NYC Entertainment | Nightlife in New York City

Entertainment and Nightlife in New York City
Bartenders in NYC have an uncanny talent for remembering faces. Make sure to tip

Bartenders in NYC have an uncanny talent for remembering faces. Make sure to tip

Entertainment and Nightlife in New York City

Are you looking for the best in NYC nightlife? Well, you're in the right place. Here at NYCTourist.com, you'll learn everything you need to know about entertainment and nightlife in NYC, including how to get in to the most popular NYC clubs, where to find the best bars in NYC, and what cheap NYC hotels are close to New York nightlife hotspots. Whether you're looking for cool, kooky NYC bars or trendy NYC clubs, you're sure to find what you're after.

Here are a few beginner's tips:

  • Dress to Impress: Most popular clubs in NYC enforce strict dress codes. If you don't look like you belong, you won't get in. Check club websites for dress codes.
  • Tip Your Bartender Well: Bartenders in NYC have an uncanny talent for remembering faces. If you stiff them on the tip, they'll note it, and you probably won't get a drink again. Of course, if you tip them well, they'll remember that, too, and they'll pour stronger drinks and take your order first. This is especially true in upscale NYC clubs.

To learn more about nightlife in New York City, continue reading below!

Located in the Midtown West neighborhood of Manhattan, The Royalton New York stands right in the center of it all

Located in the Midtown West neighborhood of Manhattan, The Royalton New York stands right in the center of it all

Hotels Close to Nightlife in NYC

If you plan on doing your share of partying in NYC, do yourself the favor of booking a room in an New York hotel close to nightlife in NYC. Here are a few of our top New York City hotels for partying:

  • The Royalton New York: Located in the Midtown West neighborhood of Manhattan, The Royalton New York stands right in the center of it all, close to popular NYC attractions and the best nightlife in NYC (the world-famous Pacha Club NY stands just steps away). This 4.0-star luxury hotel boasts a lively on-site bar, a 24-hour fitness center, and a breathtaking lobby with an enormous cast-bronze fireplace.
  • The GEM Hotel Chelsea: For those who would rather spend their money on signature NY drinks than on trendy NY hotel rooms, there's the GEM Hotel Chelsea, a cheap NYC hotel close to New York nightlife. This popular NYC hotel stands just minutes away from many of New York City's hottest clubs, including Marquee NYC.
Are you looking for fun things to do in New York City after dark?

Are you looking for fun things to do in New York City after dark?

NYC Nightlife - Cool Bars in NYC

Are you looking for fun things to do in New York City after dark? Do you want to learn about NYC nightlife and nightclubs in NYC? Are you on a quest for the coolest, hottest, swankiest bars in NYC? If so, you're in the right place! Below you'll find two of our favorite NYC nightlife hotspots.

  • The Rum House: Located in Manhattan's Times Square, just steps away from New York City's Theater District, The Rum House is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before or after a Broadway show. This upscale bar in NYC is sure to delight music lovers and cocktail purists alike with its leather upholstery, piano players, and high-end drinks.
  • Smith & Mills: One block east of the Hudson River lies the small, pocket-sized bar known as Smith & Mills. At this eccentric Tribeca bar, which occupies a mere 450 square feet, food is served on antique flatware and beer in Mason jars.

To hear more about NYC nightlife, keep reading below!

NYCTourist Travel Info
  Nightlife Info Price
1. Sunswick Bar

A New York City bar in Queens that offers something for everyone, the Sunswick NY Bar features 25 different craft beers on tap every night. Enjoy lively NY events nightly - including Monday XBox Nights, Wednesday Trivia Nights and Thursday Ladies' Nights - at this top NYC sports bar in Astoria.

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2. Studio Square

One of the most popular New York nightclubs in the Summertime, Studio Square NYC in Long Island City features 30,000-square feet of party space. Get together with old friends, or introduce yourself to new friends at this top New York City nightclub while you enjoy cold draught beers and homemade Sangria.

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3. Bohemian Beer Garden

Grab your friends, pack a deck of cards, and enjoy a warm Summer evening in NYC at the popular Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria. For more than 100 years, this top NYC bar in Queens has been entertaining locals and tourists alike with their spacious beer garden and tasty imported and domestic draught beer selections.

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4. Dutch Kills

Whether you like your cocktails shaken or stirred, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the professional mixed drinks served up every night at Dutch Kills New York Bar in Long Island City. Featuring classics like the Old Fashioned and the Dark and Stormy, to flavorful house specialties you won't find anywhere else, Dutch Kill Bar NY is a classic speakeasy in Queens.

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5. Tropix

Come for drinks and appetizers at happy hour and stay for late-night dancing and bottle service at Tropix Bar and Lounge in Queens. Featuring nightly drink specials and upbeat DJ entertainment, head to Tropix for a fun and affordable night out in NYC.

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6. Spuyten Duyvil

Featuring a cozy indoor bar area, as well as a spacious outdoor beer garden that opens seasonally, the Spuyten Duyvil Brooklyn Bar in Williamsburg is one of the best bars in NYC for beer enthusiasts. With more than 130 rare bottled beers from around the globe - including Belgian specialties you won't find anywhere else - Spuyten Duyvil Brooklyn is one of the most popular bars in NYC.

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7. The Levee NYC

Enjoy top NY drink specials in Brooklyn at The Levee Bar New York. Located in trendy Williamsburg, this popular New York dive bar is known for its great daily drink deals and famous house cocktails. For just $5, order one of their popular beer/shot combinations, and wash it down with a $1 chili dog from behind the bar!

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8. Pacific Standard

Looking for a great place to sip savory micro brews and watch the game?  Check out Pacific Standard Brooklyn and lounge on the couches or play darts and board games!  Notorious for their extensive beer selection and wide array of micro brews on tap, Pacific Standard Brooklyn Bar is a sports bar highly loyal to its Bay Area roots in Northern California.  Visit Pacific Standard Bar and root for the West Coast!

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9. Bell House

Aside from a spacious venue, amazing live music, and tasty dub pies, The Bell House Bar in NYC is also known for its delicious specialty cocktails!  Deemed as a favorite neighborhood bar in Brooklyn, The Bell House is a great place to rock out to your favorite band, or sip delicious brews for happy hour!  Don't miss The Bell House's extensive bourbon collection in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn!

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10. Barcade Brooklyn

One of the most popular New York bars in Brooklyn, the Barcade NYC combines the thrill of rediscovering your favorite arcade games with some of the best beer in NYC. Enjoy more than two dozen of the best local micro brews while playing classic arcade games for just 25 cents at this top NYC bar in Brooklyn.

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11. 4th Ave Pub

Looking for a great happy hour in Brooklyn?  Check out 4th Avenue Pub in Brooklyn for $2 off everything in the bar!  Choose between their long list of specialty beers or try the savory sangria!  Also providing free popcorn and a dog-friendly outdoor patio, 4th Avenue Pub is notorious for their chalkboard wall in the bathroom.  Make your mark and try delicious local beers in Brooklyn at 4th Avenue Pub! 

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Pacha Club boasts a 3,500-square-foot wooden dance floor

Pacha Club boasts a 3,500-square-foot wooden dance floor

The New York Nightlife Scene and Things To Do at Night in NYC!

We’ve all heard that New York is the city that never sleeps – and it’s true! If hitting the town, checking out the clubs, seeing the lights in Times Square, or just hanging out at a great lounge or bar is your thing, then NYC can deliver. There are hundreds of restaurants that have bars and lounges for early evening entertainment and hundreds more pubs and bars in New York (especially Manhattan) that are open deep into the night. New York’s club scene is broad and varied and is led by Webster Hall in the East Village – one of New York City’s most popular nightclubs featuring five (yes FIVE) dance floors, live music, famous DJs, and an iconic history of entertainers (our nightlife tip is to buy tickets early as this is a hot place to hang out, dance, and party).

Another way to spend the night is dinner and live music at a New York jazz club like Cleopatra’s Needle on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. If you’re into laughing (let’s hope so) then New York boasts some of the best comedians and comedy clubs in the world such as the Broadway Comedy Club, Caroline’s on Broadway, World Comedy Club in Manhattan's Midtown West, Dangerfield’s, and the NY Comedy Club where "Laughter is an instant vacation!" Yes, most have a two drink minimum but that’s nothing compared to the quality of entertainment.

If you’re looking for NYC concert tickets, entertainers or other things to do at night in NYC then check out our up to date NYC events calendar.

Clubs and Nightlife in NYC

Some of the best clubs in the world can be found in New York City. One famous NYC nightclub is Pacha Club NY. Located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan, Pacha Club boasts a 3,500-square-foot wooden dance floor and four stylishly decorated floors with large open spaces and intimate seating coves. Notable attractions at this popular club in NYC include Pacha's famous shower booths, where bikinied girls dance under colored LED lights, and the jet-setting celebrities who people the ultra-exclusive mezzanine floor.

Another popular NYC club is Marquee NYC. This trendy nightclub in NYC evokes the elegant sophistication of an old-fashioned gentlemen's club with its scuptural glasswear, custom-made ice buckets, 42-foot vaulted ceiling, and 35-foot "wishbone" staircase. With a maximum capacity of just 600 people, Marquee NY is the perfect size for an NYC nightclub, neither too big nor too small.

NYC Event Tickets

Manhattan Inn Piano Bar is a cool and quirky NYC piano bar located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Manhattan Inn Piano Bar is a cool and quirky NYC piano bar located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.

NYC Nightlife - The Best Bars in NYC

Looking for cool bars in NYC? We've got you covered! Check out these trendy NYC bars with live music and bar food. They're two of the best bars in New York City!

  • Manhattan Inn Piano Bar NYC: Founded in 2009 by Brooke Baxter and Rolyn Hu, Manhattan Inn Piano Bar is a cool and quirky NYC piano bar located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. This popular NY piano bar offers live music seven nights a week and a full bar that serves quality small plates and full-course meals.
  • Le Poisson Rouge NYC: Founded by musicians on the former site of the Village Gate, Le Poisson Rouge is one of the best places to see live music in NYC. This cool NYC bar features a 28' x 21' fixed corner stage, a 23'-diameter hardwood dance floor, and flexible event space that can seat 250 and stand 700. Aside from signature NY cocktails like the Garfunkel and the Pumpkin King, Le Poisson Rouge serves delicious small plates like quesadillas, nachos, and pizza.