The Bowery Is Nightlife

[cpnews]

View Larger Map

It occurred to us over the weekend that the City's nightlife landscape has transformed itself once again. Up until last year, the Manhattan scene was clearly dividided between the psuedo-dives of the Lower East Side and the nightclubs of the Meatpacking District and 27th Street. We know that there are smaller pockets of hotspots in other neighborhoods, and that the East Village still has a plethora of places to get sloshed. But for all intents and purposes, it was LES vs MePa in a battle for our drinking money.


But as we walked down the Bowery on Saturday night to attend a small gathering at Madam Geneva, it hit us. The Bowery has become a powerhouse destination of its own. Just look at this handy map we made. There are at least 15 bars in a 3 block radius that are packed every weekend, and we are sure that we missed a few. Add in the new hotels, high rise condos, New Museum, pending Dennis McNally restaurant, Daniel Boloud's new spot, Matt and Paul's pending space in the Puck Building etc., it will hit you too. The Bowery is nightlife. It's where operators want to open, and where New Yorkers can sip expensive drinks and still step over the homeless who are sleeping outside the Mission. It's feaux authenticity that the youth crave. The Bowery. Shudder.




More...