675 Bar - 675 Hudson St., b/tw Hudson and 9th Ave

Show up before 11pm and 675 Bar is a great spot to hang out and have a few drinks with friends or a few drinks to meet new friends. A warren of small rooms on your way-in leads you to the main room, which is a vague reminder of the frat section (where I went to school, there were no houses, only sections) but clearly NY, and clearly trying to provide a little ambience/environment. There's even the requisite pool and foos (foose?) ball tables, but no one's really playing as there's a DJ and real cocktails and a good-looking, well-balanced crowd. After 11pm, I fear there are a few people who still think this is the velvet rope club, that I never had a desire to check out: Level V. Kudos to BR Guest for acknowledging the operating environment and cutting their losses on a circa-early-naughties (that's 00s) club and creating a den/diningroom/frat-section/all around comfortable/appealing bar to hang out and have a few cocktails. Just depart before the clubbies start showing up.