We Made an Epic Party Chart to Ensure Your New Year's Eve in NYC Doesn't Suck

Every year when promoters in New York City start announcing New Year Eve events, I have to double up on my daily antacids. In a city so vibrant and teeming with talented individuals, the cornucopia of parties within our reach is simply overwhelming. Well, fear not. As the voice behind the Dance Bitch Twitter and Instagram accounts, I regularly curate party info for the Brooklyn underground dance community. This year I’ve simplified the NYE process for you, and put together an essential flowchart to help you decide where to party—scroll to the bottom of the page for more info and links to buy tickets.

Some notes about the recommendations:

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This is not an exhaustive list. My work as a Dance Bitch focuses on house and techno music. That said, if you’re looking to escape the 4×4, our top recommendations are: 1) Mykki Blanco, Cakes Da Killa, MikeQ, Venus X and LSDXOXO at Mercury Lounge, and 2) DJ Kala, False Witness, Rizzla, Shyboi, Stud1nt, and Tygapaw in a secret location in Ridgewood (do some digging!). Both will be cute AF.
We’ve removed all member-only and invite-only parties. Sorry. If you were hoping to break into the world of extra exclusive underground parties, NYE is not the time to do it. Follow me on Twitter and take the bread crumbs I occasionally leave for my beloved followers.
My recommendations skew towards Brooklyn, which is enjoying a wealth of dance music events these days. However, there are a few great Manhattan parties on the list.
My pick for sleeper hit of NYE is Louisahhh, Gina Turner, Jubilee, DKDS, Devon James, and Brogen at Studio 299. This is a brand new club in East Williamsburg with a proper sound system and tickets are only $10-20. It’s rare to find a NYE party in a club this affordable.
There are a number of local spots hosting some of the most talented DJs in the city with cover charges of $30 and under. Black Flamingo, Bossa Nova Civic Club, TBA Brooklyn, The Graham, and Cozinha Latina will keep you dancing all night without burning through your wallet.
Techno afterparty UNTER starts at 1AM, so don’t go there expecting a champagne toast at midnight. That won’t be happening and that’s not the vibe.
Dressing up and paying a cover charge just to get stepped on and doused with a stranger’s cocktail when you’re in a bad mood is never the move. If you’re feeling even the least bit cranky, stay home and go out to a party on New Year’s Day. I’ve included some options below.
People make resolutions for New Years, right? If you’re fed up with your usual go-to party spots, resolve to break out of your comfort zone and expand your party horizon trying something new.