New Yorkers are a cynical, hard-to-impress bunch. But despite their perennial been-there-done-that attitude, the city’s club crawlers are proud of its nightlife. The birthplace of disco and hip hop, New York also played a major role in the development of house music. These locally born sounds, along with drum ’n’ bass, bleepy IDM, electroclash, Latin, R&B, reggae, techno, trip hop and many other genres, can be found emanating from clubs and lounges every night of the week.

Great dance clubs include Cielo (18 Little West 12th Street, NY 10014, +12126455700, www.cieloclub.com), Lunatarium (10 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, +17188138404, www.lunatarium.com) and Filter 14 (432 W 14th Street, at Washington St, NY 10014, +12123665680).

Top of the gay & lesbian club list is the Starlight Bar & Lounge (167 Avenue A, between Tenth and 11th Streets, NY 10009, +12124752172).

For bars, head to the lesbian haunt Meow Mix (269 Hudson Street, at Suffolk Street, NY 10002, +12122540688) or gay bar XI Chelsea (357 W 16th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, +12129951400). APT (419 W 13th Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, NY 10014, +12124144245) is a lushly appointed lounge with a sharp sound system, Happy Ending (302 Broome Street, between Eldridge and Forsyth Streets, NY 10002, +12123349676) is a trendy newcomer and Bemelman’s (The Carlyle, 35 E 76th Street, at Madison Avenue, NY 10021, +12127441600 / +18002275737) offers murals, a quaint version of Upper East Side and fancy cocktails.

For more characterful joints, Ava Lounge (210 West 55th Street, NY 10019, +12129567020) has good views of midtown, the Coral Room (512 West 29th Street, +12122441965) has an aquarium (complete with mermaids!), while Bungalow 8 (515 West 27th Street, NY 10001, +12126293333) is for the limo set. Others? Well, nothing gets a Manhattanite over the river like gorgeous Galapagos (70 North Sixth Street, between Kent and Wythe Avenues, Brooklyn, NY 11211, +17187825188, www.galapagosartspace.com). One night you’ll hear a staged reading of a new play. The next, a punk band, a string quartet and a folk – and – hip hop showcase.

Finally, Openair (121 St Marks Place, between First Avenue and Avenue A, NY 10009, +12129791459, www.openairbar.com), the Plant Bar (217 E Third Street, between Avenues B & C, NY 10009, +12123759066) and Halcyon (227 Smith Street, between Butler and Douglass Streets, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (+17182609299 / www.halcyonline.com) all have great music.

Good larger venues include the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street, between Broadway and Church Street, NY 10013, +12122193055, www.knittingfactory.com), jazz clubs Iridium (1650 Broadway, on 51st Street, NY 10019, +12125822121, www.iridiumjazzclub.com) and Birdland (315 West 44th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, NY 10036, +12125813080, www.birdlandjazz.com), SOB’s (204 Varick Street, at Houston Street, NY 10014, +12122434940, www.sobs.com) and Pianos (158 Ludlow Street, at Stanton Street, +12125053733, www.pianosnyc.com).

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