The best clubs in NYC for dancing to techno, house and more

This hi-fi watering hole boasts three rooms: a lively space for mingling in big booths and listening to vinyl, an airy café with a plant-based menu and a back joint that feels like a hypnotic Berlin club for dancing the night away. The beverage program centers on cocktails concocted from homemade tonics, and some are nonalcoholic like the Press for Time made with
coffee, cinnamon-lapsang-sorghum syrup, vanilla-coconut cream whip, reishi and orange. We love a nightlife option that leaves you feeling fresh the next day—especially if you don't arrive home until early morning.

With its top-flight sound system, sophisticated menu and deeply chill vibes, Nowadays is a slice of Neverland for club kids. Opened by Mister Saturday Night cofounders Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter, Nowadays’ ample outdoor space is the home of its day-party incarnation Mister Sunday, as well as the Ridgewood Market and a regular slate of readings and discussions. A 5,000-square-foot indoor venue was unveiled last year, so DJs can spin harder stuff into the wee hours for those who still haven’t adopted grown-up schedules.

Megaclub scale meets Bushwick style in this sprawling entertainment complex tucked away in a burgeoning nightlife district off the Jefferson Avenue strip. The big room fits 700 people and boasts a sensory-overloading laser-and-LED light show. The talent is decidedly left of the dial, featuring indie-rockers and DJs with a foot still in the underground as well as all-nighters, such as the queer Latinx party Papi Juice. Elsewhere also features a smaller side room that offers its own programming, a second space for larger shindigs and a quiet cocktail lounge upstairs, plus a spacious rooftop deck.

This Bushwick music venue features a state-of-the-art sound system, technicolored lighting, wall decals inspired by mosques and a sunken dance floor. It's a hotspot for both live shows and DJ sets, influenced by global sounds. Plus, it's attached to the kitschy Wisconsin eatery, The Turk’s Inn, so you can grab a good meal before dancing all night. 

When you picture a gay bar, there’s probably a very specific set of details that come to mind: cheap, strong drinks served in plastic cups, a sticky dance floor and, more likely than not, a bathroom that looks straight out of an apocalypse film. 

At ANIMAL, a queer bar at 307 Meeker Avenue in Greenpoint, the vision is a little more elevated. On the menu, you’ll find classics like the Negroni, Cosmo and Old Fashioned, as well as specialty concoctions like the Animal Spritz (St. Agrestis Paradiso, sparkling wine, soda) and the Animal Mezcal Marg (Mal Bien espadín, house orange liqueur, lime). A wide selection of beers, wines and non-alcoholic cocktails and ales is also on offer. And yes, there's a dance floor.

Country music and the Wild West aesthetic had a big moment ever since Beyoncé dropped Cowboy Carter—and the obsession with all things country has extended to nightlife.

The best example? This desert-inspired bar and music venue that will make you feel like you got teleported to the depths of old Arizona. Inside the bar, you'll find a false storefront that resembles a Pioneertown motel, a DJ booth created from an old Chevy truck and cowhide rugs. Near the stage, you'll find an area dubbed "Dolly's Corner," which pays homage to the late, great—inimitable even—Dolly Parton via pink suede wallpaper and photos of the country legend.

The venue's best feature, though, is a custom-made mechanical bull that lets you test your grip strength and determine whether you have what it takes to survive a Spaghetti Western. 

There was a time when Williamsburg was what some people called “up-and-coming,” and if it was ever that, then these days it often feels like it's got up and left. But New York nightlife staples Eli Escobar and Rafael Ohayon breathed much-needed life into the neighborhood when they opened Gabriela, a bar they named after a beloved friend who passed away.

The attention to detail and love poured into the venue is evident throughout—everyone involved in creating the space are people both Escobar and Ohayon have known for years. The DJs, who are always top-notch, play a mix of deep house, rnb and disco.

Well, it’s a few rooms, actually. Designed with the DJs in mind, the main space has a perfectly placed booth, a solid sound system, an expansive dance floor and a small stage for performances. Another area has a massive square bar, while a smaller spot—the Bad Room—houses a wall of vinyl and another DJ setup for more tunes. Embraced by night owls over its 12 years in Greenpoint, the club is home to FIXED affair, among other popular soirees.

Located below the already-massive Knockdown Center, Basement fashions a no-nonsense techno venue out of a network of brick tunnels once used to heat the glass factory–turned–event space. Self described as an "industrial catacomb," the venue is accessible via a separate entrance from its topside sister venue. The vibes are underground dance party—literally.

In recent years, Bushwick has quickly become a queer paradise, with bars like the Rosemont and the Deep End throwing bashes every night, and the Bushwig festival rising in prominence year after year. With the June 2018 opening of this double-trouble nightlife hub, the neighborhood had begun to embark on a new golden age. The lovely Americana bar is still a go-to for enjoying drinks and dance—it continues to feature shows, events and a host of parties. Some of the best drag performers and DJs in the city have taken over the spot.

Decked out in surprisingly convincing ’70s decor, this Brooklyn lounge puts its sizeable performance space to a diverse number of uses: the eclectic calendar of live music and DJ sets ranges from groovy funk combos to blippy synth-pop acts, not to mention bingo and burlesque nights. Regardless of what kind of event you stumble upon, though, you’ll find plenty of dance space available for showcasing your latest moves. 

Intrepid local booker Todd P, the granddaddy of the Brooklyn DIY scene, oversees this show space and community hub which opened in 2013 in the former diggs of Silent Barn. Booking comes courtesy of various local tastemakers, including plenty of weekday parties in the basement. Expect eclectic music and laid-back friendly crowds.