JoonBlog New York

Venue Review: 17 - New York City (NYC)

17
37 W. 17th Street
New York, NYC 10011
(212) 924 - 8676

Much like its sister club, Suite 16, 17 takes some navigation to get past the door, but it is more intimate, and it has a harder, more rock and roll edge. This joint just south of the Flatiron is always packed, and sometimes this works against itself, especially when you’re trying to enjoy some of their nifty sushi. Definitely for the fashion-conscious and sophisticates with bottle service on their minds.

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Venue Review Level V (Vento Trattoria) - New York City (NYC)

Level V (Vento Trattoria)
675 Hudson Street (@14th St)
New York, NYC 10012
(212) 699-2400
Website

Reminiscent of an underground grotto, Level V is filled with private little alcoves for the bottle-service set. The main room is usually filled with young (and of course fabulous) professional – types. Drinks (like the new favorite Watermelon Martini) ain’t exactly cheap, but hungry patrons at this meatpacking district hideaway can take advantage of Vento Trattoria just upstairs. The margherita pizza is especially well done.

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Venue Review: PM - New York City (NYC)

PM
50 Gansevoort Street
New York, NYC 10014
(212) 255 - 6676

Straight off the bat – PM is VIP list all the time. Having said that, this is a notoriously tough joint to get into. The clientele on any given night is full of ultra gorgeous models and the guest list reads like a celebrity who’s who. Subtle Caribbean décor (inspired by Haitian gentleman’s clubs in the 40’s) and a creole tapas menu enhance the West Indian atmosphere in this bottle service – heavy joint in the meatpacking district.

Here's what Shecky's and Digital City had to say.

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Tried and True Hangover Cures

The hangover is truly an elusive foe. Even when drinkers know their own tolerances and limits, hangovers seem to strike with a great deal of inconsistency. Similarly, hangover remedies seem to work with varying efficacy. This is because the hangover is actually a very complicated biological phenomenon, which is affected by widely varying factors, including physiology, the specific alcohol involved, and even the drinker’s emotional state.

To us here at JoonBug, the worst thing about a hangover – sans the splitting headache, the dry mouth, the jabbing pain behind the eyes, the body aches, the constant feeling of queasiness, the fact that it hurts every time you blink – is the actual science behind the “hangover headache;” it’s almost enough to make you never want to drink again.

You see, it’s a biological fact that your brain can feel no pain. The brain’s the only organ of the human body which can be surgically operated on without the patient feeling any sensation at all. Alcoholic hangover headaches are caused by the dehydration of the body. Because alcohol is a diuretic, it causes the body to expel more fluid than is taken in by the drink. When this happens, the brain’s fluid is borrowed by other parts of the body, causing the brain, itself, to get dehydrated indirectly.

This then makes your brain decrease in size slightly; the membrane covering the brain, the dura, shrinks, causing pain sensitive fiber-like filaments, which connect the brain to the inside of the skull, to be pulled. Hence, the hangover headache.

Hangovers can always be avoided. But what methods work best to prevent, and annihilate, hangovers? Popping two Advils before nighty night won’t do the trick. Either will waking up the next morning and drinking a beer (popular frat boy myth.) Of course, the only real cure for the hangover is time. But if you take the time after a night of drinking to take a few precautionary measures, you’ll wake up as fresh as a daisy.

Here are a few hangover remedies the gang at JoonBug have tested over the years, and have earned our seal of approval:

Eat, Eat, Eat: Before you go out, and the day after a night of tipping the elbow. If you’re suffering with a hangover the morning after, eat breads, crackers, anything with honey, a cup of broth, even – go for the carbos, baby. Some folks claim spicy foods always do the trick – which, they do, if it’s a speedy, temporary fix you want. Just know that, you’ll only pay for spicy food consumption in the long run.

Infant Ice: This sounds crazy, but Pedialyte Freezer Pops work wonders. They’re pack with electrolytes, and are specifically formulated to relieve – and prevent – dehydration. Sure, it sounds silly eating an infant dessert treat, but you’ll be back in fine form in no time – and they taste good too, and come in Grape, Cherry, Orange, and Blue Raspberry flavors.

Collect The Caps: A friend of ours once advised that we pocket every cap from every bottle of beer we’d had during a night of drinking. “Why?,” we wondered. He told us to, right before we went to bed, pull all of the bottle caps from our pockets, and count them. “How ever many there are, that’s how many glasses of water you need to drink before bed,” he explained. And to this day, it works every time – in fact, it works even better if you’re so drunk, you’re seeing double.

Make Your Body Straight: When you wake up feeling as though you’d stumped your head, drink some V8. It’s better than great, it’s the best. It’s the mother of all hangover cures – stacked with vitamins and nutrients. If only it tasted like Pepsi.

Drink Bouillon: Broth made from bouillon cubes will help replace all of the salt and potassium your body loses when you drink. Then, eat a banana – those yellow, peel-pleasant delectables are crammed with potassium.

Vita-Mite: Take B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and zinc before you drink, and again in the morning, to replace what you lose when you overindulge.

Keep Away, Coffee: Drinking java when you’re dealing with post-drunk dizziness is usually most peoples’ first mistakes. Caffeine is a diuretic and will rob your body of even more water and nutrients. Try a sports drink (Gatorade, even Vitamin Water) instead, to replace electrolytes and put some pep in your step.

Say No To Aspirin: It’s been suggested that consuming a couple of aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen and drinking a couple of glasses of water will help to reduce the negative effects of drinking. However, this course of action could be hazardous to your long-term health, and lead to liver complications later on in life, as a University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study discovered some years back.

Raising Cain

Nightlife veteran Jamie Mulholland (Lotus, P.M., Quo) is preparing to unleash a brand new nightclub and lounge on Manhattan this fall. Mulholland’s latest venture, Cain, will be located on West 27th Street in West Chelsea, and is set to open the first or second weekend in October. Word is Mulholland’s recruited designer of the moment Robert McKinley (P.M., Table50) to handle the aesthetics detail; according to a press release from Cain’s publicists, the new, destined-to-be-the-next-hottest-spot’s space will “emulate and reflect the sophisticated and cosmopolitan nature” of Mulholland’s native home of Cape Town.

After returning from a countrywide tour of South Africa with McKinley, Mulholland found himself inspired by the urbane nightclubs and restaurants of Cape Town, and decided to launch a club based on the elements of South Africa – one that captured the essence and artistic nature of the Dark Continent. That club is Cain.

Throughout their travels, Mulholland and McKinley collected skins, horns, and beads that will transform the venue into “an escape from reality,” according to the press release. McKinley described the interior as looking like a “YSL Mombasa handbag that you can dance in.” We’ll just have to wait to see what he’s talking about.

The club, which will be a split-level with a maximum occupancy of 400 bodies, has a few celebrity owners as well, “but none that we will discuss,” says Steve Kasuba, Cain’s publicist. He did say that the club will be ultra exclusive, and extremely hard to get into – “The whole venue will be VIP,” he explains.

In other nightclub news, it seems Noel Ashman’s, at long last, decided on a name for his new club – to be housed in the former shell of Nell’s. He’s calling it N.A., and the club’s pre-grand opening party’s slated for September 7th. Ashman’s teamed up with several celebrities in this new venture: among them, former New Kid Joey McIntyre, former Yankees and current Orioles pitcher Jason Grimsley, Sex in the City star Chris Noth, former Yankee David Wells, and Swimfan star Jesse Bradford.

Also, it appears there’s another new club on the horizon for New York. Sources say Select, a new lounge on West 24th Street, will open late next month, and will be managed by Joe Vicari, a former partner in Show.

Best Pampering Places

After a long week of busting our humps for the man (or woman – always need to be PC), catering to the needs of our bosses for a laughable paycheck, we all deserve – and often times, need – to let our hair down, and treat ourselves to a day of pampering. Nothing relieves all of that pent-up stress from the work week like having someone else fawn all over us like we’re dignitaries, priming and pruning every nook and cranny, revitalizing our souls – all to have it ruined Monday morning, when we once again find ourselves trapped within the flimsy confines of our lackluster cubicles.

If you’re desperate for a day of beauty (or relaxation, or treatments), New York’s got the cure for what ails you. The city’s home to a variety of fabulous day spas that’ll give you the royal treatment – but for a price. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started, and on your way to tranquility. If there’s somewhere we forgot to mention, please let us and the rest of the JoonBug community know by clicking on the “Comments” link below. Remember: The JoonBlog is all about sharing – we’ve done our part, now you do yours.

Oasis Day Spa
108 E. 16th Street, Second Floor, New York, (212) 254-7722

This spa opened back in 1997, and was so successful that it inspired the opening of a second location just a few years later on the East Side. Treatments such as acupuncture, Thai massage, and lava stones are available at both, as well as manicures, pedicures, and facials. Try the peaceful hydrotherapy pools or stretch out in the yoga room. This spacious and elegant spa even boasts a steam room and sauna, and a waiting room that – inexplicably – is almost as relaxing as a full-body massage; it’s dimly lit, with fragrant air being piped in, and patrons are served fine teas to pass the time.

ERBE
196 Prince Street, New York, (212) 966-1445

The day spa the celebrities (Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, etc.) adore. Erbe, translated to “herb” in Italian, is an intimate, small, tranquil spot that’s as soothing as its products – the skin creams and treatments are all infused with fresh herbs used for their therapeutic properties. One of the spa’s co-owners, Carmen Miraglia, developed her herb-instilled formulas after studying with Italian monks. The menu is simple (facials, aromatherapy massage, waxing) but the service is attentive; facials, for instance, are customized, producing visible results with natural ingredients.

Bliss Soho
568 Broadway, New York, (212) 219-8970

Offering an astonishing array of beneficial body treatments, this downtown spa is the first stop for beautiful skin, relaxed muscles, and excellent pedicures that are made to show off your feet in the skimpiest of summer sandals. Try a seaweed or fruit flavored body wrap, aromatherapy massage, facials to exfoliate, buff, and shine your skin to perfection, and body waxing in places that could make you blush. Every service is a la carte so mix and match your beauty treatments as much as you’d like. The menu can run a bit high (check Blissworld.com for prices that may vary), but who said beauty came cheap? Reservations are encouraged, as Bliss’ reputation for being one of the best spas makes getting in at a moment’s notice impossible.

Skinklinic
800 5th Avenue, New York, (212) 904-0139

Skinklinic is a new concept in skincare and cosmetic dermatology that incorporates skin services, cosmetic dermatological treatments, products, and information. Frequented by New York beauty editors and fashion models, Skinklinic is the place to go if you desire to see visible improvements in your skin. Perfect for those of you who are tired of treatments that pamper, but deliver no results. Whether you need to get rid of those wrinkles or improve your skin’s texture and color, Skinklinic is the place for you, with medically-trained practitioners and dermatologists who administer skin treatments in private, spacious rooms within a serene, minimalist environment.

Gurney’s Inn
290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, (631) 688-2345

If a resort’s main purpose is to de-stress its guests, an oceanfront address isn’t a bad way to start. Gurney’s Inn, on a strip of private beach in Montauk, makes the most of its proximity to the Big Pond by specializing in seawater-based Thalasso therapies. One treatment begins with a sea-salt exfoliation, then moves on to a seaweed wrap, and finishes with an underwater massage with a saltwater spray. You feel as relaxed as you do after a day at the beach. Stay at the hotel for the weekend (it just underwent a recent tip-to-stern renovation), and you won’t be sorry; the restaurants at Gurney’s serve the freshest seafood, and often time, what ends up on your plate was caught just hours earlier in the same waters you spent the afternoon playing in.

Soho Sanctuary
119 Mercer Street, New York, (212) 334-5550

Soho Sanctuary is so calm and centered, you can’t help but catch your breath. From the natural wood finish to the prevailing sense of peace, this loft yoga studio-cum-salon is the perfect place to let go of your city stress. The day spa offers several varieties of massage, including prenatal, hot stone, and reflexology. The salon’s signature Sanctuary massage (about $100 per hour) blends classic Swedish technique with deep tissue and acupressure to ease aching muscles, while the aromatherapy massage (slightly more per hour) treats clients to a relaxing sage footbath before anointing them in Dr. Hauschka Holistic Body Oils to accelerate healing. Bliss awaits.

Oscar Bond Salon
42 Wooster Street, New York, (212) 334-3777

Patrons have enjoyed the cutting-edge techniques of this salon’s top artists in hair treatments, face and body treatments, and massage since 1999. The salon also offers an education in the form of the “Bond Series:” on-going classes, conferences, and seminars for stylists detailing the latest trends and technology. The salon’s dedication to innovation is one of the reasons it’s been featured in Mademoiselle, InStyle, and Time Out New York.

Venue Review: Pastis - New York City (NYC)

Pastis
9-11 Little W. 12th Street (@9th Ave)
New York, NYC 10014
(2112) 929-4844
Website

While the meatpacking district has been loaded with new heavyweight venues, Pastis holds its own. Extremely evocative of old Parisian bistros, Pastis has a relaxed atmosphere, and yet the bar area is loaded with ultra glam models and model types vying to be noticed. The menu is traditional bistro fare, and the moules frites au Pernod are well worth having. Any meal from brunch to a late dinner is memorable. It’s very likely that you’ll be able to enjoy your pan-roasted chicken while gazing at the celebrities that frequent Pastis.

For more info, here's what Digital City and Shecky's had to say.

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Venue Review: Marquee - New York City (NYC)

Marquee
289 10th Ave
New York, NYC 10001
(646) 473 - 0202
Website

There’s more than a good chance that your average club hound will not be able to cross the velvet rope @ Marquee in Chelsea. Entrance is strictly on a guest-list only basis. The owners (Noah Tepperberg & Jason Strauss) did their research across the nation, and it damned well shows. The main room is positively stunning with a grand view of the wishbone staircase to the glass-enclosed VIP level. If you’re looking for conversation (or something resembling it), head on to the downstairs Red Room with a more subdued atmosphere. Keep in mind that the drinks carry astronomical prices, and the entire joint is bottle service only for anyone who wants to sit.

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Best Gay/Lesbian Events and Establishments

Considering it’s perhaps the world’s most tolerant and accepting city, a metropolis that prides itself on its diversity and unique sense of commonality (we’re New Yorkers, after all, even when we move to other parts of the world), of course New York has a rich gay and lesbian scene. New York’s gay and lesbian nightcrawlers, while fickle, always know a good time when they see it. Gay and lesbian bars have infiltrated every nook and cranny of the Big Apple, and variety is the overriding theme: leather to lesbian, dives to drag – New York has it all. Even nightclubs that cater more often to the mainstream devote at least one night a week to its gay and lesbian patrons.

The following’s a brief guide to some of the city’s best gay and lesbian nightclubs, as well as some straight-friendly gay bars (because, as we all know, hetero women love frequenting gay bars: the guys are always attractive, always willing to dance, know how to dance, and never fight to get anything more than just fun conversation.) Scope out these top spots to get your same-sex groove on. If there are any clubs we forgot to include here, tell us about them by clicking on the “Comments” link below this post.

Hell
55 Gansevoort Street, New York, (212) 727-1666

If Dracula were to open a bar in New York, it would probably resemble Hell. Grandly draped yards of sinister red velvet and a chandelier glowing with pernicious electric flames transform the cavernous space into the set of a vampire B-movie.

Read More CitySearch

Julius
159 W. 10th Street, New York, (212) 929-9672

This landmark bar’s like the gay equivalent of Cheers.

Read More On CitySearch

The Eagle
554 W 28th Street, New York, (646) 473-1866

Voted the city’s best leather bar by New York Magazine, the Eagle’s a two-tiered hangout that packs in a mob, especially on weekends.
Read More On CitySearch & Guide Mag

Splash Bar
50 W. 17th Street, New York, (212) 691-0073

This wet-themed gay bar is as straight-friendly as they come, and very popular within the scene. Out-of-towners and newbies to the Big Apple have almost always gotten their feet wet here. But fame hasn’t changed Splash much over the years. There’s a basement “gay-mart” (where people can buy lube over cocktails), the bartenders are still shirtless, and lechery is always welcome.

Henrietta Hudson
438 Hudson Street, New York, (212) 924-3347

This West Village gathering spot attracts a wide mix of lesbians, most of whom seem more interested in making friends than meeting lovers. Madonna has even stopped in to scout dancers for her Girlie Show in the past. The jukebox plays Melissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, and the Indigo Girls, and there is always a wait for the pool table. Many straight women stop by, knowing they can enjoy a drink without being bothered by an annoying drunken man.

Review Taken From CitySearch

Ginger’s
363 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 788-0924

Filled with funky thrift store finds like ceramic clogs and vintage art house posters, this Park Slope watering hole oozes a shabby chic that’s perfectly suited to its nouveau bohemian clientele. A laid-back and racially diverse crop of lesbian couples and singles mingle while sultry jazz and rootsy rock permeate from the well-stocked jukebox up front. You’ll find a pool table at the center of the intimate back room, amid exposed brick walls, comfy couches and giant Guinness glasses suspended from the ceiling. Dogs are welcome (as are men.)

XL Lounge
357 W. 16th Street, New York, (646) 336-5574

John Blair spent a reported $2.5 million turning this lounge into a luxury, kinetic environment, and every penny of it shows.

Read More On CitySearch

Saturdays at the Roxy
515 W. 18 th Street, New York, (212) 645-5156

Those into shaking their booties may want to frequent John Blair’s Roxy (515 West Eighth Street), the Saturday club event, awash with shirtless men and gender benders throbbing to music spun by hard house DJs such as Victor Calderone and James Andersen. Usually you won’t leave here until dawn. Also, check out Avalon, also a John Blair shindig, which rocks every Sunday night, and always draws quite the crowd.

Venue Review: Spice Market - New York City (NYC)

Spice Market
403 West 13th Street
New York, NYC 10014
(212) 675 - 2322
Website

It’s almost criminal to call Spice Market just a Thai restaurant. Lush and expansive, Spice Market (nestled in the meatpacking district) is the latest from world class chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The menu is loaded with Southeast Asian delights, but there is a French sensibility as well. A wide, dramatic staircase goes through the main dining area delivering lounge cats to the bar. Towards the rear is an area of private pillow filled booths – but you’ll need a lot of gravity and cash for that.

Here's what Digital City and Shecky's had to say.

Click here to see photos from events.

Who's been here recently?