rendy bars in New York are a dime a dozen. If you’ve found a place that seems hip and popular, keep going for a few months and watch it disappear off the Richter scale of coolness (yes, that exists). Still, every now and then a new bar appears that will clearly remain a fixture on the New York club scene. It’s rare and requires a few key determining factors like location, design, and ownership to be right. Bowery Electric just opened up on Bowery Street (where else?) to a large crowd of cynical hipsters and it looks as though it just might have what it takes to stick around for a while.

The bar has a mysterious, window-free façade, which is the ultimate sign of a cool nightspot. Desperate bars will overwhelm the street with glowing neon signs struggling to grab you attention. The good ones are barely even noticeable. Knowing where they are is like a secret handshake that proves you’re in the scene. Bowery Electric might not be the most hidden bar in New York, but it certainly has the right look to appeal to a hip crowd. The suit-clad bouncer doesn’t hurt either. That’s just classy. There’s nothing like getting the shit kicked out of you by a guy in a suit. You almost want to say “thank you” when he’s done.

Inside, you’ll find a low-key design that recalls a simpler time. There are no aggressive themes or designs shoved down your throat. This is just a laidback rock bar that’s ideal for tossing a few beers back with buddies while enjoying some tunes. But that’s not to say that the Bowery is a dive bar either. No, it’s a nice middle-class nightspot that combines the relaxed atmosphere and reasonably priced drafts of a dive with the extensive wine and cocktail list of a more upscale local. So there’s something for everybody.

The Bowery isn’t the most popular bar in the city yet, but that’s part of the appeal. At the moment you can get into the place without hassle and soak up the atmosphere. A few months from now, when the lines stretch around the block you can laugh knowingly to your friends and say “yeah, I used to go to Bowery Electric till it got all trendy and boring.” Won’t that feel good? Won’t it make you feel cool? Then run over to the bar now and live it up while you can! -P.B.