[Ed note: This article has been expanded with bonus online content.]
Things get sweaty at Rush.
Photograph: Nikola Tamindzic
Rush NEW
Most of the revelers at Rush were probably still in junior high back when this three-floor dance bar was called Heaven. But it’s remarkable how little it’s changed since the Clinton years. It’s still dark, it’s still full of twinks, and the DJ is still playing the Spice Girls. But if you want to dance, and you don’t want to deal with the snobby door policies of the Chelsea megaclubs, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better place.
TIP: There’s often a cover charge, so call ahead to see how much you’ll need to put out up front. And don’t be discouraged by the packed street-level dance floor. An easy-to-miss stairway leads to a frequently empty second floor where you and your gang can take over a sizable dance space.
Average drink: $7. 579 Sixth Ave between 16th and 17th Sts (212-243-6100). Chueca Bar
The Woodside lesbian spot’s biggest party gets going every Saturday around midnight. DJ MaFemme spins Latin music, house and reggaetón accompanied by a live percussionist, and the gals hit the dance floor as soon as the first bars of salsa ring out. The predominantly Latina crowd is made up of femmes, chapstick lezzies and butches; from twentysomething chicas to middle-aged mamis. Yes, the tiny rum-and-Cokes are superpricey for Queens, but the hot, friendly staff makes them more digestible.
TIP: The estrogen-heavy crowd can be predatory—this reporter’s date was hit on when she stepped just three feet away to buy a beer.
Average drink: $7. 69-04 Woodside Ave at 69th St, Woodside, Queens (718-424-1171). Gym Sportsbar
If you love football, beer and daddy bears, this is the bar for you. It’s always jammed, but Sundays are fun: A crowd of Chelsea-ites gather to watch muscley boys strut their stuff on the gridiron. Don’t feel intimidated when you walk in and all you see are large men in team jerseys; everyone is superfriendly. The bartender will know your name after one drink, and with bottles of beer at $2.50 ($3 for pints) on Sundays, imagine how close you’ll be after a few rounds.
TIP: If you’re not set on watching one game in particular and want to get a seat, arrive between games, at around 3:45pm, when the crowd is lighter.
Average drink: $6. 167 Eighth Ave between 18th and 19th Sts (212-337-2439). Therapy
The Cosmo may have been the It drink of the ’90s, but the young, trendy boys (and straight Carrie Bradshaw wanna-bes) who frequent this midtown bôite still think it’s great: Therapy is awash with the pink cocktail. Wednesday is drag queen Peppermint’s talent show, “Cattle Call,” where you get to decide, via applause, who is the city’s most talented 45-year-old gay man. That is, if you can concentrate, what with all the cute staff and spunky future Broadway stars gossiping about who’s screwing whom.
TIP: There’s a big after-theater rush, so getthere around 10pm and have a few before the regular crowd turns up.
Average drink: $9. 348 W 52nd St between Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-397-1700). Boys Room
As long as you like an energetic pole dance from a well-toned boy dressed only in his skivvies (um, yes please), this is a fantastic spot. Fridays are especially hopping, with gay porn on the flat-screens throughout the place, supercomely staff dancing their tushies off on the bar, and sexy regs turning it out on the dance floor. The crowd doesn’t swell until about 1am, but when it does, it’s packed with cliquey groups of guys, so we recommend you bring your own to chill with.
TIP: Even if you’re not into voyeurism (liar), you’ll find yourself slapping the go-go boys’ asses, so be sure to bring plenty of dollar bills to soothe the sting of those open-handers.
Average drink: $7. 211 Ave A at 13th St (no phone). Sugarland NEW
Managed by Metropolitan co-owner Troy Carson, Williamsburg’s newest queer hangout is still getting its footing on weekdays. But come Saturday night, the dimly lit, sparsely decorated joint that’s risen from the ashes of Capone’s is jumping with B-burg queens, Manhattan scensteratti, working stiffs, hags and breeder boys—all dancing to DJ MJ’s heady mix of pop, disco, rock and electronica. Not to mention getting sloshed on $5 drafts and $8 top-shelf cocktails.
TIP: Get there by midnight if you want to nab a seat in one of the subterranean banquettes—it’s the perfect spot for scanning the competition.
Average drink: $6.50. 221 North 9th St between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (myspace.com/sugarlandbklyn). The Duplex
Aggressive cheer is always in the air at this bi-level Village cabaret and bar. Downstairs you and your pals can duet to show tunes with live piano accompaniment (NB: save your atonal “I Will Survive” for the karaoke bar; the singers here tend to bring it), while the upstairs offers a mellow drinking spot with plenty of seating and mingling room: Perfect for chatting with old friends and making new ones—including the superfriendly bartenders. The jukebox is stocked with a fun mix of Broadway classics and pop hits; don’t be afraid to sing along.
TIP: Like that bartender you met? Many of the staff are actors and/or singers. Check out the bar’s website for more info, then stalk them when they play at venues around town—including the Duplex’s own cabaret space.
Average drink: $6.61 Christopher St at Seventh Ave South (212-255-5438; theduplex.com).Metropolitan
The cold air settling over Billyburg means this sprawling homo bar loses its lovely outdoor space, but no matter: The two fireplaces more than make up for it. Gather around the warm glow with pals and watch the cute neighborhood boys and girls mingle around the pool table and video games. Cheap drinks will keep your gang well lubricated, and the noncruisey feel of the place means even your hetero friends will feel at home here.
TIP: Various nights are heavy on either boys or girls. While you’ll always find a friendly crowd, call ahead to be sure you don’t bring an army of Chelsea boys on dyke night.
Average drink: $6.559 Lorimer St between Devoe St and Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-4444). The Ritz
Is it strange for a bar that looks and feels like a beachfront Miami lounge to be named after something that evokes glamorous Parisian couture? Maybe, but who cares when you’re showcasing your best moves to the house tunes being pumped out by the DJ in the back? Not to mention the fact that the mix of hot young club kids, hot young dancers and hot young actors is enough to keep a hot young, well, anything, “entertained” all night.
TIP: Don’t be fooled by the laid-back beachy decor, you’ll want to dress it up to mingle with the crowd here.
Average drink: $9. 369 W 46th St Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-333-2554). Cattyshack
The crown jewel in Brooklyn’s queer-dance crown, Cattyshack isn’t just for the ladies: Girls and boys alike belly up to the bar and get down on the dance floor at this dual-level lounge any given night of the week. Entertainment for the rhythmically challenged comes in the form of a downstairs pool table and upstairs board games, and culture hounds will get their fix here, too: On the night we visited there was a Black Voices poetry reading.
TIP: On Mondays, the ‘Shack hosts an open mike; Thursdays is Shitkickers!, the weekly country-music party; DJ Storm spins here every Friday.
Average drink: $7.249 Fourth Ave between Carroll and President Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-230-5740).
PARTY KEY
It’s the perfect party place, but it’s up to you to start it up. Bring your friends.
The party’s happening with or without you. Don’t get left behind—and don’t bring ten pals.
Both! It’s going full steam and there’s room for you and your posse. Spuds MacKenzie would be proud.
Reported by: Dan Avery, T.J. Carlin,Erin Clements, Genevieve Ernst, Michael Freidson, Dustin Goot, Ashlea Halpern, Shakthi Jothianandan, Ethan LaCroix,Clare Lambe, Dan Lopez, Kate Lowenstein, Amy Plitt, Leslie Price, Adam Rathe,Katharine Rust, Drew Toal, Nicole Tourtelot, Alex Van Buren, Mimi Wong, Monika Fabian and Helen Yun
