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It’s possible that District 36 will grow up to be the 21st century’s answer to Danceteria. Like the legendary 80s discotheque, it seems ready for all the professional hedonism a New Yorker could hope for. The 14,00 square foot venue packs a sound-system that can be heard on the Richter Scale, with a top notch lineup of DJs like John Digweed and Mark Farina. There are floating projections, comet-sized disco balls, and printed walls that elaborately celebrate Manhattan’s storied night-life history, as well as a cushioned dance-floor that makes booty-shaking that much more user-friendly, and a sleek VIP area with bottle service. But this is Midtown, not the Meatpacking District, and there isn’t any secret handshake you need to know in order to get in. The bartenders are beautiful and – just as important – actually friendly. The bouncers look like pro-wrestlers, but they don’t interfere with anyone’s good time. The eclectic crowd looks more like they’re there to enjoy themselves rather than preen for the strobe-lights: tourists in polo shirts mingle shoulder-to-shoulder on the dance floor with gorgeous models. — John Wheeler-Rappe