Ultimate Singles Guide

164 W 75th St, New York, NY 10023 (map)

Local professionals pack the sepia-toned, chestnut-banqueted dining rooms at this Upper West Side haunt, which also boasts a buzzing bar scene that makes it prime for mingling.

503 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024 (map)

This Upper West Side bar encompasses the 1920s speakeasy style without all the pretentious secrecy. Exposed brick walls, wooden booths and an attentive wait staff give the spacious saloon an air of tastefulness, in contrast to the many undergrad bars that line Amsterdam Avenue.

97 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012 (map)

Although this Soho mainstay doesn't take reservations for small parties, the haute comfort food (think rack of lamb and fried chicken) is worth the wait. And since it's open daily 'til 4am, the possibilities are endless.

42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

Insiders know that the seats at the bar are the best in the house, which makes Gramercy Tavern well-suited to meeting and mingling with like-minded food lovers.

356 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019 (map)

This midtown restaurant inside the Hudson Hotel is grand, but the menu highlights the dependable goodness of simple comfort food (the house specialty is baked macaroni and cheese). Likewise, the patrons tend to be refined but down to earth.

9 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014 (map)

This Meatpacking District mainstay is more than a French bistro. True to the Keith McNally formula, it's a high-energy (and high-priced) hot spot, crackling with well-to-do New Yorkers of a respectable age.

48 Spring St, New York, NY 10012 (map)

This Soho bar hosts a lively crowd of people more interested in boozing than, well, anything else. Except flirting--they're big on that too.

97 S 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (map)

This friendly Williamsburg dive always draws a crowd of thirsty, fun-loving locals and low-maintenance Manhattanites. In warmer weather, the lively back patio--which is decked out with garden furniture, canopies and free-for-all grills--is the perfect place to connect with a hot hipster. Bum a smoke or offer to share your barbecue (it's BYO meat).

500 E 11th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

This East Village hangout (owned by rocker Pete Wentz) is decked out in gothic rock-and-roll decor, with black leather booths, wooden thrones and chandeliers. A fun-loving crowd of inebriated singles are usually on the prowl at all times.

34 E 4TH St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

A downtown Irish pub where the pickup scene gets going about three Guinnesses in. And if you're not tough enough for a pint, no sweat: The friendly bartenders are known for their generous pours.

497 Fifth Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map)

Park Slope isn't just for stroller moms and their husbands. Case in point: Commonwealth, where the jukebox is a way to start a conversation and the personals wall (where guests can post love notes) is a way to keep it going.

178 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014 (map)

Skip the obvious singles scenes and check out this intimate subterranean jazz club, open since 1935. You just might meet your soul mate.

174 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002 (map)

Cheap drinks and local art lure locals to this slender, dimly lit Lower East Side bar. Weekends usually draw crowds so large and boisterous that bartenders resort to serving cocktails in plastic cups. And if that's not an indication of a bar’s hookup potential, nothing is.

85 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

Decorated with period photographs and Marxist aphorisms, this East Village spot is where writers unite under the influence of martinis and words. Frequent free readings by up-and-coming novelists and poets make it easy for the boho literati to get cozy.

120 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 (map)

This Lower East Side lounge is an art gallery by day and a full-scale party bar by night, making it a great place to meet singles with an interest in both.

335 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map)

This dark Carroll Gardens watering hole once housed a real Italian social club. But these days, anyone can grab a bar stool, shoot pool, smoke cigarettes on the back porch and soak in the nostalgic decor, all while sipping a classic cocktail and getting to know the neighbors.

419 W 13th St, New York, NY 10014 (map)

Savvy clubbers treat this chic MePa District nightspot like their own living room--and where better to get close to a new friend than on a plush couch or bed, with a full bar at your disposal?

339 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

A young crowd gets cozy at this mainstream East Village boozin' spot, where the girls are pretty and the guys grow more attractive with every drink.

127 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

This spacious Union Square bar caters to under- and post-graduates looking to party on any given night of the week. It's loud and boozy, and thus a great place to meet your next hookup (though maybe not your future mate).

158 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002 (map)

Check out the amateur bands and their cute fans at this Ludlow Street staple, which is perpetually packed with hip guys and girls in distressed designer jeans and deliberately asymmetrical haircuts, pontificating on the genius of their indie rock heroes.

40 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

An oldie but a goodie, this sprawling East Village restaurant and bar lures well-dressed, relatively well-behaved patrons with three bustling bars and a massive all-weather patio.

10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019 (map)

This low-lit lounge at the Time Warner Center is the perfect place to scope out sugar mamas and daddies. While the average Joe might be struck by the bar's magnificent Central Park views, most of the patrons are quite accustomed to it, since their posh Manhattan apartments boast similar views.

60 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012 (map)

At the fancy bar at the hotel 60 Thompson, well-heeled Manhattan insiders strut their stuff before the hotel's well-to-do guests.

389 Broome St, New York, NY null (map)

Everything is gold at this Nolita lounge--from the tables (which are designed to look like stacks of oversized Cartier bracelets) to the curtains to the skulls that line the walls. And where there's decadence and liquor, you can bet there are also rich single folks.

16 Bank St, New York, NY 10014 (map)

If you're not chummy enough with owner Graydon Carter to possess the secret number to this uber-hot West Village eatery, you'll have to show up in person three days in advance to try to get a reservation. But if you succeed, you're pretty much guaranteed to spot a power player or two.

160 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (map)

Gay singles flock to this Chelsea spot during happy hour (4pm-7pm) for discounted deals on booze, which inevitably (and thankfully) leads to heavy drinking and the loss of inhibition. But if you're on the prowl, stick to the bar's front area; the more formal space in back is usually dominated by couples.