Ten Degrees and Nublu

Last night, I hit five bars in a row and still managed to keep my sobriety intact by the time I got home at 5:35 AM. Two of the last places I went two are well-worth revisiting in this blog…

Ten Degrees is located on St. Marks between 1st and A, but closer to A… I met up with Chris and his friends – Sasha, Jauka, and Jonathan. I knew Chris from Baraza and we were supposed to just chill out someplace, but having entertained Andrew for much of the early evening, we couldn’t see each other until much later at night. So when his friend Jonathan invited him for a drink at their laid back wine bar, Ten Degrees, he decided to go. Apparently, Jonathan wanted to sort of set him up with Jauka and Chris felt really awkward about it, because he was wondering what would go through my head when I saw the four of them together… he’s so cute… needless to say, I rescued him from his friends and the said chick.

I really liked that place though because it was quiet enough to have a conversation with someone, but it doesn’t feel too high-brow/upscale nor does it have that café ambiance too it either. I think it’s a great place to take someone for a drink… while I didn’t venture to the back, it looked like there was an area for lounging…

Anyway, after we left, we went to La Linea because the last time I was there, the place was quiet enough for a talk and we really just wanted to talk… yeah, not the best idea to hit that place – Hip-Hop/R&B/Reggae/Mainstream Pop on a Saturday night… and it was very loud. I LOVED IT!!! But we couldn’t talk without having to scream at each other’s ear so we eventually had to ditch it.

On our hunt for another bar/lounge.. Chris mentions Nublu… a very low-key bar and lounge with live music. He told me that it’s difficult to find the place unless you know it exists because there are no signs outside, aside from a small blue light and a guy guarding the door… there’s graffiti all over the entry way, but once you go in.. it’s like an underground venue for up-and-coming bands.

There’s a small bar, affordable drinks, a clean bathroom (when I was there), a small makeshift dance floor by the entrance to the garden (which is supposed to be gorgeous earlier in the evening) and an area for a band. Last night, we had a drummer, a bassist, an electric guitarist, and a keyboard player… they played something that sounded like a blend of jazz, indie, and 70s American funk… it was incredible. I couldn’t get over how amazing this place was… I think it felt a little too surreal the entire time that I was there.

Chris was beaming that he found a place that amused me so much – haha. I really really want to go back to this place. It’s a great venue to hang out with a bunch of friends who are into the live bands. Think of the scene as a bunch of head-bopping, toe-tapping, low-brow yuppies taking over the floor. You don’t need to know how to dance to know how to follow the music at this place…

I couldn’t really google out a site – my apologies (that, and I’m rushing this because I’ve got salsa class in an hour).. but it’s located on Avenue C between 4th and 5th… just look for a small blue light… if you’re lucky, you might spot a crowd, which definitely makes it easier to find!