Dance Clubs in New York City
Nothing will transport you back to the worst day of high school quicker than facing the gatekeeper at the door of a New York dance club. It’s a humbling, depressing experience (especially if you don’t get in), but there are ways to increase your odds of spending more time in the club than on the sidewalk.
1. Go online for a reservation. Most clubs offer priority entry, especially for folks who show up well before the action starts (say 10:30pm) or after the peak has passed (1:30am or so). It’s a good way to avoid the “choosing” process at the door. At dance clubs with restaurants attached, those who dine get automatic entry, later in the evening. You can also reserve a table at a club in advance, but be careful: You’ll be required to take “bottle service,” which means you buy a bottle of liquor for you and your companions that can easily cost upward of $500, plus a 20% tip on that amount.
2. Choose your companions carefully. Large groups of men have little chance of getting into a club together. If you’re traveling in a pack of guys, split up until you get inside. Women have a better chance of getting in, as do couples.
3. Dress the part. Look at the celebrity magazines and see what they’re wearing when they sashay past the ropes. Usually it’s an upscale casual look, but that will change season to season. Avoid suits at all costs, the same for “business casual,” and if you plan to wear sneakers, make sure they’re designer kicks.
4. Make nice. The “chooser” at the door has been entrusted by the owner to create a cool “mix” of people inside the club, so though you may not get in right away, you could be picked in 15 minutes, especially at a larger club, when they need more redheads, or tall women, or perhaps when the moon goes into Jupiter (I don’t think even the gatekeepers have a clear idea of what they’re looking for). You’ll blow your chances, however, if you give the all-powerful guy at the door any argument or attitude.
5. Never admit to being a tourist. Clubs are where the worst New York snobbery comes to the fore. It’s sad but true: They really don’t want tourists. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go; just don’t try to get in by telling them it’s your “last night before you go back to Alabama.”
6. Say you’re there to meet the DJ. This is my sneakiest tip, but it actually works. Go to the club’s website in advance, find out who the DJ will be that night, and say you’re meeting them inside.
You can see reviews of individual clubs in the nightlife listings of this website.