Three nightlife hot spots in downtown New York

As New York’s party central, the Lower East Side and East Village abound with top spots to hear live music while in town. These haunts are perfect if you’re staying at one of the hotels nearby, like the Cooper Square Hotel, The Bowery Hotel, Thompson LES or Off-Soho Suites Hotel. So we picked a threesome of venues, from which you can easily stroll home.


Downtown cool is the name of the game at Nublu in Alphabet City, an intimate club where live music is on the menu seven nights per week. The program is as varied and international as the clientele, from gypsy and forro to straight-up jazz and hip hop. The regulars are cool, the ambiance always fun, and the cover charge low ($10 for most shows). Weekends are busier and packed with out-of-towners. For a more underground vibe, drop in late on a weeknight. 62 Avenue C.


For Vaudeville-style fun, check out The Box. The acts at this old school theater-style space are always unpredictable and can tend toward the debaucherous – from burlesque dance and body painting to aerial acrobatics. The door is tough but once you get past the bouncers, sure-fire fun awaits on the other side. 189 Chrystie St.


To catch top-notch experimental and avant-garde music, head to The Stone, an underground performance space in Alphabet City run by jazz legend John Zorn. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday, and seats cost $10. 69 Avenue C.


–Anja Mutić of EverTheNomad.