Friday

anight was one of those perfect New York nights. The kind where any and everything happened. The kind Sex and the City is based on.  The east side morphed into the West side, the early night kick-off-cocktail turned into endless bottles late into the night.  Velvet ropes meant nothing, the city was ours and as we teetered in sky high heels, shimmied in flirty dresses, tossed locks of hair as we danced without a care, the night went on until the first signs of day peeked out from behind the skyscrapers.  

Of course, I believe, everyone should have such a night and while you can never tell which will be a blaze or a bust until you're knee deep in the VIP section, you can go to all the right spots, tango with fate, and hope the city opens her arms and rocks you all night long.

10:49 I wobble through the LES, arriving at The Elizabeth for

a friends going away party.  She hasn't yet arrived, despite the party starting at 10.  Fashionably late entrances are excused when you're the hostess.  I sit at the bar, chat with friends, and scope the scene.  I haven't been to The Elizabeth before and as I sip my of-the-house cocktail, a martini made with fresh ginger and whole vanilla bean soaked vodka, I am already planning my return trip.  The party girl gets there, I mingle a bit, relaxing on the giant, leather-buttoned sofas and eventually make my exit.  I've got other stops to make.

12:10 My partner in crime for the evening and I break the velvet rope at The Eldridge and meet up with two of her friends-both well connected, both interested in buying us a few rounds, both love dancing.  And dance we did.  Around one, the red head DJ splits and a guy, DJ Jayceeoh, takes over, rocking everyone's body.  The whole lounge is packed, Tara, our cocktail server, keeps the drinks coming, and the music beats through the masses, causing the

room to pulse.  When Jay-Z's opening bars of NYC's anthem begin, the room erupts even louder and it's a moment where I'm so thankful I live in a city like this.  We are all New Yorkers and that's damn great.

1:45 Somehow, I wind up locked in the single occupancy bathroom with a dreadlocked, Lil' Jon looking guy and a petite hipster-type girl.  You can guess what they're up to.  I quickly use the loo (hey, I HAD to go), and hightail it outta there.

2:02 I realize I absolutely have to get over to Greenhouse as Solange Knowles is finally spinning there.  I've heard great things and I refuse to miss it.  Some other friends have since joined our crew and we tumble out of The Eldridge, hail a cab and whiz over to the west side. 

2:25 With minimal problems, we're granted access into Greenhouse and we are escorted passed a down-the-block line of hopefuls, who will most likely never get inside the grassy club.  The doorman shouts that the guest list is over, they're at capacity as we head inside.  Love it.

Somewhere around 3:00 We are safely tucked into a banquet with some other friends, enjoying bottle service and dancing on tables.  Solange is killing it, getting the crowd varying levels of "turnt up," playing the best hits, infused with old school MJ, reggae that makes everyone wind it up (including the Japanese tourists next to me-who

 

knew?), and a  quick tribute to Aaliyah.  Solange is adorable with a natural glow, a laugh and smile that are infectious and with each song she plays, you can tell she's really, really into it.  She doesn't just love the music, she lives it.  Eventually, she plops a white, knitted cap on her head, turns the "turntables" over to some guy DJ, and makes an exit with her entourage.  Solange may be leaving, but we're still in it to win it.

3:55 Totally partied out, my friends and I tumble out into the night, grab a cab, and head uptown.

4:20 Back to the original two partners in crime, my girly and I sit out on the stoop of her brownstone, having one of those conversations you can only have at 4am when you're inebriated in New York City.  We talk about the night, we talk about life, we talk about God, we talk about love.  We talk and talk until, finally, we remember our jobs that we must tend to in just a few hours.  We gotta attempt to sleep the liquor off before heading to work.

5:53 I collapse in bed, after tearing up a couple chicken wings that were hiding in my fridge, drink a bottle of water, pop an Aleve, and snuggle in with my pooch.  As I fall asleep, I see the sun coming up and I think about how great the night was, how great life is.  I love this city, but it is wrong about one thing, at some point it does sleep.  G'nite...