Lowdown: This is Manhattanites' Friday night. Whipped has moved to Baddies, the hipster alcoholics moving closer to their hipster roots. Hot Now: ● CV (Lower East Side) - Something has finally been done with the over-saturated spot formerly known as 105 Rivington. Let's see how long this minor revamp will last. ● BEast(Chinatown) - Main Man, Ryan McGinley's night of debauchery, is still in swing. Expect a Misshape or two, Sophia Lamar, and a band of insiders. ● Coffee Shop (Union Square) - One of the true day clubs, chocked full of promoters networking via text message; the basement named USL will be making random appearances throughout the week. Avenue, Boom Boom Room and 1Oak are still great standbys for good times, while the down-belows like Macao's basement opium den, is also great. ● Baddies (West Village) - The former Butter party was screwed with until it finally flew the coop to the basement bar of Kingswood. Resident hipster DJs Matt & Maia draw out big name fashion folks like Alexander Wang and the Ronsons.

Dining might be the new nightlife, so then where does that leave nightlife? Could nightlife be the new shopping? Could it be still alive and well, and hiding behind a bandolier of dusty velvet ropes? Our dear Foster's existential breakdown and subsequent pocketbook damage got me to thinking about what everyone else (re: people with jobs other than chronicling New York nightlife) is doing with their free time in Manhattan. I cornered a Wall Street Dude, a New York Newbie, a Hipster DJ, a girl-about-town Socialite, a Fashion Intern, and a Lawyer to see what's going on behind our editorial backs. Turns out actually going someplace isn't a precursor for strong opinions, pro or con. For example:

On Friday night, my partner Marc Dizon, our design assistant Delia, and I traveled out to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, for a super-special VIP sneak preview of OPM, a joint we designed. The occasion was owner/DJ Johnny Versace's birthday bash and of course to let the Brooklyn Russians who will inhabit the place know that they're just about ready to rock and roll. Only there won't be much rock and roll, as the musical format was very different than what's offered in the Manhattan joints that I frequent. It was driving Russian house beats with lounge singers belting out love songs like Rod Stewart over top of it. The Frank Sinatra of Brighton Beach, Botsman, was crooning over these beats, and I insisted that no matter when it happens that OPM co-owner Oleg Vibe arrange for this guy to sing and MC my funeral services. Oleg gave me a big smile and said "that can be arranged," and I wondered for a second if he meant the singer or the funeral.

New York Fashion Week is just around the bend, launching February 13 and running through February 20. Despite cutbacks suffered on numerous fashion designers' fronts, there’s plenty to look forward to. New York's The Cut is doing its part, offering a roundup of the best parties slated to take place. My money for the most raucous is on Bblessing, Terence Koh, and Surface to Air’s fete at BEast this Friday night, Victor Glemaud and Camilla Staerk After-Party at Kowloon the same night, Trovata’s Ed Westwick-attended After-Show Soiree at Anchor next Tuesday, and, last but not least, model-turned-designer Erin Wasson for RCVA at Milk. After all, Wasson’s presentation/party last NYFW included both NYC firemen and free tacos.

Chinatown is blowing up with new clubs and sweet restaurants. Here's our version of a night out in this hood: