New York

Transcending the trendiness of hipster-saturated Williamsburg, Galapagos Art Space is an Eden of cultural miscellany, offering up a menu of karaoke, stand-up, burlesque, movie screenings, concerts, theater, and more. But it’s the Monday nights that provide the next stop on your journey of love. Hosted by the upbeat Desiree Burch (who herself often upstages the evening lineups), the SMUT series is an adults-only night featuring book readings, comedy, and the most bizarre of performance art. Scoot on over to the (cash only) bar, grab a cold one, and then compare the outlandish onstage stories to events in your own sexual past. You and your date can belly laugh the night away (laughter is a great precursor to more intimate pursuits) and perhaps even trade your own silly stories once the alcohol has loosened your lips. The openness and sex-positivity surrounding this weekly series is refreshing. Take advantage and add this to your foreplay regimen.

Photo:  Courtesy of Galapagos/Guillermo Castro

Galapagos Art Space, a neighbor-hood institution in the heart of Williamsburg, is more than just a barÑthough as a bar it does just fine, providing a cool and dark ambi-ence replete with a tranquil reflecting pool. ItÕs the events that take place on the venueÕs small stage that make Galapagos an interesting and idiosyncratic part of New YorkÕs lat-est ÒitÓ neighborhood. Movies of the sort that one would never see at the local art house, dance, alternative music, puppetry, karaoke, and even an amateur burlesque night are all to be found here. Irreverent, informa-tive, and always political, Galapagos is sure to do more than just entertain. On my last visit I learned about New YorkÕs Rockefeller Drug Laws while enjoying a hilari-ous reading from a local authorÕs book on drug reform. But the best thing about Galapagos is itÕs not complicated. If you want an intelligent night out that is somewhere between the production of Midtown theater and the ease of your local dive, then Galapagos is the place to go. You can check out their events schedule on their website, but if youÕre feeling carefree, then it is just as easy to show up. Let chance decide. Either way, Galapagos wonÕt disappoint.

Photo:  Michael Massmann