Pete Wentz is a far cry from Joey Ramone, but if you're looking for a rocker bar in the East Village, Wentz's Angels and Kings is about as close as you'll get these days. The Fall Out Boy lead singer co-owns the loungy spot, nicknamed "AK-47," with Travis McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes and clothing designer Jamison Ernest. The boys go heavy on the red velvet and have cheekily lined the bar with famous celebrity mug shots. As rock bars go, there's a solid drink selection, but the real attraction tends to be the celebrity sightings, including Pete and wifey Ashlee Simpson. Their crew is known to drop in for the bar's regular Monday-night karaoke parties, but most nights are great for kicking back to good music while sampling the bar's famous drink specials (their happy hour features $2 vodka drinks from 8 to 10 pm).

Open Mondays through Thursdays 7 pm to 4 am, Fridays and Saturdays 6 pm to 4 am, Sundays 8 pm to 4 am.

Since 2000, Meatpacking District pioneer APT has resisted the neighborhood's ultra-glamification, staying true to its DJ-focused mission. The spot, with its tiny rusted sign, is meant to evoke an apartment: The upstairs lounge is broken into several small sections with leather banquettes and tasteful striped wallpaper. But just like in high school, the basement is where the real fun is at. With slick wood-paneled walls and bold-faced DJs manning the ones and twos, however, this is not your parents' suburban rec room. On a nightly basis, residents Bobbito Garcia, Rich Medina, Neil Aline, Jazzy Jeff, and a rotating cast of guests spin techno, funk, hip-hop, and everything in between, taking advantage of the club's stellar sound system. Garcia's Monday night party, "Vinyl Is Forever," (formerly known as "Waffles and Falafels") is near legendary, as is Wednesday night's Afro funk–heavy Little Ricky's Rib Shack, hosted by Medina. With relatively friendly door policies, little to no cover charge, and a diverse music-focused crowd, APT has all the fun with little of the fuss of the Meatpacking District. Plan to arrive around midnight and dance till near dawn.

Open daily 7 pm to 4 am. Music starts at 11 pm.

This swank uptown boite, named for the murals painted by former Carlyle hotel resident Ludwig Bemelmans, is unabashedly romantic in a 40s kind of way. And it serves great drinks: Mixologist Audrey Saunders has decamped to her own bar downtown, the Pegu Club, but Brian Van Flandern, formerly of Per Se, has taken the helm. The place is a classic in the true sense—but it doesn't feel dated in any way. There's a cover after 9:30 when the music starts but it's worth paying it to listen to the jazz group headed by Loston Harris, a singer-pianist who's as smooth as the room in which he performs.

It seems like with each sunrise there comes a new condo, hotel, or trendy boutique on the once slummy stretch of the Bowery. Gritty CBGB has been transformed into a John Varvatos store hawking $100 tees, and the flophouses of yesteryear now sport $500-a-night price tags. But some new spots have managed to walk the line between the street's raucous past and its more swank future. Bowery Electric is one of the best. Yes, the space is dark and sparse and there's a suit-clad bouncer, but the door policy is democratic, the DJ is known to play Iggy Pop, and buying a drink won't require you to take out a second mortgage. LOSER, an early-'90s-themed Thursday shindig, has all the kids buzzing.

Open daily 4 pm to 4 am.

Leave it to Simon Hammerstein—grandson of musical titan Oscar—to dream up a theatrical nighttime playground that lures even the most jaded of celebs out of rehab. Antique divans, oversize cushions, and secluded VIP alcoves suggest a Victorian-era bordello, but not without a detour through vaudeville. The stage is the main event here, a spectacle of fire-breathing, striptease, and rotating acts that might include, say, a brass troupe covering Nirvana. Bohemian cabaret this is not; an elitist door policy all but assures you'll be making a pricey bottle service reservation unless you're very well connected (another Box partner also runs hot spots 205 Club and La Esquina). After all, they're entertaining the likes of Madonna and Justin Timberlake here. And while it calls itself a dinner theater, the Box can easily slip into Club Row mode when models and banker types leave their cliquey booths to dance between shows (the first of which starts at 7 pm on weekends).

Open Tuedays through Thursdays 11 pm to 4 am, Fridays and Saturdays 7 pm to 4 am.

Despite the impressive collection of single malts and cognacs, this clubby Tribeca den is neither overly rarefied nor hypermasculine. You're just as likely to find a group of Japanese women decompressing from a Soho shopping excursion as a pack of celebratory bond traders swirling Riedel snifters to a soundtrack of big band music. The 1,000-bottle selection can be intimidating, but a "spirit sommelier" is on hand to guide you, and the kitchen prepares tasty snacks, such as Gruyère cheese napoleons and buttery croque monsieurs, late into the evening.

Open Sundays through Wednesdays 5 pm to 1 am, Thursdays 4 pm to 2 am, Fridays and Saturdays 4 pm to 4 am.

Meant to evoke a prime bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, this perennial hotspot bedecked in palmy decor is genuinely glamorous—a surprisingly rare feat in New York nightlife. And the crowd is often equally alluring—movie stars seem to love owner Amy Sacco, a six-foot-something Glamazon well on her way to achieving her goal of becoming a New York character. First though, you'll have to get past the notoriously tough door policy. Dress fabulously—and try to ensure that your party is predominantly young, female, and attractive.

Hip locals no longer congregate in the Meatpacking District—they moved on when word got out. But that doesn't mean this liquor-fueled playground should be avoided altogether; it still swarms with energy after dark. Cielo holds its own, largely because of its singular focus on booking top-notch DJs. François K spins at the Deep Space party on Monday nights, and Junior Vasquez makes an appearance at least once a month. The club's sunken dance floor is great for voyeurs and exhibitionists alike, and—bucking the district's standard MO—there is no cordoned-off VIP section. Early in the evening, you might find wide-eyed tourists and an older crowd trying to stay hip, but as the night wears on, the dub and deep-house grooves eventually coax even the most jaded scenesters through the doors and onto the dance floor.

Closed Tuesdays and some Sundays.

Grammy winner, singer, and pianist Michael Feinstein's cabaret lounge, located at the Loews Regency Hotel (aka "540 Park"), is as much a New York institution as cabaret itself. Lots of wood and lots of velvet surround the main stage, as diners (the space fits 140) can practically reach out and touch big-name class acts along the lines of Betty Buckley, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patti Lupone, and, of course, Feinstein. There's a $40 minimum per diner, which doesn't include ticket price (which ranges from $50 to $110 depending on the act); jackets are suggested, but not required.

Shows at 8:30 pm Sundays through Thursdays; shows on Fridays and Saturdays are at 8 pm and 10 pm.

This West Chelsea megalounge is a clubgoers' club for you and 2,000 of your closest friends. That's not to say it's all glow-sticks and thumping house music. Created by the minds behind Miami's Opium Garden, Mansion has an eccentric all-under-one-roof vibe, with everything from personal dancing pedestals to a girls-only room with Champagne and complimentary hair touch-ups. The design evokes old-school Hollywood glam with a 20-foot glass-enclosed fireplace, circular wooden bar, and Pucci banquettes. You can check out paintings while drinking in the Gallery and peruse art books in the Library, but everyone tends to end up on the Ballroom's 10,000-square-foot dance floor.

Open Thursdays through Saturdays 11 pm to 4 am.

Dozens of other clubs have hit the West Chelsea scene since this celebrity hangout opened its doors, but Marquee's famous fans have remained faithful—everyone from P. Diddy to Lindsay Lohan to Lance Armstrong has made an appearance. The space was designed with the help of noted architect Philip Johnson's firm—an outfit rarely associated with places where people gyrate on banquettes—and the sculptural setting, with its seductive red and gold lighting, is one of the club's attractions. If you manage to make it past the long line and intimidating, beefy doormen (arriving early and being a pretty lady helps), don't assume that you'll get a peek at the boldface names; they're enclosed behind (soundproof!) glass in a separate level upstairs. There's a $20 cover most nights.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 pm to 4 am.

This suave, romantic second floor bar seems a world away from the bustle of Houston Street below. Named after the famed British officers club in Rangoon, it interprets colonial Asia in a non-stereotypical way—the colors are muted earth tones, the back wall is designed to look like a Japanese temple altar, and you sit at marble topped French café tables. The dominant design feature, though, is a 36-foot-long spalted maple bar, and the dominant draw is Audrey Saunders, who made her name uptown at Bemelmans in the Carlyle. As co-owner of this bar, opened in 2005, she is now practicing her brand of mixology magic down here.

New York has never lacked for swank hotel bars, but the Rose Bar, located in the Gramercy Hotel, takes things to a whole new level. Though the bar's $19 cocktails turn some off, others—notably media bigwigs, i-bankers, and the hotel's glamorous guests—have no qualms shelling out for lavish beverages (the Diamonds and Pearls features Reyka vodka and Lillet Blanc shaken with blackberries and coconut). This may have something to do with the dramatic haute bohemian ambience—red and white tiles line this high-ceilinged, Spanish-style space, which is surrounded by green silk velvet walls, a wood-burning fireplace, and the bar's pièces de résistance: artwork by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Julian Schnabel (who, along with nightlife kingpin Ian Schrager, is one of the co-owners). Reservations are required after 9 pm.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 4 pm to 4 am.

An upscale take on a nautical-themed dive bar could be utterly obnoxious, but Rusty Knot manages to pull it off with endearing style. This is likely due to the dream team of owners, who have been behind a range of New York hot spots, including the Spotted Pig and Freeman's. Located on the West Side Highway, with exquisite views over the Hudson River, the bar has a wood-paneled rec-room decor that does a fine job of transporting you to a New England seaside town thanks to kitschy touches like a ship-wheel mirror, mounted fish, and dog-eared copies of National Geographic. Lest you forget you're in Manhattan, there's a bar menu that includes oysters, chicken liver– and-bacon sandwiches, and pretzel dogs (it's exactly what it sounds like). There's also a comprehensive menu of specialty, rum-based cocktails (try the Rusty Knot, made with rum, house sour mix, bitters, and mint simple syrup), which arrive in tiki glasses. But if you really want to live the dive-bar illusion, stick with the beer—cans start at 99 cents.

Open daily noon to 4 am.

Named for fictional 1930s Shanghai jet-setress Madame Ning, the lounge atop the Peninsula Hotel is inspired by a time when the Chinese city was known as "the Paris of the East." In addition to two outdoor lounges and an inside bar with Chinese screens, black marble seating, and glowing lanterns, Salon de Ning's biggest draw is the panoramic, very dramatic view of the city. But like every view in this town, you'll have to pay for it: The delicious cocktails (try the Ning Sling made with Absolut Mandarin, Soho Lychee, fresh mint leaves, lychee and passion fruit juices ) will cost you upward of $20 (not including tip). Those who enjoy their experience here can look forward to Salon de Ning offshoots opening in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Open daily 4 pm to 1 am.

You don't go to Santos Party House to perch on a banquette while looking cute—you go to Santos Party House to seriously get down while looking cute. Helmed by New York cool kids Andrew W.K. (yes, he of "Party Hard" fame), artist Spencer Sweeney, Pianos owner Larry Golden, and architect Ron Castellano, this bi-level megaspace recalls a New York of the '80s when you hit the club dressed in your wildest to dance till dawn. In addition to a rotating cast of top-of-the-line DJs—Studio 54 vet Nicky Siano had a Santos summer residency, as do LCD Soundsystem/DFA guru James Murphy and the legendary Q-Tip—the club recently started hosting live shows by the likes of N.E.R.D., The Virgins, and Black Dice.

Open daily 10 pm to 4 am.

The buzz surrounding this downtown "gastropub" shouldn't give the Spotted Pig too much pause: With dozens of hard-to-find artisanal brews on draft, nobody's really coming here for the food. Communal-style seating further underscores the beer garden vibe. However, the interior is more Boulder than old-school Bavaria: Think salvaged wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling windows, and tables made of reclaimed Douglas fir. Descriptive tasting notes come in handy for the more obscure imports, which range from citrusy German Pilsners to chocolate stouts that are meals in themselves. And savory bar snacks like the pork belly sandwich—essentially a BLT with intensely flavored slabs of bacon—pair well with most of these libations. Spitzer's is at its best on weeknights, when a mix of beer geeks, art types, and post-work professionals chill with a pint or two. On the weekends, it's best to make this your first stop and escape before the rowdy masses descend.

Open Mondays and Tuesdays noon to 3 am, Wednesdays through Fridays noon to 4 am, Saturdays 11 am to 4 am, and Sundays 11 am to 3 am.