Label 174 Rivington St. (Clinton & Attorney Sts.)
Lower East Side
212.228.9600
Label:
You can't judge a book by its cover, and in the case of former Cielo manager Nick Valencia's new downtown destination, you can't judge a club by its label (a neon sign in the windows advertises empanadas). More lounge than club, Label offers night crawlers an authentic and often unmatched experience. And though it's actually possible to get your hands on some of the aforementioned South American street snacks inside, better indulgences are to be had. The city's best DJs, exposed brick walls, subdued rouge and violet lighting, and rows of faux-antlers create a space best described as "what you likely imagined a cool, downtown New York City bar would be like before you actually moved to New York" (and as the reality never seems to live up to the fantasy, we mean this as a complete compliment). For those of us less connected (and less genetically blessed), it's important to note that Label is free of the guest list and red-tape policies that suck the life out of nightlife. However, given that the sleek design and stellar auditory offerings will all but insure Label's popularity, we wonder if eventually it may have to employ a door policy simply so it won't be breaking any fire codes. And for the sake of our chemically-induced 4AM hunger-pangs, let's just hope they keep making those empanadas.
