Happy Friday y’all! I am so happy that it’s the weekend finally. It’s my best friend Kenzie’s birthday (shout out Kenzie Girl), so we have a full weekend on birthday festivities ahead and visitors in town. It was supposed to snow today, so hoping that stays far far away from us because I am nowhere near ready to go back to cold weather after it’s been so enjoyable lately.

In honor of the weekend being here I wanted to switch up today’s post and do a little bit of New York content. One of the most asked questions I get on snapchat and Instagram is usually people asking me where fun places to go out are. While I do have a NYC tour guide in the works that I’ve been promising forever, I keep finding more/better places that I continue to add so I feel like it will never completely be perfect. I decided to break it down and share a few of my favorite things at a time rather than just copy and pasting a giant list on here. Today I’m going to help out all of you party animals out there and share my top 5 favorite places to go out in New York City (currently as a 23 year old).

If you’ve been here for a while then you know that my friends and I enjoy a good time, late night and tons of dancing. I’ve been going out in the city since I was 20 so I’ve definitely experienced the intern bars, infamous clubs with promoters and just about everything in between. My favorite places to go out change every few months or so which is one of the best things about New York. When I moved here I was so excited to go to my stomping ground, Phebes, in East Village but quickly learned that I was the oldest person there. I’ve spent many a night out and about trying to find the best spots, so here we go with my current top 5. If you’re in your early to mid twenties then this post is for you (PS these are in no particular order).

1. Southside – Ahh Southside, the place I rang in 23 years young. We stumbled upon this gem one random weekend and I have never had a bad time there. It reminds me of The Jane (up next), but it’s so much more ratchet. 20-somethings gather at this cross between a bar and a club because you can dance anywhere you want, on the tables, dance floor or even the ledge behind the booths. The DJ plays fun music, the drinks are good (but pretty pricey if you’re entry level or an unpaid intern), and the crowd is a great mix. If you’re in the mood to dance, but want to meet people your age then this is the spot.
2. The Jane – Oh The Jane, also the place I rang in 22 years young last year. This spot is on the westside in The Jane hotel’s ballroom where there’s a disco ball and tons of couches and tables. Similar to Southside, you can dance on tables and couches-yes I like elevated surfaces- but the difference is that the crowd is definitely different. I consider The Jane to be a great place to go with a bunch of girls, but I can’t say I’ve had any luck getting guys in (seriously, struggle is real for y’all in NYC nightlife). The drinks are pricey again, usually $10 a pop and bottle service is insane. The music is a good mix of hits and throwbacks, and we all know when Usher’s “Yeah” comes on that the night is going to be fantastic. The Jane is definitely a destination spot; once you’re there you don’t leave.
3. Fiddlesticks – Since I’ve touched on two more club like atmospheres it’s time to introduce my favorite dive bar. Fiddlesticks is right in West Village, and it reminds me of my favorite intern bars but with an older crowd. The bartenders ring these bells behind the bar and it’s always packed like sardines. They have tons of room in the back and sides, and have three bars so it’s fairly easy to get a drink. Every time I go here I run into someone I know, and if you’re more into a bar scene where it’s more mingling than dancing then this is the spot for you.
4. Up & Down – Alas, Up and Down is the club of all clubs. This is a spot you’ll want to hit up with a promoter for sure (literally just type in NYC promoter to Instagram and you’ll find someone, or message me for one of mine!). Up & Down is a spot that celebrities frequent, and it’s split into two parts: upstairs and downstairs (hence the name). To be honest, upstairs is most fun and where the celebrities go and/or perform. I’ve seen Future and A$AP Mob at Up & Down, and it’s always a great spot for dancing, but it’s definitely going to be a late night if you head here. The most fun nights are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
5. No Fun – No Fun has been a good “staple spot,” as if I’m talking about a clothing item. I’ve been going here for years because it’s always a good mix of young twenties and late twenties. It’s really small in Lower East Side, and the front part has a bar that has the atmosphere of a dive bar, but once you walk back there’s a DJ, dance floor and booths. The DJ is always on point and the atmosphere is always fun because they have Christmas lights everywhere. It’s ironic that it’s called No Fun because it always is fun. Any morning I wake up with a “No Fun” stamp on my hand is a good one because that place rarely disappoints.

I hope y’all enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! Having a fun social life is one of my biggest priorities as a 23 year old, especially in New York because this city really never sleeps. If you want more content like this feel free to email or message me, I would love to share more! Have you been out in NYC? What are some of your favorite/go-to spots?