Alex Sagalchik is an independent film producer and the founder of Mott Street Pictures. This is his take on four places he likes, and one place he doesn't.

The Identity Festival arrives just as a friend said to me, “There are no good festivals in New York this year.” Don't you just love it when that happens? This is a good one. Talent lined up includes DJ Kaskade, Steve Aoki, DJ Shadow, Booka Shade, and DJ Chuckie. The shin-dig will be at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach this coming Sunday, August 21. There are 3 stages; the Skullcandy Main Stage, The Rockstar Energy Drink x Dim Mak Stage and the Beatport Stage.

Here at BlackBook, we pay a lot of attention to where cool customers go out -- bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, hotels, you name it. So why not flip the frame and let you see where we go out? Here's a periodically updated, exhaustive list of hotspots currently favored by everyone at BlackBook, from the mighty bosses down to the humble interns, from the charming local lounges around the corner to the jet-setting temples of luxe living.

"This seems like one big Republican party," an unnamed guest with a distinct southern accent noted last night at The Gates. "Either that or it's a Yale reunion." Amid all of this week's summery soirees, I was most happy to find myself at UNICEF's Next Generation Launch Event. With Jenna Bush Hager as a committee chair, Grey Goose-sponsored cocktails, and Josh Madden playing DJ, this one particularly disinterested party guest could not sour the bunch -- regardless if the bunch was made up of Republican Yalies or not. The event was hosted by the members of UNICEF's Next Generation Steering Committee, a group composed 30 thirty young scenesters, including Barbara Bush, Lauren Bush, Maggie Betts, and David Lauren, who banded together to party for their very first initiative: Project Sprinkles, as they pledged to raise $175,000 for the program. Not to worry -- the program isn't raising awareness for your Crumbs habit, though the delicious cupcakes were passed at the event. These sprinkles are sugar-free and save lives.

Nick Mathers’ lounge Baddies, under Kingswood, is a step up from his ultra-small restaurant Ruby’s. I live in Nolita, surrounded by some pretty great places to catch a meal. Ruby’s is one of those joints that keeps me coming. In the winter it’s often so cold you have to wear your coat and sit by the pipe. I’ve seen my breath more than a few times. Yet there’s something about the place that makes me endure and indeed celebrate its smallness. Ruby's seats about 25 people, and that’s practically sitting on your neighbor's lap. Neighbor is the key word; you're made to feel like you belong, that it’s your neighbors and friends that you're eating with. Celebrities are a regular sight. I go for the best burger in town, the Whaley’s, or maybe the pasta or pear and walnut salad. I don’t’ think I've tried anything else, and I've been there a hundred times. Baddies and Kingswood bring that same casual friendliness. Everyone in town awaits the return of Beatrice and every hipster joint is declared its heir apparent. Baddies will do until the return of the baddest boy in town, my dear friend Paul Sevigny. Until then I'll be hanging with Nick Mathers and his mates.

It seems like slim pickings for a Tuesday party prowl. Perhaps many are in hangover recovery courtesy of their Friday to Monday weekend. Most are waiting it out for humpday. But as we anticipate a heatwave, these hot spots emerge. Break out of your comfort zone, put off buying that AC unit, and join the rest of the denizens of the anti-day scene.

I am deeply honored to be nominated by PAPER magazine for best nightlife blog. However, having already been honored as best nightlife blog by the Village Voice for 2008, I think it’s best that I withdraw and throw my support to another candidate. I have noticed the other bloggers nominated are campaigning, and feel I must spend my own energies campaigning for Barack Obama. I think the problems facing America far outweigh our little scene. I urge all my loyal readers to vote for Barack for President and Rachelle of Guest of a Guest for best blog. I would also like to nominate Brittany Mendenhall of Chichi212.com for Vice-Blogger. Thank you, and enjoy Part 2 of the conversation between myself, my editor Fernando Gil, and the Southside boys Anthony Martignetti and James Willis. (See Part 1 here.)

I live in Nolita but seldom hang in the neighborhood joints -- Southside may change that. Around the corner from neighborhood staple La Esquina, Southside is a smallish basement boite catering to a crowd that is mixed and mature. The vibe is just right; you walk in and feel a cool that comes from operators who aren’t forcing it. A well-dressed but casual Nolita crowd with fun music and a lack of pretentiousness sets this place apart from so many others. Owners Anthony Martignetti andF James Willis took a few moments to give me the full story on the joint, so here's Part 1 of the conversation; check back tomorrow for Part 2.

For a slice of New York that’s not all bright lights and tall buildings, get off the grid and spend a day in the West Village. The neighborhood’s former moniker, “Little Bohemia,” no longer applies (multimillion-dollar townhouses aren’t exactly anti-establishment), but relics of its former self still exist alongside stylish restaurants and boutiques. Bring a map; with an entire day to spare, we suggest getting purposefully lost.

Bartenders from all corners of Greater New York coalesced on the terrace of the Bowery Hotel last night to stir, mix, shake, and pour their way to a trip to New Zealand to compete in the 5th annual 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup. The beverage intelligentsia was brought in to judge the festivities, which included Mark Vaughn, Editor and Publisher of Sante magazine, and celebrity mixologist Brian Van Flanders. Drinks are judged based on execution, flavor, complexity and presentation.