Bowery Ballroom

The Bowery Ballroom is generally regarded as the city's best music venue. It has three floors, three bars, an intimate 550-person capacity, balconies for the mosh-pit-adverse, and status as the most popular destination for rising indie-rockers. It's also the place where "special guests" (such as David Byrne!) drop by, and more established acts (such as Nine Inch Nails!) treat their fans to "secret" shows. While the Ballroom now has a Brooklyn clone (the Music Hall of Williamsburg) with sleeker finishes, swankier bars, and better couches, the original club's homey charm is something that can't be replicated.