I wanted to stay up in the “city that never sleeps”.  I relied on the New York Public Library and networking to help me discover my best options. A Musician friend told me about a couple of places he had performed at. I chose Silvana because its location on West 116th Street.  

During the day the street level storefront is a coffee shop and restaurant. In the evening, the door to the far left leads downstairs to a music haven open until 3:45 AM.

I arrived at 1:30 AM. The minute I stepped through the heavy black curtain at the bottom of the stairs, it felt as if I entered another world. It was cavernous and once my eyes adjusted to the low lighting, I saw tables were pushed aside to make room to dance.  Most of the room was filled with people who were doing just that.

I grabbed a beverage, met friendly people who encouraged me to dance and I did until 3:30 AM - when it was time for me to head to a nearby concert. I was urged to return the next time I’m in town and I know I will.

Link: http://silvana-nyc.com