• The Grand Bar & Lounge

  at the SoHo Grand, 310 W. Broadway, Second Fl., 212-965-3000

  There are newer hotel bars but not hipper. The problem with most is that they’re full of tourists. Here, iconic New Yorkers like Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen relax gawker-free amid a seen-it-all crowd. Summertime sees a grass-covered outdoor space opened as an annex, and during Fashion Week, the bar hosts shows featuring cutting-edge designers who are one or two seasons from the tent. The alfresco scene is tastemaker-casual: flip-flops, holey jeans, and $400 sunglasses.

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine