Honey NYC

Friday is among us, and that can only mean one thing: IT’S PAYDAY! At least for most of you it is. Those of you who get paid on the semi-monthly basis probably already have your money in the bank. Those of you who don’t have the luck of collecting your servant money this week—well, there’s always next Friday! However, to help everyone involved save a little cash during the recession and beat the summer heat, we have a couple of air-conditioned and free-admission events you can take advantage of this Friday night. So leave your money in the bank tonight, because Black Oak Nights is taking care of the bill. Here is your Friday Nightlife Rundown for July 30, 2010.

Summer Fridays – 9pm
Empire Hotel Rooftop (44 West 63rd Street): Even if you don’t get Summer Fridays at your job, act like you do and come through the Empire Hotel for an event that will make it feel as if you didn’t go to work earlier in the day. With sexy people hanging around here all day like they have no care in the world, it would be impossible to mistake any of the night’s guests as hard-working individuals. Of course, they everyone here probably works quite hard, but when you’re knee deep in your fifth margarita and are looking at the New York City skyline with that inebriated clueless look, then it’s hard to take you seriously. Anyway, if you plan on coming through, leave the dollars at home, make sure you bring your dancing shoes, and come out and enjoy nightlife at one of New York City’s finest rooftop bars.

Late Night Eats
The Underground Lounge (955 West End Avenue): We got a little feedback from our “Late Night Eats” entries a few months ago; thus the reason you are seeing it here for the second day in a row. For the music-lover in you that embraces the “later” side of life, how about a lounge that keeps its doors open all night long for some great musical acts. The Underground is a great place to check out some of New York City’s undiscovered talent. With underground sounds bringing down the roof of this place every weekend night, you can be a part of a uniquely, New York experience that puts the “Up” in the Upper West Side. Even if you’re just looking for a bite to eat, The Underground has you covered with a kitchen that stays open late and serves up some really great food. From “Rip-Roaring Crab,” to “Corona Battered Fish-n-chips,” their menu is unlike any other. Don’t worry vegetarians, they have a few non-artery-clogging treats too, including the “Warm goat cheese and apple salad,” as well as the “Baja Mini Fish Tacos” for your pescatarians masquerading as vegetarians.

Pleasure Fridays – 8pm
Promenade (215 West 28th Street): Indulge your wild side tonight with a little bit of dancing and prancing at Promenade tonight, where DJs Wreck and Robbie hit the 1’s and 2’s like two mad men. The hip-hop mashups that will fly off the fingers of these two’s turntables will make for one of the best dancing environments in New York City tonight! However, just because this is a sure-fire dance party doesn’t mean you can get into Promenade looking like a two-bit street dancer. Nah, you’re going to have to freshen-up and get dolled up for this one, because “chic” is the dress code for the night, which means no scallywags are going to get into the building this Friday night. So if you want to party like a rock star at Promenade tonight, make sure you come dressed the part. If you do, and you get there early enough, you may just get in free too!

Grown & Sexy – 10pm
Honey (243 West 14th Street): Let’s not forget about one of our favorite Friday night locales: Honey Lounge! With a groove that can’t set anybody’s mind at ease, Honey NYC is always one of the more chill spots on the Manhattan nightlife circuit. Some of the best DJs often find themselves here on Friday nights, and the young, black professionals that make this place theirs on a Friday are even better. There’s nothing but the best in hip-hop on the speakers, and the best in nightlife on the scene. From drink specials to food that’s not your typical bar stool slop, Honey has you covered from here to Sunday—and by the way this isn’t a bad place to be on a Sunday night either!

Related Posts

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Questlove

The weekend started so early for us that we weren’t able to get the post out on time today. Thus, we have to cater to our late night crowd tonight and give you all some of the best things under the moon this Thursday night. Here is your Black Oak Nights Thursday Rundown for July 29, 2010.

Late Night Eats
Chirping Chicken (355 Amsterdam Avenue): If you’re out late on the Upper West Side and you’re looking for a tasty, late-night meal, the Chirping Chicken may be the best spot for you. Beyond its great service and favorable atmosphere, the Chirping Chicken has great food—most notably their chicken! The chicken sandwich is great, their broiled chicken is even better, and the souvlaki chicken is beyond words. Of course, they have more than chicken, including Baby Back Ribs and some a nice little fish platter. But definitely come here for the chicken, and let this be your go to stop for mid-night dining—if not even later in the night.

HD Thursdays – 11pm
Amnesia (609 West 29th Street): For one of the best times of your New York City, mid-week existence, come through to Amnesia tonight, where the party doesn’t stop until six in the morning! That’s right, folks are getting down at Amnesia tonight and it won’t even try to be kosher. That’s not to say that this won’t be a swanky and trendy affair, but it will be anything but your typical Thursday night party. Young, black professionals that have to go to work in the morning, might want to rethink coming to this one. Then again, young, black professionals that are sick and tired of having to go to work in the morning—well, you mine as well come through anyway, because you will kick yourself for not going when you get the post-party wrap. I’ve barely given any details about this shindig, so I will just say this: ladies are free, hip-hop all night, and beautiful people everywhere!

Questlove – 10:30pm
Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Avenue): Yeah, I spelled Questlove’s name with a “Q.” Hell, he’s lucky I’m even calling him Questlove, because his momma sure as hell doesn’t call him that (Ahmir!). Anyway, “Quest,” or Ahmir, or whatever he’s calling himself will be at Brooklyn Bowl, which is apparently the place to be if you are a famous, or semi-famous, black person looking for a little anonymity and/or peace and quiet in New York City. Then again, “Quest” will be in charge of the hip-hop 1′s and 2′s tonight, so he’ll be in charge of the very loud noise that most celebrities try to avoid by coming here. Brooklyn Bowl has the feel and flare of a New York City nightclub, it just lacks the people. That’s okay though, plenty of young, black professionals make this their spot once or twice a week, as it’s a great place to have a drink and a conversation while people-watching at the same time. You can’t people watch at too many Brooklyn venues, so take advantage of this one—even if the person you’re watching for is “Questlove.”

Related Posts

1. Thursday Rundown: July 1, 2010
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Wingin’ it Wednesdays
1849 (183 Bleecker Street): One of my favorite places to hit up during the week and afterwork is 1849, where the name is old fashioned but the atmosphere is 100% NY. Enter 1849 and you will feel totally at home. With plush couches, old fashioned tables and young, professionals that span industries, nationalities and institutions, this is one of the most diverse settings in New York City and is truly representative of the Big Apple’s melting pot. On Wednesdays, this place gets especially packed, as the 20-cent wings tends to draw in “just a few” people. Don’t worry, it’s not usually too crowded, and if you go right afterwork, you will have no trouble finding a table. In addition to the wings and other foods, their happy hour last just about all evening, and thus the drinks are all $3 for the majority of night—enjoy!

Rooftop Films: “Daisies” – 8pm
Socrates Sculpture Park (3134 Vernon Blvd.): There’s a live music show at 7pm, but I’m pretty sure that won’t be of interest to most of our readers. That being said, Daisies is an independent film that you just might enjoy. So read the description below, buy a ticket, and get your butt over the Long Island to watch this movie and hang out with all of New York City’s super cool directors. From rooftopfilms.com:

This playful, wildly subversive comedy is one of the masterpieces of the Czech New Wave. Two teenage girls, disenchanted with the world around them, launch a campaign of mischief against anyone they happen to stumble across. This mad Dadaist farce presents an unbridled depiction of teen rebellion.

Anonymous Wednesdays – 11pm
Suzie Wong (547 27th Street): Once again, Wednesday nights are anonymous at Suzie Wong. Yes, I have no idea what that means, but it sounds cool, doesn’t it? Anyway, avoid thinking about the name and arrive at Suzie Wong’s with your swag turned on high this Wednesday night as nothing but straight hip-hop music will be played for a cast of young, black professionals that is sure to tear up the dance floor this evening. Admissions is free if you get there before midnight, but the dress code is in full force, so make sure you come dressed correct. This is always one of the craziest parties of the workweek, and it makes we wonder how much work black people actually get down on Thursday mornings. Nevertheless, if you don’t have to worry about losing your job in this recession, then deprive yourself of one night of sleep by taking it to the max at Suzie Wong’s tonight.

New York City Pool Party – 6pm
Complete Body & Spa (301 East 57th Street): Hey, for all of Black Oak Nights sexy, young, black, professional women out there, here is a treat for you (and the guys can take part as well). Complete Body & Spa is having a pool party to celebrate its newly renovated roof deck and pool. To celebrate, there will be an organic wine tasting and a chance at a one-year membership. This is one of the best spas in New York City (or so I’ve been told), so why not come check it out, dip in the pool, and get a taste of the good life in New York City on someone else’s dime?

Related Posts

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230 Fifth Rooftop Bar

Did we actually get a little reprieve in the weather yesterday? We must have, because for the first time in weeks, I woke up and my living room wasn’t 80 degrees at 7 o’clock in the morning. I don’t know if we’ll be that lucky today, but if we aren’t, we have plenty of indoor activities for the young, black professional to take advantage of today. From comedy shows to Caribbean and hip-hop parties, we have you covered on the Tuesday Black Oak Nights Rundown for July 27, 2010.

Rooftop Happy Hour – 6pm
230 Fifth (230 Fifth Avenue): Of all the rooftop bars in New York City, 230 Fifth has to be among the best in New York City. In fact, some guy I’ve never heard of from the New York Times said as much in an article from the paper (I mean website). And as we learned with the Shirley Sherrod story last week, if its in the New York Times, it must be true! But enough news for the day, at 230 Fifth, you can forget that you any responsibilities, as you sip on something a top New York City’s finest rooftop bar. With a view of New York City that is seemingly unparalleled, you and other young, black professionals can enjoy an evening of sultry under the sun, as you chill with a friends, make googly eyes with a stranger or fall in love all over again with that special someone. Whatever the situation; whatever the moment, share it here at 230 Fifth and make it all that much more special.

Luxurious Tuesdays Afterwork Party – 5pm
Negril Village (70 West 3rd Street): The Tuesday afterwork party at Negril Village officially gets going at 4pm, but I don’t want any my audience to have to be the first ones there. That being said, you might not mind doing just that, because Negril Village fills up faster than a Fox News message board after a black person has been wrongly inundated by some right-wing blogger (okay, last one I promise!). At Negril tonight, you can get your share of the New York City nightlife experience and Caribbean flare all in one place. With $7 rum punch, plenty of Reggae and Calypso music, not to mention Caribbean appetizers that will make your mouth water, it’s hard to find another place in Manhattan that’s more worthy of your evening (ehem, afternoon) patronage.

Salsa Tuesdays – 5pm
Taj Lounge (48 West 21st Street): It has probably been a little while since we last mentioned a Salsa event—or at least I haven’t been to one in a while. For those of you who aren’t already aware, the best place in the city to get your salsa on is at Taj Lounge on a Tuesday night! This is one of the premiere salsa events in Manhattan, with plenty of sexy latinos and latinas flaunting their stuff, and the black contingent shows up in decent numbers as well. With free entry on the ShowTime Entertainment List, DJ Smalls will get you from no cover to no inhibitions in a hot minute with his select Latin sounds. There will even be 2-for-1 drinks until 8pm, because we all know how us brothas perspire when they have to shake their hips for any more time than it takes a rap chorus to a hit song to complete itself.

Joe DeRosa Stand-up – 8pm
Housing Works (126 Crosby Street): Joe DeRosa will take the stage at Housing Works tonight for what should be one hell of a standup comedy show. If you haven’t seen this guy on Comedy Central, let us just tell you: he’s hilarious. The fact that you can go see his show for the mere price of $3 is a highway robbery, so if the tickets aren’t already sold out, hit up housingworks.com and try to get a pair for you and your BFF immediately!

StyleCaster Summer Concert Series – Part II
Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street): Get you tickets while you can to one of the livest events of the summer. It’s not exactly our kind of music, but the atmosphere with plush surroundings, beautiful people and a nightclub atmosphere is something you won’t want to miss out on. A couple of bands will take the stage early in the night and after that it’s an all-DJ powered event. The first part of this series was a big hit and everybody under the age of 30 was up in there for it. So if you’re interested in attending you need to RSVP at StyleCaster to join the party.

Related Posts

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Malatesta Trattoria

Here’s to a little bit of a let down from this heat wave that we have been experiencing over the past couple of weeks. Monday is supposed to be a lot more eventful and a little less hot. That of course means you can consume a little more alcohol outdoors than you could have when it was 100 degrees in this concrete jungle. As for how to put your outdoor drinking to use indoors, here is the Monday Nightlife Rundown for July 26, 2010.

Restaurant of the Day
Malatesta Trattoria (649 Washington Street): I ate here over the weekend, and I must say, if you are looking for the complete dining experience, you need go no farther than Malatesta Trattoria. Then again, you can’t go much farther than this place anyway since it’s only a block away from Hudson River, but trust me, even if you could, you can’t have a better Italian experience elsewhere without catching a charter to Rome. The food here was great, especially the Polpette meatballs and the Pesce Del Giorno, which happen to be Salmon the day I was there. As for the service and the atmosphere, it can’t be beat. The waiters were friendly and seemed to be pulled fresh out of Italy. I went there at night, so every table was candlelit, so as I sat outside on the bustling, but not too bustling Washington Street, I felt as comfortable and relaxed as I ever have eating al fresco in New York City. So if you’re in search of the perfect dining experience with a little Italian flare, Malatesta is the place to be!

Artists Fanfare – 11pm
China Club (268 West 47th Street): The China Club continues to get older but never seems to get old, you know what I’m saying? That is unless of course this is one of your regular hot spots. The China Club has become so ordained in New York City society that it’s far from the super-exclusive club that is used to be some 20, 25 years ago. Now it’s a place where anybody and everybody hits it up at some point during their New York City existence. Let that anybody be you this Monday night, as China Club is turning up the Monday Nightlife scene by putting DJ Camillo on the 1’s and 2’s as they rock well into Tuesday morning. As always, there’s a cover charge to get into this ever-so-special nightclub, but once you’re in, I guarantee you won’t think about the money. With so many models, artists, actors, actresses and singers slated to be in the building this Monday night, you will be too beauty-struck to think about how much money you had to drop at the door.

Leave it on Shelf Mondays – 5:30pm
Negril Village (70 West 3rd Street): The best thing about Monday is when the day comes to an end. So as soon as you get off work, make your way over to Negril Village to celebrate the end of the beginning of the week! If you’re as confused by that last sentence as I am, then just hurry over to Negril Village, where admission is free until midnight. That’s right! I mentioned midnight on a Monday! Why concern yourself with a trivial thing like sleep when your fellow New Yorkers will be up in the club at the afterwork party that never ends! With DJ Sphere controlling the turntables, hip-hop music will crank all night so you can work the chinks out of your neck from working all day. Negril Village’s $5 cocktails will also help ease you into Monday night, and the $5 Caribbean appetizers will eventually help you ease into bed. As for Tuesday morning, don’t worry about it—there will always be another one.

New Money Mondays – 10pm
Suzie Wong’s (547 West 27th Street): Does the party ever stop at Suzie Wong’s? Not this Monday, when “Jinglin Baby” brings the craziest party of the day to Suzie Wong’s, where admission is free and fun is at a premium. Come get your groove on as nothing but hip-hop and R&B music blast through the speakers, meaning no excuses for all of you brothas and sistas that like to stand alongside the wall during the party. Young, black professionals are always in the building at Suzie Wong’s, making this a great place to come out and show off that summer body you’ve been waiting to flaunt all season long. The dress code is strict though, but of course, grown and sexy is always permissible. For those of you not interested in having fun, drinking it up, and living the good life this Monday night, we’ll see you Tuesday morning, half-asleep and hung-over…but ever-so-satisfied.

Whoopi Goldberg’s “Ride of Fame” Launch – Noon
On the Corner (320 West 66th Street): For those of you who grew up watching Whoopi Goldberg movies almost religiously in the early 90’s, you might be interested in the fact that your girl is blowing up even more. On top of her talk show, her Broadway musical and her goo-gabs of cash, Ms. Goldberg is now on deck to receive her own double-decker! That’s right, Gray Line New York is dedicating a double-decker bus to Goldberg and dubbing the tour that bus takes around New York City the “Whoopi Goldberg Ride of Fame.” So come through, hop a ride, and see your favorite performer cutting the ribbon for what has to be a New York City first—an actual bus ceremony.

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Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

On a beautiful Saturday like today, you definitely need to get your butt outside and enjoy the city that is New York! On today’s rundown, we have events in which you can strip down to your skibbies outdoors and strip down to your skibbies indoors. Either way, we’re helping you beat the heat and enjoy these few months of the year that we call summer in NY. Here is the Black Oak Nights Saturday Nightlife Rundown for July 24, 2010.

Put on the Swimwear [Swimming]
The Astoria Pool (Astoria Park, 19th Street btw Ditmars Blvd. & Hoyt. Ave., Queens):
Who says you can’t go swimming in New York City? While I wouldn’t recommend taking a plunge in the Hudson River, there are a few other “bodies” of water in the Metropolitan area worth doing a few laps in . The Astoria Pool is perhaps one of the most infamous pools in all of New York City. It was used for Olympic trials back in the 1936 and is the biggest pool in all of New York. Instead of Olympic athletes though, the 2010 rendition of the pool caters to socialites, professionals and extremely diverse crowd. Thousands of people, representing the entire spectrum of this diverse population, flock here every weekend. And with its view of the Triborough Bridge, the water, and the beautiful New York City skyline, it’s hard to beat a Saturday, Sunday or any day at Astoria Pool.

Underwear Party? – 10pm
Pacha (618 West 46th Street): This is not for the faint at heart. In fact, this isn’t for those with bad hearts that come as a result of too little exercising. Not to be a “sizist” or anything, but Saturday’s “Underwear Party” at Pacha isn’t for you have hit up more al fresco dinners than you have laps through Central Park this summer. At Pacha, everybody is asked to strip down to their undies and flaunt those six-packs, pecks, legs and bosoms that we all worked so hard on during the winter months. Of course, stripping down to your underwear is far from required; however, those who do get in for free before midnight. If you choose to come in your normal nightlife attire, be warned that you really need to impress the doorman with outfit, and there will be a $10 cover charge to boot.

Open Bar – 8pm
BOOM (152 Spring Street): The quest for a quality Mojito is over—or at least the quest for an endless Mojito is over. Sorry if our labeling was a little misleading; however, tonight’s open bar at BOOM is solely for Mojitos. Of course, I don’t have to tell you fellas what kind of crowd this will draw, so don’t know it until you try. The open bar last only from 8pm to 9pm, so get here early and pound hard during that hour. There’s no cover, there will be an extremely diverse crowd, and did we mention free alcohol? Yeah—I think we did.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – 8pm
Central Park, Rumsey Playfield (At Fifth Avenue and 69th Street): You don’t have to be inside in order to enjoy a performance from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. As one of Saturdays premiere nightlife events, the Ailey Company is taking their legendary talent to Central Park in celebration of Summerstage’s 25th Anniversary season. Watch young, black dancers do their thing on the stage, as they show us a bit of culture that’s impossible to find on your cable operating system. Summerstage is a free event, so bring every young, black professional you know out to this performance, and perhaps it will inspire you to be a leader in the black community the same way this prevailing company and its dancers have been for so many years.

True Saturdays
Suzie Wong’s (547 West 27th Street):One of New York City’s best black nightclubs is going hard tonight, as Suzie Wong’s opens its doors for one of the premiere parties of the evening. In what is sure to be a black professional-studded event, Suzie Wong’s is going to be on fire tonight, and DJ Big Ben is the one in charge of making the place explode. DJ Big Ben is always on top of his hip-hop, R&B and Top 40 music, and his mashups always have young, black professionals acting out above and beyond what they would want their mothers to see. Enjoy 2-for-1 drinks from 10pm to 11:30, and you can get in free before midnight. This is a jam-packed event, so make sure you are dressed to impress; otherwise, you risk standing outside of the club, and it’s been pretty, damn hot as of late, hasn’t it?

Related Posts

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Tracy Morgan

Friday is finally here, and you know what? It didn’t take long for it to arrive! Maybe it’s just because we’ve been so busy taking advantage of Restaurant Week, open bars and chilling on the Long Island City “coastline” that the week just flew by us! Anyway, in case your week wasn’t as eventful as it should have been, let’s try to get you on the right track for the weekend with a couple of events more than worth your while. Here is the Friday Nightlife Rundown for July 23, 2010.

Restaurant Week
Nobu (105 Hudson Street): Nobu is about as “sexy” as it gets when it comes to Restaurant Week. Everybody in their mommas tries to get into this place every night, especially on a Friday when this place goes from mere restaurant to weekend hot spot. Besides its unbelievable cache and cool atmosphere, Nobu does actually serve up some really good food. This popular Japanese-Peruvian restaurant is like good food on steroids, and during restaurant week, the prix fixe menu is nothing to sneeze at either. For an appetizer, you can choose between the Yellowtail Tartare, King Crap Tempura or the Heirloom Tomato Ceviche. Your entrée options consist of Broiled Black Cod, Beef Toban Yaki and Assorted Sushi. And for dessert—well, it appears a Bento Box will suffice you. I will admit, at these prices, you’re probably better off spending your money at nearby pizzeria if you’re looking to stuff your belly. But for one of the most trendy and fashionable experiences you have ever had at a high-quality restaurant, you can’t miss with Nobu.

Strictly the Best – 11pm
BLVD (199 Bowery): Tonight’s hotspot has to be BLVD, where sexy is in full swing this Friday night. I’m telling you, if you are looking for a Friday not spot with more sexy, young, black professionals than BLVD, then you are sure to be out of luck. This party is sure to be full of showstoppers and stunners, as bottles get popped, models do walks, and both ladies and fellas fall over themselves with all of the beautiful people that will be packed into this venue. Tell them you’re on the NiteLife guestlist, and you get in for free before 11. Also, there is a 2-for-1 drink special from 11pm to midnight, so make sure you take advantage of that. And of course, make sure you come dressed correct, because once again, this place will put you and your everyday work clothes to shame if you try to come here with anything other than you Weekend’s best. I’m telling you, for a black nightclub in New York City, BLVD is where you need to be this Friday night and every Friday night. Tell them Black Oak Nights sent you, and have one hell of a good time!

Moth Story SLAM – 7pm
Housing Works Bookstore Café (126 Crosby Street): On a Friday night, what’s better than a good story? Well, you can have 10 stories told to you at Housing Works tonight, when a couple of famed writers read their short-stories for to benefit this New York City venue that helps put people in better living situations. For the price of a $7 ticket, you get to hear some local, New York City scribes read stories all set along a specific theme. They will compete against each other for the most spontaneous and outrageous story. The winner gets a prize, you get a great story, and the people that Housing Works helps benefit get closer to living in a home.

Rooftop Films – 9pm
Brooklyn Tech (29 Fort Green Place, Brooklyn): Of course, maybe a book reading isn’t your thing, and your Friday nights are better spent in front of the silver screen. No! Not your laptop, but at the movies. Tonight’s Rooftop Film is “The Ape,” which was directed by Jesper Ganslandt from Sweden. From Rooftopfilms.com:

Rooftop and the Swedish Film Institute partner to presemt The Ape, an intense and riveting psychological thriller from one of Europe’s most daring new filmmakers. To convey a sense of perpetual disorientation, director Jesper Ganslandt used an unconventional method: the lead actor, Olle Sarri, was never allowed to read the script. Instead he was led to locations and given a set of instructions before the filming of each scene, unaware of the full plot until filming was completed. The result is at turns mesmerizing, disquieting and genuinely harrowing, but never is the film anything less than unique.

Tracy Morgan, Stand Up! – 7:30pm
Caroline’s on Broadway (1626 Broadway): Hey, Tracy Morgan is on fire right now! He’s been on the ESPYs, The Tonight Show, is a part of an award-winning show, and has been on The Daily Show, I swear like 500 gazillion times. Well, now he’s taking his act to Broadway, where he will be do his unusual comic spiel all weekend long. So if you have a few dollars and can hurry and purchase a ticket to Caroline’s small venue, you can see our boy Tracy Morgan being Tracy Morgan without the national television censoring that is typically a part of his comedic nature.

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Water Taxi Beach

I am not even going to sugarcoat it: It has been hella hot in New York City over the past few days, if not the past few months! Black Oak Nights will help you beat the heat with several indoor activities that we promise are well air-conditioned. For those of you that actually want to challenge Mother Nature and your body’s propensity for bearable temperatures, I do have an outdoor activity for you as well. So let’s get to it, because you are probably melting as you read this post on our new mobile-enhanced website! Here is your Thursday Nightlife Rundown for July 22, 2010.
Ladies Night Out – 10pm
Webster Hall (125 East 11th Street): If you don’t know “how to dougie,” get ready to learn tonight! Webster Hall will have Cali Swag District in the building, and they will light up the stage with what is sure to be their first and only hit song! Ladies get to take in the show for free, while the fellas will have to ante up $25 just to get in the door. Of course, I understand if the guys don’t feel obligated to pay over twenty bucks just to see a one-hit wonder rap group on the stage. However, Webster Hall will be packed with so many fine ladies tonight that the price of admission is going to be worth every penny. If you haven’t been to ladies night at Webster Hall before, you really don’t know what you’re missing. From tantalizing black females in tantalizing dresses, to outstanding DJs with outstanding music, Webster Hall is “numero uno” on Thursday nights. So why settle for anything less than the best on this unofficial start to the Black Oak Nights weekend?

Media Masquerade Cocktail Party – 8pm
Ella (9 Avenue A): You will feel as if you entered the 1920’s the second you step into Ella Lounge. Ella’s vintage setting, of course, is the perfect place for tonight’s event presented by Social Exposure Media. In line with their other events, such as The Pillow Fight and the Naked Painting Party, Social Media Exposure is now bringing a masquerade party to a nightclub near you! All media professionals are invited to come to Ella Lounge, where everyone will be dressed in business attire complete with your standard, workweek masque! There will be an open bar from 8pm to 9pm, and Ella will serve specialty drinks for the duration of the night. There is a $20 cover charge and Brian Christopher (a two first-names guy) will provide the music.

After Work Open Bar – 5pm
Bar 13 (35 East 13th Street): What better way to beat this New York City heatwave than with free drinks after work? If you are like most New Yorkers, you probably don’t have the best air conditioning system in the world, and you probably have a few hours to burn before your apartment cools down from whatever today’s ridiculously high temperature will be. Well, the folks at Bar 13 will help you cool off, and they’re not even charging for it! From 5 to 6pm, you can have an “ice” cold Margarita, or any other cocktail concoction, on the house! And from 6pm to 7pm, the drinks are all half price! So unless you plan on waiting out your sweltering apartment by loitering in a Starbucks, get your behind over to Bar 13 and try your luck on one, two, or maybe even 13 of their free drinks from 5-6pm.

Restaurant Week
Japonais (111 East 18th Street): Who says you have to pay top dollar to get some of the best tasting dishes from the Far East? During Restaurant Week (and you have just three days left), Japonais is serving up one of the most worthwhile meals in New York City. Before we get to the food, let me just tell you, Japonais has to be one of “the” places to be for young, black professionals. To my surprise, this place was a lot more diverse than I had ever expected. In fact, Japonais might even make the “Black Listed” Hall of Fame, if I hear anymore tales of the bar/waiting area being full of my beautiful, black people! As for the food, their Restaurant Week Prix Fixe is limiting, but quite delectable. Stay away from the Salmon dish, which is extremely good, but you could fit that piece of fish in your iPhone protector if you wanted to. I recommend the Japanese-style Ribs, which would seem like the last thing you wanted from a Japanese restaurant, but trust me when I say they put their own unique, and tasty, spin on the American-style rib, and you will love it!

Beach Thursdays – 6pm
Water Taxi Beach (2 Borden Avenue, Long Island City, Queens): This is our second Water Taxi Beach posting of the week, but believe me, the dual trips to Queens are well worth your time and money! Water Taxi Beach is just another great place to sit back and relax out in the sun. By 6 or 7pm, the killer heat should be well behind us, and hopefully the New York City climate won’t be as relenting. Besides, with the venue being alongside the water, the breeze is sure to be a welcomed side effect of being at this venue. While you’re here, why not throw back some summer food, such as the Coney Island dog or a hamburger or two. There will even be music (hip-hop, of course) for your dancing pleasure, so bring out your nightclub wear, or the beach equivalent, and get set for some fun in the sun at New York City’s only hip-hop party on the water!

Related Posts

1. Thursday Rundown: July 15, 2010
2. Thursday Rundown: June 17, 2010
3. Thursday Rundown: June 10, 2010