Urge Lounge

I don’t get all the negative reviews haha! I had a great time at Urge! My friend who loves ALL THINGS GAY chose this place for her birthday party. It’s quite skanky! But I loved it! I let loose and danced with my friends and placed dollar bills in waxed smooth-​skinned gay guys’ g-​strings dancing all upon me and shakin their thangs in my face. Granted, I was a little freaked out when a gay guy tried to KISS ME (I am a GIRL! that makes no sense!) but overall Urge is wild and really gay and really fun and really out there. The music is top 40 fun stuff. HAVE FUN!

You turned me out, you turned me on
And then you dropped me to the ground
You dropped a bomb on me.
Much like the Gap Band* in their classic hit of the same name, I’d like to say to Urge Lounge… You dropped a bomb on me!
I do not know what was in those gin and tonics, but merciful heavens they were strong! Kind of like a liquid IED!
Of places like this in the East Village, this one is less skeevy and filthy than the others. Good happy hour (two for one), nice bartenders, mellow crowd… you could do worse. Just be careful how much you drink or else you might feel like Osama at the end of «Zero Dark Thirty».
But next time I’m sticking to bottled beer, even if the selection is weak. I’m afraid of those gin and tonics because they went all «Hurt Locker» on me.
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*

No cover? Check.
Dark lighting? Check.
Blasting music? Check.
Overpriced drinks that you don’t really need? Check.
Dirty bathrooms? Check.
Ripped, oiled up bodies above eye level at all times? Check.
Just take this place at face value. It’s a place to go with your mixed group of friends at the END of your night when you’ve already had way too many drinks and your judgment has clearly left the building along with your cash. Urge is definitely not for the faint of heart as you might get a. groped, b. sucked on or c. spilled on. Spilled on with what? You don’t want to know. Just prepare to come out damp and/​or sticky in some shape or form. Once you leave, you should probably bathe yourself in Purell just as a precaution.
This is probably a given but bring yourself a handsome stack of singles. Your night will go that much smoother…
…which reminds me, not many of those boys wax themselves but dear God, you could grate a wheel of cheese off those abs. I. Love. This. Place.

My friends took me here last summer. It’s supposed to be a gay club, but it draws a very mixed crowd. Very crowded club at that. I say this because one of my other friends almost picked up a girl for himself.
The three stars is for the fact that the DJs don’t dance on the stereotypical floor. No Lady Gaga, or stuff like that. The night I went, the DJ was spinning a tune from the UK band Hurts. It’s slightly varied, but it’s still pop oriented.
The drinks are way too expensive though. Waaaaaaaaaaay too expensive. Still had a good time. Although I chalk that up to my company, and not the club itself.

i can describe Urge like this: a very loud, dark lounge that i’ve ever been to. I mean, it’s not that i got sooo excited, really. yes, they were playing hit sounds, but i wasn’t thrilled to be hanging here, especially by myself. New York gays can be too uppidy and too much. i could really care.less.
i guess i wasn’t socializing much, but if i do, it would be the same opinion. drinks was ok, too. strong but yea, price was so-​so. oh yea, the go-​go dancers looked like they were dancing for their college tuition. just saying.

As a straight guy if you ended up at this CR@P hole, you either took a wrong turn or are having a seriously interesting night.
F%*$ this place, I cant say that enough. F!@# dishonest piece of sh@t people run this place. I ordered 3 tequila shots and 1 bottle of water and the bill was 40 something I dont quite remember. I know I left a $ 50 dollar bill to pay and closed out my tab. I recieved my credit card bill and there is a $ 100 charge on there. F#$King @$$HOLES!!! Didnt even try to hide the fact that the charge is fraudulent, who the hell leaves exactly $ 100 on a credit card charge!!!

I am not entirely sure how I ended up here, but my time at Urge was nothing short of an adventure. Reminiscent of many random and particularly eventful evenings at similar venues in the Castro of San Fran, Urge on a Saturday night was a whole ‘nother kind of sausage fest of the East Village variety — darker than its posh Chelsea neighbors and certainly grungier than the Hells Kitchen glory hole in the walls.
It was crowded. Bumper to bumper, shoulder to shoulder, some random bead throwing, and an endless array of camera bulbs going off, all was missing was a Girls Gone Wild theme song and it could’ve been Fat Tuesday down in ‘Nawlins. A lot of dirty talk uttered in the crowd, a look of gazes through drunken staring contests, and a flow of gratuitous alcohol (among other things) kept the night going.
The first thing anyone will notice are the Coyote Ugly-​esqe troop of dancers shaking their assets (among other things) along the bar counter, often squatting to receive a wad of bills (among other things) as a tip. And by tip, I mean gratuity. Oh yes, the night is just getting started.
My group of happy men all toast to each other, but a little drama ensues. We’ve apparently invaded a «reserved» area and immediately invaded the adjacent couch to witness a Boy George lookalike get doused by flung martini and screams in a pitch so high, you’d think windows would start shattering. Before any giggling on my end could begin, Georgio gets jumped by two burly men who are calling him names. One by one, this high pitched speaker, martini soaked, British singer lookalike begins to whop each of these guys like it was child’s play — with a series of fast punches, shoulder throws, while screaming in a demonic, deep voice using words that rhymed with «Brother Tucker» over and over.
Eventually our brilliant fighter gets tackled by the bouncers and is dragged out of the club. Outside, with onlookers watching, Georgie puts both bouncers on their back and then does a rainbow snap in the process while calling them both something that rhymes with «rich class bros.» Watching him sashay his way back into the crowd was beyond amusing and dropping a total of 4 guys all 2x his size was straight epic.
This of course, could happen at any club in virtually any nightlife scene, but to see it all go down in a venue where the men are on top of the bar doing their best to pop their naughty bits is nothing short of impressive. While I may never have the «urge» to frequent this place, I know my first impression will be a hard one to gyrate … err… shake. Yes, shake.

What is with all these mopey, provincial queens, and even worse, straight girls, firing off negative drivel.
First off girls, you were clearly OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT.
For those who want an objective review, take note: Urge is pretty sweet.
First of all, to the standard of most lounges/​clubs it’s size, it realistically wouldn’t warrant two parallel, opposing bars, but guess what? It’s got ‘em.
Translation: It’s pretty damn easy to get a drink at your every whim. They also have two side-​by-​side men’s rooms and a coat check in the basement.
Great music! Consider the 80’s «Frankie Says Relax» feel, none of that Gaga/​Perry overplayed garbage.
You know what else sells this place? Not only are the bartenders on their game and friendly to a fault, but I left my debit card and ID there for 5 days (Fail) and got it back no questions asked, or with the 20% adjusted interest rate most bars would have charged me.
Go to URGE, have fun, make some friends, experience a true gay bar.

As we know I was born and raised in NYC and have been coming to URGE since forever. I kinda loved that it was a little dark and dank with a circular bar.
To be honest I don’t know know if taking over the next door space was good or bad. The vibe is kinda the same but not… if that makes sense. The music is still hot though.
I think I need a new URGE night out, gogo boys, dollar bills, dancing and all to be convinced.
But I’ll tell you one thing… this is one of the last original east village gay institutions that still keeps it real! So I will forever support!
Deliciously Living,
Michael Muñoz

Music was bad. I tried getting into the dancing spirit but it didn’t work.
Everything else was just okay. The Go-​Go dancers throws off the place’s classiness.

I’m not sure I can say much more than a few words about Urge or that I even want to but I’ll give it a shot…
Expect to experience the following within the first few minutes of your arrival:
* Smells of sweat and other bodily fluids
* Puke (hopefully on someone other than you)
* A good laugh over one or more people falling down
* Naked men
* The sad air of desperation
* The instant desire to take a hot shower
It can be a fun time if you’re with the right people as long as you make sure to go into it fully aware of the above.

It occurs to me that I’ve never reviewed Urge. While I’ll admit that it’s been awhile since my last visit, I went enough during my early months in the city that I feel pretty comfortable talking about it now (without returning). I’m also pretty sure nothing is new there. So there’s that.
People have commented in all the reviews that Urge is dirty, or feels dirty… I think that’s kind of the point. It’s supposed to fall more under the category of «sleazy gay bar» rather than «dive gay bar» (like Phoenix, Nowhere, or The Boiler Room). Urge opens before long before The Cock starts accepting visitors, and is really a staging ground if you want to head over there and try your luck later in the evening. Or if you just want to have drinks with friends in the area– Urge works really well as a group place, while The Cock totally and completely does not.
I still tend to like the former Dtox/​now Woody’s location right next door, but the fact that this place has no cover, too makes it just as appealing for me. It also helps if I’m in a sleazy mood I guess (which maybe explains why I haven’t been there recently). The go-​gos here are actually usually disappointing; very little dancing, and they usually look like they are on steroids (in a bad way). Drinks are also super expensive, but they sometimes show weird, eclectic things on their giant TVs.
I wouldn’t necessarily make a special trip to go here, but it’s nice every so often.

Ew no. Complete dive. Feels dirty and trashy. Cheap drinks — as in cheaply made too.
I’d avoid.

Everyone says that this place is fun and I can see how it would be. On a Sunday night this is what happened:
— great 2 for 1 specials, I had a huge glass of pinot noir and a dirty martini which was the grossest thing I’ve ever had but no fault of the bartender’s, it’s just how it’s made.
— funky red lighting.
— laidback peeps
— a black and white horror movie playing on the screens next to black and white pics of hot nude guys
— eclectic music
— random couple slow dancing to an oldies ballad

Crowded and hard to get a drink, the urge is a wooden wrap around bar on a raised floor. Beefy dancers walked around the bar top giving us something to gawk at and talk about. My friend straightlaced friendJohn was quit smittten with dancer Fernandos Argentinian muscles but didn’t quit get it when he wanted to «hang out» afterwards.

1. 2– 4 – 1 except Mojitos
2. $ 7 house rum & coke which was strong but not dangerously so
$ 8 wines
3. Accepts Visa and MasterCard
4. Have 12 different bottled beers (including Becks Dark which I have never heard of before)
5. Sell Magners Hard Cider which I have only seen sold at one bar in my life and it certainly was not a gay bar.
6. Played Lots of old music including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B (at 5:35 P.M. they played something a little more modern — Lost in Your Eyes by Debbie Gibson)
7. On the day I went (July 1) they still had New York Pride guides which I had never seen before except last week at Boiler Room.
8. The men’s room is downstairs and by downstairs I mean down a flight of steep stairs down to the lower floor which is very dark. The men’s room is itself consisting of a single urinal and a communal urinal. I’m surprised since many gay bars go out of their way to make sure the privates of one man are not seen by another unless they are encouraging public sexual behavior.

This bar is a complete dive and a complete mess. Just have those expectations going here. Having said that, this bar was one of my most fun nights out yet in the city.
This is a great place to come with friends for a sloppy yet fun night. The go-​go boys are mostly fun. The crowd is mixed plus a few trolls (which is what you expect coming here). I recommend grabbing a seat at the bar so that you can truly enjoy the night.
Some tips.
1. This is next to The Cock so you get some seedy people coming in.
2. Keep an eye on your things. Someone stole my jacket here.
3. Bring lots of singles.

It was a dark and stormy night. And just about the worst kind of bitter cold New York has to offer. But sometimes, the colder it is, the better it feels to be inside. And to be dancing. And not just plain rocking back and forth but letting loose till the wee hours of the morning.
I still think this was one of my most fun nights out. The go-​go boys were hilarious on the bar (except when you’re standing next to the bar having a convo with your friend, and suddenly you turn around to order a drink and the go-go’s package is in your face). The DJ was the best. A DJ who’ll play MJ songs in a row will always win my heart; a DJ who’ll accept all my outlandish requests AND have fun while playing them instantly is a five-​star chap in my book. Because after all, DJs are there to please the crowd (and me … mainly: P), not themselves.
OK, confession time: I requested Lambada (yes, the ancient hit) and Basshunter (yes, the eurotrash) — both of which got the crowd moving even more. Even the DJ started dancing with his girlfriend.
Too bad this place has gotten bad reviews. I understand the complaints (drinks too pricy for a casual bar, crowd not so swanky, too crowded and sweaty), but if you come here, you’re coming to dance and to have plain, unabashed fun. One thing’s for sure: A night at Urge will give you both.

Ever since the downstairs darkroom was boarded-​up a few years ago, this place has gone more and more downhill, it just can’t seem to get back into the swing of things.
I used to come here and the place was absolutely packed, always an amazing mix of hot go-​go dancers, hot boys, hot men, and of course a fair amount of Plain Average Joes just looking to have some fun… One time I was picked up by the two hottest guys in the whole world, they said «We want you but not your friend,» so I gave my friend $ 10 to buy himself a drink (as an attempt at reconciliation), then the three of us jumped in a cab and had an evening to remember… There are, of course, other stories to be told…
But now when I come here there’s inevitably some troll sitting right by the door who pounces immediately upon absolutely anybody and everybody that walks in. And once you’ve correctly answered his three riddles, you walk to the bar and then, of course, there’s inevitably some grumpy old gal who says something like «Where’d you just come from, baby? Let me guess, somewhere you think is real fancy, get over yourself, honey.» So you decide to buy a drink, and, «WHAT, HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY THAT DRINK WAS, FOR WELL VODKA?! Oh, what the hell, might as well» — it’s strong but nowhere near strong enough.
This week a friend and I walked in, there was some sort of Drag Queen bingo, the host (ess) was absolutely hammered smashed pissed black-​out drunk, s/​he was recounting some ridiculous tales which made absolutely no sense whatsoever and went absolutely nowhere — there were only a couple people in the bar… Tragic far beyond the point of Tragicomic.
Other nights I’ve visited here recently, there have been go-​go boys who are entirely too aggressive, and for some reason they all wear these ridiculously large boots, and they lift and flail their feet around so damn much that sometimes they actually and unapologetically knock over drinks without offering to replace them or even offering to help clean up the mess they created.
There are multiple TV screens that play random movies and music videos, but there’s never anything else here that captures my attention, so either I just go somewhere else or head home, where, thankfully, at least nowadays, things are a little less depressing.

I’ve got the uuuurrrrrge to Herbal for another half an hour.
No, seriously. After I visit Urge, all I want to do is stand under a scalding hot shower and rinse away the night. For more than just a half an hour.
I just don’t understand the appeal. The drinks are expensive, the crowd leaves much to be desired, the bathroom that isn’t private is cramped and gross, and, to add insult to injury, they stamp your hand, so that not only will everyone know where you’ve been, but you’ll have to fight really hard to remember to wash it off before you go to sleep.
As for the go-​go boys, I daresay: Whatevz. Listen, I can appreciate a barely-​clad gentleman dancing, but can I please sit at the bar and not be harassed to throw good money at you?
1. Please don’t knock my drink over with your big, military boots.
2. Please don’t stroke my ear and smile at me for cash monies. I gots bills, bills, bills to pay too.
3. Please stop taking Irish showers in Curve.
4. Please. Enough already. I’m bored. You all look the same.
Am I being too harsh? I guess I just have a problem with everyone being so transfixed by them. As if they’re Jesus himself and they can’t take their eyes off such a spectacle. What happened to nice, lovely, drunken conversations? Am I too much of a Miranda for this city?
Thus, I break down the two stars as such:
– 1 Star for seeing a guy fall down out of nowhere. Sorry I laughed.
– 1 Star for playing movies, which helps me focus on something else.