Best dance clubs

At one time, there were 1,700 Gotham venues that held a cabaret license, that Prohibition-era piece of paper that magically turns dancing from a subversive, illegal activity into a city-sanctioned activity. Today, the number of licensed venues is under 200—and even at that number, most dance clubs still suck. Here’s our fave five that don’t.

Cielo
The stand-out small club in the Meatpacking district gets busy on the weekend as any club with a mirror ball, sunken dance floor, friendly crowd and top notch sound system would, but it’s just as worthwhile going midweek when the eclectic music policy is on show. 18 Little W 12th St between Ninth Ave and Washington St (212-645-5700, cieloclub.com)

Studio B
Studio B’s stellar line-ups of live performances and DJs, great sound system and rooftop terrace makes it worth catching a cab over the bridge. 259 Banker St between Calyer St and Meserole Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-389-1880, clubstudiob.com)

Sullivan Room
Loyal and energetic revelers free their souls to some of the best house sounds the city has to offer in an unmarked subterranean space that hosts five distinct dance fetes a week. 218 Sullivan St between Bleecker and W 3rd Sts (212-252-2151, sullivanroom.com)

Santos Party House
When Santos Party House opened, folks were already hailing it as the saviour of the New York club scene. While no single club could possibly turn a whole city’s nightlife around, the boîte is certainly doing its part hosting legends and club-land innovators on a regular basis. 100 Lafayette St at Walker St (212-714-4646)

Love
Love focuses squarely on the music (mostly of the deep-house variety) and on building a scene with impressive DJ lineups and one of New York’s finest sound systems. 40 W 8th St at MacDougal St (212-477-5683, musicislove.net)

See more of New York’s best in Clubs

See more of New York’s best