We went to Happy Endings on Broome st. The outside might just be my favorite part of the whole place. Rumor has it was once a Asian massage parlor/brothel. The street front has the same awning as when it was a massage parlor, Chinese(?) characters and all. It just looks like a closed Asian shop, the only give away is a bouncer standing out front. This appeals to the part of me that adores speakeasies. So the downstairs still has their old steam rooms and a faucet on the wall from when it was a "bathhouse." The steam rooms just become kinda semi-private party rooms, or vantage point to watch people dancing on their smallish dance floor. There is a bathroom behind the steam rooms that not that many people know about, so its much less of a wait. The scene is a mix mosh of hip kids and pickup wall street types. I've never had a bad time at Happy Endings, but only once did I have a great time.
We also went to Darkroom on Ludlow. I had never been there before, the long lines on the weekend always discouraged me, especially when Max Fish is across the street, and one of the only places I like to go to despite its lack of dancing. The bouncers at Darkroom were pretty friendly, one was a little too friendly if you catch my drift... but it was still an okay time. The ceilings are pretty low, and true to its name its very dark.
I could see it getting a little claustrophobic when it reaches capacity. I bet its a fun place when it's full of people dancing, but it was just a lounge-y atmosphere with only a few people dancing. Again, I could take it or leave it. We did find some lovely and nutty gents to dance with who were particularly crazy on the dance floor, in a good way of course. Apparently their open bar ended while we were there and according to Megan and Ena, the drinks ain't cheap. I think I would be open to revisiting Darkroom again, different night, different scene.
