User's Guide

If You Can’t Dance at Beatrice, Then Where?

Down by the Hipster today points out that Beatrice, long known to downtown denizens as “the one place where you can smoke and dance!,” has put up signs asking patrons to kindly refrain from doing either. So where can you dance? Until now a list of Manhattan’s cabaret licenses hasn’t been available online, but we’ve acquired one from the Department of Consumer Affairs so you can do the all-the-rage tektonik without the cops busting your wildly jiggling ass.

Problem is, a lot of these places are out of business— e.g. Deep, Roxy, Table 50 (a.k.a. Mr. Black’s), and Culture Club. Remy Lounge just moved to Bay Ridge of all places. What that leaves, for the most part, is dance clubs, private-events and concert venues, strip clubs, and, um, other places you’d never casually stop into such as the Hard Rock Café and Mars 2112!

We can count on two hands the plain ol’ bars and lounges where you can legally dance: Corio, Hogs & Heifers, Iguana, 1050 Restaurant, O’Flanagan’s, Mehanata, and Saloon. A motley crew, that. But now you know what you’re stuck with if Beatrice actually does tell you to take a seat and stop moving your feet.

Cabaret (Current License List) [PDF]

Related: The Rules of the Beatrice Inn [Down by the Hipster]

If You Can’t Dance at Beatrice, Then Where?