w York?
a.Times Square New York City b. Ace Hotel, New York Photography by Jeremy Pelley c. View from a Penthouse Suite at The London, NYC d. Juxtaposed timeless accents make common areas at the Ace Hotel, New York, uncommon. e. NYC skyline at night Photography by NYC & Company f. Lobby at The London, NYC g. Juxtaposed timeless accents make common areas at the Ace Hotel, New York, uncommon.
g
and even the pool table was used for little more than a cocktail coaster. As for the music, I can’t even remember if there was any. The smoking patio, now holy ground in NYC, was the only visibly social environment. Not even repeated dollar shots elevated my mood. Eventually, my New York friends who touted this bar conceded, the bar was a bust. Not far away in Chelsea, we settled into another sports
bar, Gym Bar (
gymsportsbar.com). Having been here before, I knew to expect some more of the gimmicky sports bar theme. But it’s where the local fun guys go, so there we went. The crowd seemed more jubilant and chatty here, per norm. By midnight however, I was ready for a real gay club, a scarce commodity anymore in New York. At my insistence, we wandered over to Splash (
splashbar.com), the touristic and trashy mainstay, and one of the few places you’re guaranteed to find half- naked dancers, men with wandering eyes, overpriced drinks and music that you can dance to. I once heard Lauren Hutton say in an interview during
the mid-90s that she refused to go north of 14th Street for anything other than making money or visiting a mu- seum. Now, 15 years later, her remarks still ring true. For a good old-fashioned time, full of chat, sass, trouble and occasional blackouts, the East Village is still the place to go. Though much has changed here too, the edge and rawness of what was once NYC can still be found, at least on a good night. Check out Eastern Bloc (east-
ernblocnyc.com) for an offbeat crowd and cheap drinks. Nearby, Friday and Saturday nights at the Pyramid Club (
thepyramidclub.com) still dish out New Wave, Brit Pop and ’80s beats, for a nostalgic night of revelry. The Boiler Room (
boilerroomnyc.com) is another East Village mainstay, with an iconic jukebox. The Cock (thecockbar. com) is still cocky, bitchy, nasty and nice.
WHERE TO SLEEP: One of the great things about growing older is making
the transition from crashing on a friend’s futon to get- ting your own hotel room. Maid service, mini bars and fresh sheets are easy to love. Even though we’re talking New York City here, there are good deals to be found in stylish and fun hotels. During my recent visit, I stayed at the new Hotel Indigo (
hotelindigo.com), conveniently located in the gentrified Flower District, just north of Chelsea. For around $200, you get a postage stamp- sized room with a king bed, breakfast, and easy access to the popular rooftop bar. In the heart of Midtown is the hip new Ace Hotel
(
acehotel.com). The understated retro style here attracts a diverse clientele who appreciates an effortless urban edge. The range of rooms takes you from affordable bunk beds to spacious lofts with your own turntable, vintage LPs and a guitar. For only a few dollars more, you can upgrade to a suite at The London Hotel (thelon-
donnyc.com), where elegant luxury beckons you back to your suite at a respectable hour.
AUGUST 2010 | RAGE monthly 53
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