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Sometimes choosing where to spend your concert dollars can begin by going in the direction of who is performing on stage, not matter where it may take place. But for others, it’s all about the venue. In the first of a series of city venue ratings, starting with the Big Apple, Hidden Track has revealed the best 15 music venues in New York City. Broken down by History, Comfort, Sound & Sightlines and Vibe – this revealing list has everything you need to know about the top music rooms in NYC.
1) Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg, NY 11211
History – Make no mistake, while it seems pretty New Yorky of us to pick the new kid on the block as the top venue, it’s not the novelty of newness that makes Brooklyn Bowl our favorite. True, the venue did just open July 7th, 2009, but the “for us, by us” nature of the venue – which comes from the same bloodlines as former NYC jam mecca, the Wetlands Preserve – assures that this place will hold court for many of the great NYC concerts for years to come.
Comfort – The comfort factor scores high for Brooklyn Bowl as they offer some of the city’s best comfort food (fried chicken, BBQ meat sandwiches and French bread pizzas) courtesy of Blue Ribbon Brasserie. Plus, the Bowl specializes in Brooklyn Beers, so they always have plenty of good suds on tap. The floor is nice and big and the bowling alleys have both a view of the stage and TV screens to follow the action, although both get pretty crowded on busy nights. Also, bands love the easy load-in/load-out at the convenient, yet off the beaten path location. Finally, the entryway out front provides a nice oasis for some…uh…fresh air.
Sounds & Sightlines – For a pretty big room with complex acoustics courtesy of the bowling alley, there’s really not a bad spot. Also, the stage is built relatively high from the ground, so it’s easy to see from anywhere on the floor.
Sounds & Sightlines – The room is big enough to fit a good crowd, but it feels small and intimate. It’s hard to complain about the views anywhere in the room.
Vibe – Any place cool enough to get ?uestlove from the Roots to come spin his favorite records in his spare time after the show scores high in our book. Plus, Brooklyn Bowl – via the Bowery Presents folks – does a great job booking a diverse mix of upcoming jam and indie bands, longer-term residencies by the city’s musical stalwarts and bigger national draws.
