BEST OF NEW YORK


Park service: Boys being boys at "The Rambles." (Photo credit: Shannon Fagan)
Best Gay Parties
From plain vanilla to enticingly spicy, a week’s worth of nights for all tastes.

Sunday
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Starlette, at the funky lounge Starlight (167 Ave. A; 212-475-2172), may be the best femme party around. Some girls bring boys.
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The cool, carefree go-go boys (and open bar) give The Rambles at the park (118 Tenth Ave., near 18th St.; 212-352-3313) a wanton feel.

Monday

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Scott Nevins Presents, at Therapy (348 W. 52nd St.; 212-397-1700), is an hour-long, anything-goes live talk show with sceney celebs.
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Homeskool, at sleaze den the Cock (188 Ave. A; 212-777-6254), has a devoted hipster following (including David LaChapelle) that parties late.

Tuesday

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Beige is still going strong at B Bar (40 E. 4th St.; 212-475-2220), where a fashion-heavy crowd hangs out and poses. For seeing and being seen.
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Karaoke, wild? At Pieces (8 Christopher St.; 212-929-9291), the singers are fierce, the booze is cheap, and the décor is cheesy—a potent admixture.

Wednesday

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Who says gay boys can’t be cheap dates? Men of all ages and stripes pack rock-and-roll dive Phoenix (447 E. 13th St.; 212-477-9979) for its $1 Buds, served all night long in clear plastic cups. A great, of-the-moment jukebox, too (Spoon, anyone?).
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At the historic Stonewall (53 Christopher St.; 212-463-0950), Uncut offers the best hip-hop and Latin-flavored house you’ll find at any gay club—and serious, soulful dancers who can really break it down. Amateurs, beware.

Thursday

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For those who didn’t get enough of the Backstreet Boys the first time, Pop Rocks! is back after a six-month hiatus and bigger than it was at 219 Flamingo, filling up Plaid (76 E. 13th St.; 212-388-1060) with what seems like half of NYU’s nearby dorms.
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The long-running Gloss, at adorably grungy Meow Mix (269 E. Houston St.; 212-254-0688), is a glammier-than-you-might-expect lesbian party where chic femme rocker types mix it up with the bois who love them.

Friday

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The eighties exercise videos projected on the giant screen at the Hole (29 Second Ave.; 212-473-9406) are a dead giveaway that the Mad Clams party is for dykes, but there always seem to be just as many cool gay boys present—though in light this dim, who can tell?
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The legendary ex-“Squeezebox” emcee Misstress Formika knows how to throw a party: Her Area 10009 at Opaline (85 Ave. A; 212-995-8684) has nearly nude go-go boys (and girls), live music, and an enthusiastic crowd of twentysomethings who actually dance.

Saturday

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The queen of the local gay house scene, Roxy (515 W. 18th St.; 212-645-5156) has been keeping the shirtless Chelsea masses happy on Saturday nights for years now, thanks to up-to-the-minute dance sets by D.J.’s like Peter Rauhofer (currently remixing Britney).
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For an old-school East Village gay vibe, the High Life/Low Life party is a double play: Bawdy drag queen Sweetie hosts live performances upstairs at Marquee (356 Bowery; 212-420-8885), while downstairs at the Slide, everyone cruises to slick electro.