Hip Fun Cheap Undiscovered-By-B&T Small Clean Dancing Club?

March 7, 2008 11:08 AM

NYC Nightlife: I need to find the perfect combination of modestly-priced, respectable, and danceable venue in which to have my best friend's bachelorette party.

I've never had good luck via publications like New York Magazine or Time Out, and similar AskMe questions are a little out-of-date. The best places have always been found through friends, but unfortunately my social outings have lately been limited to Brooklyn, pubs and house-parties rather than clubs and lounges.

We want to dance and drink, but not in a Chelsea or Meatpacking district club. While it shouldn't be ultra-swanky, it shouldn't be too dive-y either. There will be 12 of us at most, and we need to stick to Manhattan. So far I feel like this is impossible.

Does anyone have any good recommendations? Highest priority is dancing, followed by atmosphere, followed by price. Thanks in advance.

posted by chelseagirl to food & drink (10 comments total)

Niagara on 7th St and Avenue A is, at first glance, a total dive bar, complete with old men at the bar on the ground floor. Get downstairs, however, and you'll find a dance floor with DJ, little stage, pole suitable to some bachelorette pole dancing, and an absolute blast. Reasonable drink prices, and there is even a back room that is open on weekends that you might be able to reserve or request for your party. Really is a lot of fun, just don't get discouraged by the looks of the place upstairs, it's a whole different place downstairs.

Oh, and it's also not far from Coyote Ugly (though that place always smells like vomit) and Crif Dogs for that late night hot-dog craving.
posted by Grither at 11:31 AM on March 7, 2008

Fat Baby in the LES. It's right by Schiller's Liquor Bar for a great burger beforehand...
posted by zpousman at 11:47 AM on March 7, 2008

We went to a Bootie NYC dance party a few months back, and it was a lot of fun. We got there early- around 10 p.m.- and it was just getting crowded as we left a few hours later.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:54 AM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Fat Baby is also a good suggestion....
posted by Grither at 12:00 PM on March 7, 2008

try STAY
posted by jazzybelle at 12:36 PM on March 7, 2008

Pyramid Club (Ave A btwn 6th & 7th) is kind of divey, but it's only $5 to get in on Saturday nights & the music (80's) is really great. Doesn't usually start to get crowded until about 12-1am. They also have 80's on Thursday nights, I believe. Friday night is 1984 which is a gay night & super crowded.

Niagra is fun, but can get really crowded since it's small.
posted by witchstone at 12:44 PM on March 7, 2008

bOb on the Lower East Side (at Stanton and Eldridge) plays old school hip-hop on Friday nights and is always a ton of fun. $5 cover, drinks are $5-7. It's a small space and does get crowded, but never ridiculous, and there's always plenty of guys who are more than happy to dance.

If not going out on a Friday night, I'd highly recommend Happy Ending for any night. It's also on the LES and probably the most "atmosphere-y," it's a former erotic massage parlor, good music and plenty of room for dancing up- and downstairs. No cover, but if you're not there before 11 p.m., you might have a 15-30 minute wait to get in.

Also worth mentioning are a couple of places right near each other in the West Village: Cafe Wha? (though be sure to make a reservation), and the Fat Black Pussycat (which is now home to the former Cafe Wha? house band). All three are reasonable in terms of drinks, and have no or low covers.
posted by acorn1515 at 1:58 PM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Ok, so this doesn't help you right now, but when warmer weather comes, I'd recommend the Frying Pan. It's in Chelsea-ish, but so not Chelsea in terms of crowd, attitude, etc. Inexpensive, great dancing and just weird and interesting.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 7:32 AM on March 8, 2008

Oh crap, I totally missed the event part of that question... sorry. I thought you were just looking for a night out. The "filing away" doesn't help so much now. Sorry!
posted by Thin Lizzy at 7:33 AM on March 8, 2008

Thanks everyone for really good suggestions. I think Happy Ending and Stay are probably the level of dancy/fancy we are looking for.

Also: Thin Lizzy, the Frying Pan was an amazing venue, but isn't it closed now?
posted by chelseagirl at 9:18 AM on March 8, 2008