From the Islands to The Island - The new week begins with yours truly finally home from all the overseas trips and conferences in NYC. While the former was relaxing, the latter is always fun, since I usually cop a great dinner compliments of my boss, plus get to hit The Scene with my homo friends in the City.

Fun with Hustler Boys - This year I expanded my exploration of gay New York with a journey to East Midtown haunts. (I took a circuitous trip by heading first to see Will's new neighborhood in the East 70's, which is fine if you want fratboy bars and not much else). Meeting up with another DC buddy Mike, the three of us ventured over to Oscar Wilde for -- like -- one half-second. The place was mostly empty, and a scary Latin drag queen was insisting that we three sign up for karaoke. (OW Bar, by the way, has nothing to do with the noted bookstore of the same name.) From there we crossed the street to Townhouse. Now I had never been in a "hustler" bar before, so that was pretty interesting to me, and no less so to Sam, Will's straight friend who lives nearby and also joined us. The place was 75% older gentlemen (say, 50+) of various ethnicities, and 25% thirty or under. While the ambiance was a bit yacht-clubbish, with wall-to-wall carpeting and oil paintings on the walls, the vibe was pure trading floor at the stock exchange. We only stayed a little while before grabbing a midnight dinner at Jackson Hole. (No, not a gay bar, but rather a mini-chain with awesome burgers).

Bowery Bohos and Backroom Shenanigans - Friday night was the night to go downtown, as the song says. But first I had a really nice (not to mention swank) cocktail hour drink-up with Chuck, my long lost buddy from high school and occasional B-haus reader. After that, and running late, I rushed to cab it down to 2nd & 2nd, in the Village, rejoin Mike and catch Will before his bartending shift ended at Urge Louge. Shortly after ten, we stopped by a burrito joint for some nourishment mexicana. Then Mike and I took our leave of Will, who was off to meet the boyfriend. From 2nd Ave. we made our way west to Bowery and that hopping new(ish) club, The Slide. This place was probably my favorite of the trip, with good music, an attractive crowd, and an unpretensious feel, despite its trendy best-of-the-neighborhood rep. I was quite willing to enjoy the blue-collar-ish B&Ts mingling with NYU-types and Soho twinks while grooving to some fine tracks. Upon taking our leave, Mike and I were initially destined for Opaline for some late night dancing when somehow we got -- ahem -- sidetracked. The Cock is certainly an institution -- some have called it the definitive East Village gay bar -- and where else could you expect good-looking twenty-somethings to spend five bucks to get into a grope bar with an old-school backroom? (When the police aren't raiding it -- talk about your throwbacks!) It's surely an interesting place to be after last call when the lights come up, but we ducked out just in time for some fantastic 4 a.m. pizza.

Until the last couple of years, I had always gone out to the usual Chelsea glitz clubs, but now having locals to guide me, I find I much prefer smaller clubs, many of which are on the east side. The places there tend to be a lot more laidback and comfortable, but certainly not down-market (unless that's what you are looking for). Dress tends to be more graphic tees and jeans than Kenneth Cole. Last year Mike and I hit Starlight and Phoenix, which are near each other along or just off Avenue A, after first venturing over to trendy Hell in the Meatpacking district. On my list for the future: I hear that Hell's Kitchen has some great places, like therapy, and I suppose it's remotely possible that I might actually find out what's going on in Williamsburg (the first stop of the cross-Village L line over the East River into Brooklyn) someday. But really, even going out until 5 a.m., I'm gonna need more time in New York to do all this exploring!