Secret

Finding this upper Chelsea bar was a little difficult, I guess they must want to keep it a Secret. Either that or I was just walking on the wrong side of the street (i.e., the 'straight' side) and mistook the gay bar for an art gallery. After a few calls on my mobile to some friends that were smarter than me had found the place successfully, I headed over to 525 W 29th Street (north side of the block between 10th & 11th Ave). After chatting with the doorman (um ... someone please give this man the 'nicest-hotest-yet-most-effective-doorman-in-nyc' award), I entered the bar.

Using an old Frank Lloyd Wright trick, the entrance is small and almost 'tunnel-like' - making the moment of entrance into the larger main room quite fantastic. Once inside, however, I wasn't too impressed by the large chandeliers and round seating areas running down the center of the rectangular space to a bar at the back of the room (someone please teach the designer about traffic flow). Throughout the evening, I had the vague feeling that I was in a ballroom/lounge of a three-star hotel located in a city that was not quite LA ... but not quite NYC either.

That said, decor generally doesn't break a bar - and it certainly didn't lessen the amount of fun I had at this one. The bartenders were cute; mixed descent, reasonably priced drinks; and were pretty speedy. More importantly, the crowd was awesome. Although there were pockets of friends forming little, tight circles (what, are we in high school again?), most of the bar patrons were circulating about, talking to new-found friends, and quite good conversationalists. Brought to you by the same folks that own Big Cup and owned hell (may it rest in peace), Secret definitely fills a special little place in NYC nightlife. Check it out and say 'hi' if you spot me - chances are I'll be back again.