The best parties and club nights in NYC this month: April 2025

DJ duo The Carry Nation are taking the "afters" to a whole new level: their party at The Chocolate Factory on Scott Avenue will start at 5am on Sunday, April 6, and go till 5pm that afternoon. Back by popular demand, I've heard their last "They Went on Forever" party described as "transcendent," with graphics of dreamy crowds projected onto every wall of the venue. This is a party that really cares about its customers—they invest thousands of dollars to install wooden floors of The Chocolate Factory for one night to make moving around more comfortable. Be ready to laugh, cry, sweat, and dance to some ethereal New York house.  

These days, it might feel like there’s not much reason to dance, which is why it’s more important that we do, actually. Luckily, we live in a city that makes small displays of joy pretty accessible, and Bryant Park is hosting a slate of dance parties to keep our spirits (and heartbeats) up all spring. 

Every Wednesday from April 30 to May 15, you'll find dance classes happening near Bryant Park's iconic fountain starting at 6pm, followed by dance parties from 7pm till 8:30pm.

Hosted by dance curator and producer Talia Castro-Pozo, this year's dance series will feature music from all over the world, including salsa, Motown and more. The best part? There's no reservation needed, and walk-ups are welcome. 

For some of us, partying just to party during these times feels a bit wrong, so we're always going to try and find a function with a good mission and strong community behind it. Enter rally NYC, a party whose motto is "music for movement and gathering, not escape." On Saturday, April 19, it is throwing a "fundraver" called No Borders at Mood Ring to raise money for NYC Migrant Solidarity, a mutual aid organization that assists migrants in crisis. Expect fast beats across genres like jungle and footwork, played by DJs Chelita, BATTYGYAL, Swaya, Duneska, Mangumami, and amita. 

Third Floor Sounds, the event series that hosts DJ sets in secret locations all throughout New York City, is celebrating their one year anniversary on Friday, April 4 at Elsewhere. This rager will mark the party series' first time in an actual nightclub, and for one night only, Elsewhere will enforce the party's no-phones-on-the-dancefloor policy to ensure that everyone stays truly in the moment. Enjoy sets by Third Floor Sounds founder TEE EM DEE as well as JAEL, shedash and Shek. There will be even more DJs in Zone One and in the Loft.  

One of the most anticipated techno parties of the season, Nocturnal Emissions combines the sweaty sensuality of a circuit party and combines it with the intensity of a techno rave. Created by legendary party promoter Patrick Crough, this next iteration of the party will be a celebration of spring, featuring LOKA, KIA, Fashion, DJPT and resident DJ Alexis De La Rosa. They like to keep the warehouse location hush hush, but expect it to be somewhere in the Williamsburg/Bushwick nightlife triangle. 

The “clubstaurant,” an only-in-America genre of establishment that mixes elements of nightlife with fine dining, is making a major comback. Among our favorites is COQODAQ, the flashy new Korean fried chicken restaurant that opened in the Flatiron District last year. There’s also Jean’s on Lafayette Street, which regards itself as “a club where food is the gimmick.” Then, there's the new permanent location of Gitano at the Seaport, a Tulum-inspired clubstaurant that opened last week and claims to have the city’s largest disco ball (in addition to ceviche).  

Alas, the end is nigh: Nightlife giant Paragon is really closing this month, but it won't go out in silence. For its final weekend, the venue is throwing back-to-back parties with some of the best New York City DJs, including Byrell the Great, x3butterfly, Joselo, Eli Escobar, BEARCAT, TYGAPAW and others. Dance, and try not to cry, while you bask in the venue's sure-to-be-iconic final moments. 

As of this month, Schmuck, one of the best bars in the world, is open for business. The bar hopes to bring a neighborhood playground to the East Village. Inspired by a mix of Mid-Century Modern, the Space Age and Brutalist design movements, the 1,600-square foot bar is broken up into two spaces. The all-seated experience found in the cherry red living room offers 12 original cocktails that call to familiar ingredients and dishes, like the cinnamon bun and coffee number, FIKA, and the fennel-forward, salad-inspired BLANKA. 

While concrete-heavy, the smaller room leans more casual, centered around a long wooden table geared for gathering. Ten cocktails round out the menu here, like the Caramelized Apple and the Le Banané, popularly featured during their pop-up days. Snacking can also be had here, with a menu that includes White Bean Cacio e Pepe, Crushed Potatoes with a spicy peanut sauce and the Chocolate & Olive Oil, a dark chocolate mousse topped with salt flakes. Make sure to act fast, though: Reservations are already notoriously difficult to get.