St Nick's Pub   

773 Saint Nicholas Ave
New York, NY 10031
212-283-9728

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For those in search of the lost Harlem -- and those who know that it never really disappeared -- St. Nick's Pub provides a crucial contour of the Big Apple's late-night terrain. With a legacy stretching back to the 1930s (former incarnations were The Poosepahtuck Club and Luckey's Rendezvous), this no-muss bar has served several generations of patrons from the Sugar Hill neighborhood and beyond. Today, as always, St. Nick's is best known as a peerless jazz haven -- even without the benefit of advertising or marquee attractions. Instead, the Harlem hotspot features a cadre of weekly performers, like saxophonist Patience Higgins, who plays with the Sugar Hill Jazz Orchestra every Monday night, and Bill Saxton, who plays on weekend nights. But the real magic, as any jazz fan will attest, tends to happen after-hours, when the featured bands yield the stage for an open jam session. Attend enough of these and you'll spot heavyweights like David Murray, Roy Hargrove and James Carter -- and, most likely, some unknown players who'll be household names soon. Wednesdays and Sundays are designated as singers' nights (moderated by Mintzy Berry); Tuesday, adult comedy night, is the club's only jazz-free day. -- Nate Chinen