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Jazzheads' favorite haunts help determine their conception of the city grid. Uptown? Smoke. Downtown? Detour. It's unlikely that even the most dedicated fans, though, have this remote spot plotted on their mental maps. Situated on a run-down block in Alphabet City, 5C looks more like the health-food eatery it doubles as (blenders and fresh vegetables line the shelves) than like a jazz club. In fact, it brings in a number of avant-jazz's hottest players, including Charles Gayle, Andrew Bemkey, and Evans Thompson. And in keeping with 5C’s very Loisada locale, cover is kept low (never more than eight bucks). Best of all, 5C is a potent reminder of Avenue C's past at a time when many of its more homespun businesses are giving way to overpriced bars. Well worth amending one's internal gazetteer for.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Cheap Jazz (2004)