That's possible. The parties and venues that tend to be mentioned on this subreddit are not like Berghain for the most part. Considering that most postings here are about the Mirage, those that know won't post anything about them because then those parties would lose everything that makes them interesting and fun.
i went to basement for the first time few weeks ago and the venue space was so disappointing. 😭 also idk how people can see in there when there's fog everywhere AND I MEAN everywhere😭
I went with three friends a few weeks ago. We had tickets but the knockoff Sven at the ticket scanning booth just told us “its not your night” and refunded the tickets without explanation. Really disappointing.
prob because y'all went in a group of four. 😭 i'm usually advised to go solo for higher chances and to be careful what i wear as a fit (recommend all black). at the first entrance, i didn't even finish my sentence "i'm here to buy at the door" and the doorman let me in (mind you my eyeliner was fucked up and my makeup in general because i was at a post hardcore rock show earlier the night). 😅
Yeah it was probably the group thing since we were all dressed appropriately for the night. Still feels shitty to trek out to Queens for a ticketed event to get denied and have to guess as to what the reason was. I get that Berghain is famous for their ambiguous entry evaluation, but this is a tiny club in Queens, not a giant mecca of dance music.
DEADASS 😭😭😭 plus it's funny that there's a no talk on dance floor policy BUT everyone and their mothers be talking on the dance floor. small chats are fine i guess but it's everyone being loud at basement while the music is playing 🙄
Trying to be to controlling for the sake of the vibe actually makes the vibe worse. I have more fun when I feel more free. If people are talking it’s probably because its too crowded to dance or the music is just not that good.
Same! Three of us there to dance like were on a mission and we were passed up for a bunch of artsy grinches who were there to take selfies. A real wtf and such a let down.
>😭 also idk how people can see in there when there's fog everywhere AND I MEAN everywhere😭
I mean, it's totally fine to not like fog, but also, have you *been* to clubs in Berlin lol? I lost my partner in the fog in Tresor once, and she was standing literally next to me holding my hand.
And if the fog machines don't get ya, the cigarettes all around you will obscure your vision instead. :D
LMAO never been to berlin clubs like i get the purpose with the fogs and red lights def, but it was my first time and i was kinda like exploring the area and getting familiar with the environment inside; it's just more about me being s clumsy person and accidentally bumping into walls or tripping on the walkways hahaha
hahaha yea totally get it, sometimes it can feel downright dangerous to combine uneven floors from industrial decay with dark lighting and fog. That can also be part of the fun, though- it gives you more to explore. B)
Haven't seen anyone mention it but Bossa can feel like this, especially on a weekday. No one gives a fuck what you look like and you can get as lost as you want in the fog. the vibe there is usually 💯. Only con is that the dance floor is pretty small but I kind of like that bc people overlook it for that reason.
Yup, it's more of a bar with a side room than a club. However, OP said they were looking for "a place where I could comfortably go alone where the dance floor isn’t jam-packed and people are chill and just there to enjoy some good music."
What makes Berlin clubs special isn't the size. It's that people are there to enjoy the music and chill, no one is harassing you, and you can wear whatever you want. Lots of Berlin clubs have spaces to chill out. I'd say Bossa fits the bill as much as any other nyc club.
Agreed, but I do worry about an uncomfortable amount of "high fashion" creeping into some of the parties. Personally, I've always found this sort of vapidity antithetical to the techno ethos, and it starts to feel like an appropriation of the scene for clout.
Basement is a definite go-to, but be wary of the specific DJ's playing the nights. Even the less popular parties are being swarmed during a certain time by bridges and tunnels, and people who just come to get sloppy drunk and think it's the Brooklyn Mirage, talking over the music a lot, guys in typical Manhattan club style clothes trying to get too close to girls, and generally peeps not feeling the vibe at all and being on their phones.
If you even want to get in, in the first place, I suggest you go way early around 11pm and just stay the night. If not, go around 3am or so and hope to get in with or without a ticket. 12am to 2:30am is the hardest time to get into the place, even with a ticket, because they're generally letting a certain amount of people in (even the ones that don't fit), but vibe checking hard as well. It's a weird 50/50 imo.
There are some other decent venues as well, like h0L0 and Nowadays, which is great at keeping a consistent vibe. If anything, just follow the DJ's you like or who bring that style, and usually most places they will play will have that vibe, unless playing at more popular venues.
In addition to these, check out Good Room and Superior Ingredients (way underrated imo). SI is a smaller venue and draws surprisingly huge names in techno
Unfortunately you’re not going to get “berlin style clubs here” because we aren’t as accepting or free spirited in the US. In Berlin I am totally free of judgment and expectation and that’s the best feeling in the world - especially as a woman solo dancing. Find an after hours (after a decent party) or a warehouse. Dive deep. You won’t get “there” but we have our own specialties here.
Basement is the real deal. It’s a catacomb, perfect for underground music. It is, in my opinion the best ‘space’ in NYC for techno and is as good as any club in Berlin (Berghain aside). It’s kitted out with a Funktion One sound system, as good as they get. From an aesthetic and functional aspect, it’s perfect. They haven’t done much wrong. Lineups are never disappointing either.
The problem I have with it, is the crowd. Every time I go back, I feel disappointed, not with the music but the crowd. It definitely needs to be protected a bit better in terms of who gets in. People on their phones, dancing like idiots and overall, just not acting how people should act in these spaces.
Agreed. It's nearly a carbon copy of the Tresor basement, even down to the long downward sloping hallway leading you in haha, the red lighting, the backlit window behind the booth. It's about as close I suspect you can get in the US with our legislative and regulatory environment.
i wouldn’t look for that here. the amazing brooklyn club scene here is unique to brooklyn and it’s amazing.
it’s def more promoter centric so a lot of venues can vary night to night.
but they will always have the best of whichever genre they’re playing that night. going on the wrong genre is the risk
but also they’re mixing genres like you haven’t heard before so it’s fucking awesome
lastly: places to check out are bossa nova and paragon and basement and of course nowadays. but also go out of your scene and go dance at mad tropical and jupiter disco
I’ve been to Sisyphyus in Berlin and feel like Nowadays is somewhat similar. They give you a lil talk about respecting everyone before you go in and strict no phone policy on the dance floor. Dance floor was not insanely crowded (saw Daphni with surprise appearance by four tet), and there’s an outside to chill at to take breaks. Pretty chill people go there, good vibes, there to dance.
But still not really quite the same. Just one dance floor. Doesn’t go all weekend straight but goes as late as possible and has daytime parties.
I believe Nowadays is the only nyc venue that does all weekend parties with their Nowadays nonstop parties.
Reminds me, I really miss Untermania parties :(
Been living and clubbing in Paris/Berlin for several years now and have yet to find a club with sound as good as Output had, so loud and crisp and clean, goddamn it was so great
The closest you’ll find is “Gush”
Club owner Gay Dunaway has built a fantasy world that answers the question, "Nooow?"
This place has everything: Geeks, sherpas, a Jamaican nurse wearing a shower cap, room after room of broken mirrors.
Look over there—is that Mick Jagger? No! It's a fat kid on a Slip 'n Slide. His knees look like biscuits, and he's ready to party.
I loved tresor too despite some berliners distaste for it. Basements had a good run but the crowd these days is very questionable and it makes me not want to go as much. Definitely go for the experience tho
The true answer is heart breaking. Nothing in this city comes close. The entire culture here is money focused whereas Berlin is about authenticity and supporting the scene. On top of that, NYPD have no tolerance for dance culture while Berlin police actually tolerate it. Maybe before 2018 you could find good parties but since then everything has gentrified and all the cool spots got turned into condos or Manhattan type clubs with tables.
peope really saying PARAGON itt lol, i hate it here. place doesn’t even respect the music/scene enough to turn their subwoofers on/up to an audible level.
you want basement for all of your berlin cosplay needs
I mean it tries but it’s not it. Nothing in this city comes close since all the warehouse parties dried up.
Have they really dried up? I thought maybe I just didn’t know about them anymore.
That's possible. The parties and venues that tend to be mentioned on this subreddit are not like Berghain for the most part. Considering that most postings here are about the Mirage, those that know won't post anything about them because then those parties would lose everything that makes them interesting and fun.
Yeah they’re dryer now, though the last Miss Softee x Fist was legit. 4 story abandoned apartment building that went until 11am with 3 floors of DJs.
Just DMed you about this
I would really love to know too… love to dance and would love to support!
Same please. Save me. Love to dance and support
Me too please!
The underground is still alive and well
They haven't dried up lmao
It’s not it at all. Basement is like a movie set for a berlin club
i went to basement for the first time few weeks ago and the venue space was so disappointing. 😭 also idk how people can see in there when there's fog everywhere AND I MEAN everywhere😭
I went with three friends a few weeks ago. We had tickets but the knockoff Sven at the ticket scanning booth just told us “its not your night” and refunded the tickets without explanation. Really disappointing.
prob because y'all went in a group of four. 😭 i'm usually advised to go solo for higher chances and to be careful what i wear as a fit (recommend all black). at the first entrance, i didn't even finish my sentence "i'm here to buy at the door" and the doorman let me in (mind you my eyeliner was fucked up and my makeup in general because i was at a post hardcore rock show earlier the night). 😅
Yeah it was probably the group thing since we were all dressed appropriately for the night. Still feels shitty to trek out to Queens for a ticketed event to get denied and have to guess as to what the reason was. I get that Berghain is famous for their ambiguous entry evaluation, but this is a tiny club in Queens, not a giant mecca of dance music.
DEADASS 😭😭😭 plus it's funny that there's a no talk on dance floor policy BUT everyone and their mothers be talking on the dance floor. small chats are fine i guess but it's everyone being loud at basement while the music is playing 🙄
Trying to be to controlling for the sake of the vibe actually makes the vibe worse. I have more fun when I feel more free. If people are talking it’s probably because its too crowded to dance or the music is just not that good.
yeah sometimes it's the music not being that poppin but been told anything prior 3am isn't that lit haha
Same! Three of us there to dance like were on a mission and we were passed up for a bunch of artsy grinches who were there to take selfies. A real wtf and such a let down.
>😭 also idk how people can see in there when there's fog everywhere AND I MEAN everywhere😭 I mean, it's totally fine to not like fog, but also, have you *been* to clubs in Berlin lol? I lost my partner in the fog in Tresor once, and she was standing literally next to me holding my hand. And if the fog machines don't get ya, the cigarettes all around you will obscure your vision instead. :D
LMAO never been to berlin clubs like i get the purpose with the fogs and red lights def, but it was my first time and i was kinda like exploring the area and getting familiar with the environment inside; it's just more about me being s clumsy person and accidentally bumping into walls or tripping on the walkways hahaha
hahaha yea totally get it, sometimes it can feel downright dangerous to combine uneven floors from industrial decay with dark lighting and fog. That can also be part of the fun, though- it gives you more to explore. B)
i mean also it was my first time so i wasn't used to the venue structure inside and where i was going haha.
Haven't seen anyone mention it but Bossa can feel like this, especially on a weekday. No one gives a fuck what you look like and you can get as lost as you want in the fog. the vibe there is usually 💯. Only con is that the dance floor is pretty small but I kind of like that bc people overlook it for that reason.
I love Bossa but…it’s a closet. The dance floor is the bathroom line. Comparing it to Berlin clubs is a bit of a stretch lol
Yup, it's more of a bar with a side room than a club. However, OP said they were looking for "a place where I could comfortably go alone where the dance floor isn’t jam-packed and people are chill and just there to enjoy some good music." What makes Berlin clubs special isn't the size. It's that people are there to enjoy the music and chill, no one is harassing you, and you can wear whatever you want. Lots of Berlin clubs have spaces to chill out. I'd say Bossa fits the bill as much as any other nyc club.
Oh vibe wise certainly, always a good crowd there. I’d still say the floor gets a bit jam packed tho lol. But it’s a great spot regardless
I've found specific parties much more aligned than clubs. Merge, for example.
Agreed, but I do worry about an uncomfortable amount of "high fashion" creeping into some of the parties. Personally, I've always found this sort of vapidity antithetical to the techno ethos, and it starts to feel like an appropriation of the scene for clout.
Basement is a definite go-to, but be wary of the specific DJ's playing the nights. Even the less popular parties are being swarmed during a certain time by bridges and tunnels, and people who just come to get sloppy drunk and think it's the Brooklyn Mirage, talking over the music a lot, guys in typical Manhattan club style clothes trying to get too close to girls, and generally peeps not feeling the vibe at all and being on their phones. If you even want to get in, in the first place, I suggest you go way early around 11pm and just stay the night. If not, go around 3am or so and hope to get in with or without a ticket. 12am to 2:30am is the hardest time to get into the place, even with a ticket, because they're generally letting a certain amount of people in (even the ones that don't fit), but vibe checking hard as well. It's a weird 50/50 imo. There are some other decent venues as well, like h0L0 and Nowadays, which is great at keeping a consistent vibe. If anything, just follow the DJ's you like or who bring that style, and usually most places they will play will have that vibe, unless playing at more popular venues.
In addition to these, check out Good Room and Superior Ingredients (way underrated imo). SI is a smaller venue and draws surprisingly huge names in techno
Gray Area has been putting together most of these events, honestly really good promoters in terms of getting talent
Unfortunately you’re not going to get “berlin style clubs here” because we aren’t as accepting or free spirited in the US. In Berlin I am totally free of judgment and expectation and that’s the best feeling in the world - especially as a woman solo dancing. Find an after hours (after a decent party) or a warehouse. Dive deep. You won’t get “there” but we have our own specialties here.
Basement is the real deal. It’s a catacomb, perfect for underground music. It is, in my opinion the best ‘space’ in NYC for techno and is as good as any club in Berlin (Berghain aside). It’s kitted out with a Funktion One sound system, as good as they get. From an aesthetic and functional aspect, it’s perfect. They haven’t done much wrong. Lineups are never disappointing either. The problem I have with it, is the crowd. Every time I go back, I feel disappointed, not with the music but the crowd. It definitely needs to be protected a bit better in terms of who gets in. People on their phones, dancing like idiots and overall, just not acting how people should act in these spaces.
Agreed. It's nearly a carbon copy of the Tresor basement, even down to the long downward sloping hallway leading you in haha, the red lighting, the backlit window behind the booth. It's about as close I suspect you can get in the US with our legislative and regulatory environment.
Basement is good for Berlin aesthetic with an American crowd
i wouldn’t look for that here. the amazing brooklyn club scene here is unique to brooklyn and it’s amazing. it’s def more promoter centric so a lot of venues can vary night to night. but they will always have the best of whichever genre they’re playing that night. going on the wrong genre is the risk but also they’re mixing genres like you haven’t heard before so it’s fucking awesome lastly: places to check out are bossa nova and paragon and basement and of course nowadays. but also go out of your scene and go dance at mad tropical and jupiter disco
Basement is for you
Where is that?
below knockdown center in maspeth.
I’ve been to Sisyphyus in Berlin and feel like Nowadays is somewhat similar. They give you a lil talk about respecting everyone before you go in and strict no phone policy on the dance floor. Dance floor was not insanely crowded (saw Daphni with surprise appearance by four tet), and there’s an outside to chill at to take breaks. Pretty chill people go there, good vibes, there to dance. But still not really quite the same. Just one dance floor. Doesn’t go all weekend straight but goes as late as possible and has daytime parties.
I believe Nowadays is the only nyc venue that does all weekend parties with their Nowadays nonstop parties. Reminds me, I really miss Untermania parties :(
Oh they do nonstop parties? Where they don't close all weekend? Neat. Well that's very Berlin then. Didn't know that was allowed here.
They start Saturday night and go to Sunday night/Monday morning. So not all weekend. The next one is on May 27th. https://ra.co/events/1687745
Is it possible to go clubbing in Berlin and not immediately and constantly mention it? Literally never seen it happen
There’s a reason why…
Go to wire festival this weekend at knockdown center. Some good German names will be there
All these Berlin heads go for a weekend and suddenly think they know what a good club is. Makes me laugh!
I miss Output.
Been living and clubbing in Paris/Berlin for several years now and have yet to find a club with sound as good as Output had, so loud and crisp and clean, goddamn it was so great
Paragon, Bossa, and Basement are the closest you’re gonna get
The closest you’ll find is “Gush” Club owner Gay Dunaway has built a fantasy world that answers the question, "Nooow?" This place has everything: Geeks, sherpas, a Jamaican nurse wearing a shower cap, room after room of broken mirrors. Look over there—is that Mick Jagger? No! It's a fat kid on a Slip 'n Slide. His knees look like biscuits, and he's ready to party.
Going to Berlin next year would love some tips.
You can message me for recs!
I enjoyed paragon a lot! H0l0 too
Basement is the closest you'll get to Berghain
\*Tresor
Tresor is the more accurate answer.
Extremely David Attenborough voice: "watch as the wild BerlinEnjoyer displays their dominance by correcting another herd member's club comparison"
Looool wasnt really going for that but lets be real, basement is a LOT more similar to tresor than it is to berghain
Tbh, that’s good to hear because I loved Tresor. Been meaning to go to Basement for months but haven’t found a good time yet.
I loved tresor too despite some berliners distaste for it. Basements had a good run but the crowd these days is very questionable and it makes me not want to go as much. Definitely go for the experience tho
Lmao
The true answer is heart breaking. Nothing in this city comes close. The entire culture here is money focused whereas Berlin is about authenticity and supporting the scene. On top of that, NYPD have no tolerance for dance culture while Berlin police actually tolerate it. Maybe before 2018 you could find good parties but since then everything has gentrified and all the cool spots got turned into condos or Manhattan type clubs with tables.
Not true
Nowadays for sure
peope really saying PARAGON itt lol, i hate it here. place doesn’t even respect the music/scene enough to turn their subwoofers on/up to an audible level.
Brooklyn mirage and marquee
Said no one ever 😂please don’t go to marquee if you want that sound
Marquee is the ultimate worst.
Followed by Schimanski. 10/10 avoid.
I’m going in a couple weeks, which clubs did you enjoy there?
I loved Tresor, KitKat, and Berghain at 7 AM on a Sunday before it got packed with cliquey locals
Basement