Zagat Surveys New York City Nightlife for 10th Year

Compared to last year, are you going out to bars, clubs and lounges…?

2005/06

2007/08

2010/11

More

20%

18%

10%

Same amount

46%

46%

42%

Less

34%

36%

48%

NET LOSS

(14%)

(18%)

(38%)

Top Newcomers:

Top Appeal:

Most Popular:

1. Jane Hotel Lobby*

1. Madame Geneva

1. 230 Fifth

2. Bar Pleiades*

2. Dizzy's Coca Cola

2. Campbell Apartment

3. Sweet Afton

3. Raines Law Room

3. 1 Oak

4. Studio Square

4. Bemelmans Bar*

4. Brother Jimmy's

5. Ace Hotel Lobby*

5. King Cole Bar*

5. Four Seasons Hotel Bar+*

+Indicates a tie with the place above

Tops By Category:

After Work/Uptown – Bemelmans Bar

Jazz Clubs – Dizzy's Club

After Work/Midtown – King Cole Bar

Latin – Nuyorican Poets

After Work/Downtown – Brandy Library

Lesbian – Henrietta Hudson

Art Bars – Box

Mature Crowds – Dizzy's Club

Beer Specialists – Radegast Hall

Meat Market – Plunge

Bowling Alleys– Brooklyn Bowl

Music Clubs – Brooklyn Bowl

Cabarets – Cafe Carlyle

Nightclubs – 1 Oak

Cocktail Experts – Madam Geneva

Piano Bars – Brandy's

Comedy Clubs – Comedy Cellar

Pool Halls – Fat Cat

Dance Clubs – Santos Party House

Punk Bars – Manitoba's

Dives – 55 Bar

Quiet Conversation – Raines Law Room

Frat House – Tortilla Flats

Rooftops – Top of the Tower

Gay – Ritz

Speakeasy-Style – Raines Law Room

Hookahs – Karma

Sports Bar – Ainsworth

Hotel Bars – Bemelmans Bar

Strip Clubs – Rick's Cabaret

Irish – Wilfie & Nell

Wine Bars – Terroir

1.  Average Drink Cost Inflation:

Survey

Average Drink Cost

2010/11

$10.78 (+2.2%)**

2007/08

$10.12 (+7.3%)**

2005/06

$8.83 (+3.2%)**

2003/04

$8.30 (+13.3%)**

2002

$6.92 (-2.6%)**

2000

$7.20

**Annual inflation rate

2.  How much do you spend on an average night out (excluding dinner)?

2007/08

2010/11

Average

$56.59

$51.25

3.  What irritates you most about going out to bars, clubs and lounges?

Crowding

39%

Noise

17%

Service

15%

Lines

11%

Clientele

7%

Prices

7%

Bouncer/door policy

2%

Others

2%

4.  Do you primarily frequent nightspots…?

In your neighborhood

32%

Outside of your neighborhood

68%

5. What's the …?

Best night

to go out

Worst night

to go out

Monday

2%

29%

Tuesday

5%

10%

Wednesday

6%

2%

Thursday

36%

3%

Friday

22%

13%

Saturday

27%

28%

Sunday

2%

15%

6.  When going out, do you usually…?

Use public transportation

45%

Take a cab

33%

Drive/carpool

11%

Walk

10%

Other

1%

7.  At the end of your night out, do you usually…?

Take a cab

63%

Use public transportation

19%

Drive/carpool

11%

Walk

6%

Other

1%

8.  What time do you typically head out to the bars, clubs and lounges?

Happy hour

17%

7 PM

7%

8 PM

13%

9 PM

25%

10 PM

26%

11 PM or later

12%

9.  How late do you typically stay out at the bars, clubs and lounges?

In before 11 PM

14%

Midnight

23%

1 AM

19%

2 AM

24%

3 AM

14%

4 AM or later

6%

10.  After a night out at bars, clubs and lounges, do you typically like to…?

Get a bite to eat somewhere

38%

Go right home to bed

38%

Relax/activities at home

19%

Find/create the after party

4%

Walk around or catch movie

1%

11.  It's a weeknight, you typically are drinking...?

Wine

43%

Beer

24%

Mixed drinks

20%

Non-alcoholic drinks

11%

Other

2%

12.  It's a Friday/Saturday night, you typically are drinking…?

Mixed drinks

57%

Wine

20%

Beer

16%

Non-alcoholic drinks

3%

Other

4%

13.  Which do you prefer…?

Live music

33%

DJs

30%

Quiet ambiance

22%

Jukeboxes

15%

14.  What do you think of the growing trend of bars with master mixologists?

An excuse to charge more for drinks

47%

Fun and harmless gimmick

22%

A great addition to the nightlife scene

18%

I don't know

13%

15.  What type of nightspots do you typically go to on a…?

Week-

night

Fri./Sat.

night

Lounge

12%

15%

Restaurant bar

15%

13%

Wine bar

13%

11%

Performance venue

6%

9%

Pub

12%

9%

Hotel bar

9%

8%

Dance clubs

2%

7%

Dives

7%

6%

Jazz club/piano bar

5%

6%

Sports bar

9%

6%

Speakeasy-style

5%

5%

Microbrewery

4%

3%

Frat-mospheric

1%

2%

16.  What do you think of the current craft beer trend?

A great addition to the nightlife scene

25%

Fun

24%

Silly

9%

Don't know/care

42%

17.  Do you think the nightlife in Midtown is making a comeback?

Yes

36%

No

23%

Don't know/care

41%

18.  What effect, if any, has the weak economy had on your nightlife habits? (Check all that apply)

I'm going out less

40%

I'm being more attentive to prices

32%

I'm going out to less expensive places

31%

I'm ordering fewer drinks out

22%

I'm ordering less expensive drinks

19%

I'm less likely to go to new nightspots

12%

Other

2%

The economy hasn't affected my habits

25%

19.  What is NYC's hottest nightlife neighborhood?

1.  Meatpacking District

2.  Lower East Side

3.  East Village