Where to go dancing in Manhattan?

January 12, 2007 8:28 AM

I’d like to go dancing in Manhattan this Saturday night. The question is, where?

A few requirements, in decreasing order of importance:
1. Music. This is the most important. I’d like to go to a venue where the DJ is more creative than just playing the top-40 hits of the last year. I particularly love to dance to soul, funk, and R&B, including older stuff. No techno/electronica.
2. Venue. I prefer small to big. I’m not interested in the 4-floor places with huge crowds. Bars with smallish dance floors are great.
3. Crowd/vibe. I’m not a hipster, but I’m not a B&T girl, either. Just a slightly nerdy 24-year-old who wants to get her groove on. Prefer laid back over glitzy.
4. Small or no cover. I’d pay, but it’ll be easier to get my friends to come along if this isn’t much of a concern.
5. Location doesn’t matter much, though I’d like to avoid the Meatpacking District. Extra points for East or West Village.

Specific venues would be greatly appreciated. Likely venues and DJs to look for would also be very helpful. I’d like to do this more than just once, so I’d greatly appreciate suggestions of resources for looking this up in the future. I tried sifting through TimeOutNY’s website, but I had a really hard time finding useful information. Suggestions for places that have live music and dance floors happily accepted, too. Thanks!

posted by CiaoMela to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

Happy Ending (so named because it occupies a former massage parlor) on Broome and Forsythe has two separate dance floors that each get a lot of use over the course of the night. Music's generally a decent mix of uber-cool retro/underground anything, but the crowd can be intensely hipsterish at times, though, so be forewarned.
posted by saladin at 9:11 AM on January 12, 2007

Have you checked Flavorpill?
posted by mkb at 9:20 AM on January 12, 2007

If you want a funky mix of music, small venue, laid back crowd, and zero cover, the place you want to go to is called Single Room Occupancy.

Use your google to "find" it, but you'll still have trouble finding it - it doesn't have any street sign, there's just a door with a green light above it, and you have to ring a buzzer to get buzzed in.

Good luck.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:24 AM on January 12, 2007

it sounds to me like you want to go to rififi!
posted by tjenks at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2007

I used to go here years ago, but it was great then, and they seem to be exactly what you're looking for.
posted by lovejones at 10:40 AM on January 12, 2007

Tjenks has it: Rififi on Fridays is home to one of NYC's great hipster hangouts, but the rest of the time it's just as cool without the contest.

Alternately, and I know this wasn't your question, Every 1st and 3rd Friday is MONDO! at Luke & Leroy's. It's an indie pop dance party, but draws folks from all walks of life and lacks the hipster arrogance of more "elite" parties. It's a lot like partying in the world's biggest bedroom. That sounds dirty. I just meant that it's incredibly friendly, totally fun.
posted by GilloD at 11:29 AM on January 12, 2007

GilloD, I'm happy to get recs for other times, too. As long as there's dancing and good music involved, it helps.

mkb, I'd never heard of Flavorpill, thanks for the tip.

Thanks to the others as well--keep 'em coming! I'd love to have a list of places to hit over the coming weeks.
posted by CiaoMela at 11:42 AM on January 12, 2007

I'd have more if you didn't hate techno. *sob*
posted by mkb at 12:07 PM on January 12, 2007

I'll bet you'll love Sounds of Brazil. Not too big, high-energy crowd, reasonable-to-expensive drink prices (by downtown Manhattan standards) and way cooler than the website makes it look.
posted by CRM114 at 1:20 PM on January 12, 2007

I haven't been, but I'm told the Black Betty in Williamsburg is good on Saturday nights. There's also Bembe nearby (Flash websites...beware!).
posted by timnyc at 1:27 PM on January 12, 2007

mkb, I do hate techno, but if the venue is great, go ahead and post it.

timnyc, I've heard good things about Black Betty, too. Maybe I could convince a crowd to travel some time...
posted by CiaoMela at 1:33 PM on January 12, 2007