Hammerstein Ballroom (at the Manhattan Center)

Patrons can sometimes be herded a bit like cattle here, and the drink prices are among the most outlandish in town—upwards of ten bucks for a cheap cocktail in a plastic cup!—but this cavernous space, with its dramatic vaulted balconies, regularly draws big performers in the limbo between club and arena shows. The once-poor sound quality has been rectified, but unless you land tickets on the floor, it takes an amazing act to make a night feel special.