthwardnyc.com/ and Donnybrook http://www.donnybrooknyc.com/

In terms of must see stuff, I could go on forever but I will recommend two sandwich spots that are truly amazing.

The first is Porchetta in the East Village. Their porchetta (roast pork) sandwich is arguably the best in the city and is honesty worth the $10 that they charge for it.
http://www.porchettanyc.com/

The second is Banh Mi Saigon in Chinatown. Their Vietnamese sandwiches are ridiculously good. At $3.75 they're also one of the city's best bargains. http://www.banhmisaigonnyc.com/

What neighborhood are you staying in? I might be able to suggest some good local stuff for you.

Great, I'll write the names down and I'm hoping to visit some of them Are these bars just bars with good music or are they really clubs? I personally woud listen to a jukebox with The Clash and White Stripes forever, but my friends are a little less into good rock music than I am and we really would like to check out the NY "dancing" nightlife as well.

We're staying on Lexington Avenue / 110th Street, close to Harlem.

Another thing: the best record store in town? My guidebook advised "J&R Music World", but some other (perhaps smaller), more independent music stores where you can stroll around for hours would be very nice.

Just saw Frank Turner is in town a few days after I'm gone, very very sad. I would have liked to see Two Door Cinema Club at a place called Terminal 5 instead, but unfortunately it's sold out Is it worth the effort to try to buy a ticket secondhand at the door (like it is in Belgium), or shouldn't I bother?

Thanks for all the advice! It's my third time here and I can't get enough of this place. Love it here

The places listed by Junkie and me are definitely not "clubs". I've always been a bar guy so clubbing has never been my thing. The one place I can recommend is Libation in the lower east side. http://www.libationnyc.com/dev/index.php?page=home

As far as clubs go, it's a really good time and there will be plenty of ladies to dance with.

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot in Harlem that I can suggest (other than the obvious tourist stuff) since I've never really spent much time in that neighborhood.

If you go south a bit, there's a very thriving bar scene (with lots of single people) running from about 90th street to 70th street (n between 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue).

In terms of record stores, my favorite in the city is Generation Records on Thompson Street in the West Village. Academy Records is also really good on East 12th street (between 2nd and 1st Ave).

Regarding the show at Terminal 5, I would suggest trying to score tickets off of CraigsList so you don't have to pay scalper prices in front of the venue http://newyork.craigslist.org/search/tia?query=Two+Door+Cinema+Club+&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=

It looks like someone is selling a pair for $30 each.

Also, check Yelp. Lots of reader reviews of places and you can narrow results down by location and type of place.

My clubbing days were even further back in the day than my barhopping days. Plus my tastes were not exactly that hip. I liked Webster Hall the best because if you didn't like music in one room you could go to another. (http://www.websterhall.com/nightclub/) So if you were tired of house music, you could go down into the basement and listen to reggae/hip hop. I also liked the extremely cheesy Culture Club because I am an 80's child. http://cultureclub.com/ Looks like they've been renovating so who knows if they're open.

Agreed about Upper East Side. That was the other hangout since a friend lived in that neighborhood.

As far as any other attractions the 9/11 Memorial just opened up to the public if you feel like crying on your trip. Here's some rock music tours: http://www.rockjunket.com/schedule.asp and http://rocksoff.com/walkingtours (same thing? Not sure) I haven't tried them before though.

For food stuff:
http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/sandwichshop was pretty cool if you're a peanut butter fan though like everything I seem to be suggesting, it's downtown.

Tried this place once because it's chocolate-centric and it was ok: http://maxbrenner.com

Screw Magnolia, this is the bakery to go to: http://www.crumbs.com/ Cupcakes the size of your friggin' head. *Homer Simpson drool face* There appears to be a Crumbs on 3rd Ave & 78th.

http://www.serendipity3.com/food.htm Serendipity is on the UES too, but it's kinda pricy. People like the dessert more than anything from what I've heard.

If you're in Times Square, just eat here: http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/index2.htm Best pizza ever.