Sorry to tell you this, but unless Made Events or one of the big clubs is bringing someone in, your not likely to find any form of trance in NYC. You might find some cheese, but not the good stuff.
^^From what I've read/seen/experienced, the best clubs are in the hotels. Tao, Tryst, Jet, Pure, LAX..the list goes on and on. I'm pretty sure all of these clubs are good on any night you go, esp. during the weekend.
Hmm..interesting. I know Paul tries to make the crowd as happy as possible and might've just mis-read the crowd this time. I don't normally see his name on Las Vegas events. I hope he does a lot better and sticks to his roots when he comes to NYC in a few weeks.
If you between 25 and 32, you should def. be hitting up those ultra-lounges..i.e. Marquee, Cain, etc. Not really sure wht you mean by alternative, but those places I just mentioned play every genre under the sun, so you should be fine.