8.07.2009

Gettin my culture on (while boozing, obvi)

Gallery Bar
Lower East Side
120 Orchard Street (b/w Delancey and Rivington Streets)
New York, NY 10002
347-767-2045
www.gallerybarnyc.com

Combining two staples of the Lower East Side, art and bars, seems like a way to rock the nightlife scene in a creative and innovative way, right? Maybe not so much considering that the true LES "artsy" types aren't the ones flocking to Gallery Bar, but rather just typical trendy mid-twenty-something New Yorkers. As the name suggests, Gallery Bar displays a large amount of artwork from local up and coming artists and functions as a true gallery by day. By night this place tries to become a club with hip hop music, dark curtains to almost black out the venue, and a faux strict door policy, but unfortunately misses the mark due to the lack of actual space for dancing (despite two levels). The reasonably attractive crowd barely notices and definitely does not care about the art, and people are packed so tightly that I lost track of my friends within minutes and was left to fend for myself in what turned out to be a sea of sketchy men. Gallery Bar tends to be a popular place for birthday parties (I've been to two already this year) and seems hospitable to planning ahead for groups, but without an occasion I probably won't be returning on my own.
Rating: 2.5 stars

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