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What could the owners of trendy new Aer Lounge possibly do to set it apart from its meatpacking district competition? Cater to its patrons' vices, of course. Aer boasts what it claims is the city's first-ever smoking section since the 2001 ban (but haven't addicts been unremorsefully puffing away at Luke and Leroy, anyway?). The 11,000-square-foot venue promises an outdoor smoking veranda separated by a glass wall and outfitted with heaters, plush chairs, table service, and music. In addition to the veranda, Aer comes complete with all the elitist trappings you'd expect from a meatpacking district club, like a lower-level VIP area. You may not get into the members-only VIP room, but rest assured that in the smoking section, lung cancer won't discriminate. — E. J. Samson