June 17, 2009

Zagat '09 bar guide says NYC drinking less, cheaper

Call it the trickle down theory of Wall Street’s hangover.

The Zagat 2009/10 New York City Nightlife guide hits shelves today, along with the rather expected news that people are going out less frequently, and when they do, they’re ordering less and staying on the cheaper side. A mere 16 percent of the 6,000-plus “local nighthawks” surveyed by Zagat said the weakening economy “hasn’t affected my nightlife habits.”

The survey pegs the Lower East Side, Meatpacking District and East Village as the city’s hottest nightlife neighborhoods. Yet the Meatpacking District, LES and Chelsea are also dinged as the most over-hyped nabes. the typical survey respondent drinks wine on the weekdays, mixed drinks on the weekends, ever-so-slightly prefers a DJ to live music and 44 percent of them “expect the best bars, clubs and lounges in NYC to have their own signature drinks.”

Among the trends spotted in the new guide is the favor for the underground (instead of the rooftops of ‘08.) “Underground” includes basement bars such as BEast, Chloe, Macao Trading Co., RDV, 675 Bar and Southside, as well as “secret bars” such as Cabin Down Below and Bleecker Heights Tavern.

The new guide rates 1,315 nightspots and is also available at ZAGAT.com and with ZAGAT TO GO™, Zagat’s mobile application for iPhone, BlackBerry and handhelds.

June 17, 2009 4:06 PM in Drinkology

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