Despite its recently-adapted kinder, gentler image, New York City still crackles with electricity beneath its polished façade and at its frayed outer edges. Here, thrills exist in the moment secrets are revealed and brushes with danger are narrowly avoided. Though common sense says to tread the familiar and keep on the sunny side, this is hardly a recipe for excitement. Instead, why not turn left when you always make a right or stay up late in a dive where nobody knows your name?

You don’t need to be on the lamb from the law to enjoy the city’s seamier side, just have a good imagination and a sense of adventure in your hidden holster. Let psychoPEDIA's romantic vision be your guide while appealing to your inner private eye or femme fatale at these places:

PDT (Please Don’t Tell)
PDT’s reservation number might not be under wraps, but there’s still an air of intrigue associated with ducking into a phone booth only to emerge into a dimly lit speakeasy in back. Modern takes on classic cocktails are the true operatives at work, eschewing any attempt to keep their mission hush-hush-- namely, to get patrons drunk. If you need a quick antidote to your blurred vision, order one of the delicacies off the Crif Dogs menu and watch for it to be delivered through a small slot behind the bar. Just make sure to follow the posted rules of etiquette or the stag head hanging as decoration might wind up in your bed.

Smalls
Descend the steps into the subterranean depths of this a jazz club gem and let yourself be swept up by the sounds. The venue exudes a bohemian charm with its menagerie of mismatched chairs, colorful staff, and photograph of a young Louis Armstrong grinning over the proceedings from the back wall. Smalls offers an intimate setting to watch the spotlight of young musicians and older impresarios plying their craft every night. With a single cover charge good for the entire evening, you can come early and stay late as jam sessions often blow on into the wee hours.

Circa Tabac
What better way to obscure your face from prying eyes than in a cloud of smoke while nestled into a corner booth in the back? Cigars and cigarettes provide the cover at this Soho lounge with a nod to a vanishing era of indulgence and extravagance. Here you can legally light up in the company of your fellow conspirators without fear of having to sacrifice your seat or run from the cops. And while you’re at it, why not feed your unhealthy desires by partaking in the heart-clogging deliciousness of the bar favorite-- filet mignon on a croissant.

Cordato’s Deli Bar
94 1/2 Greenwich St.
With the stock market taking a plunge as of late, life on Wall Street is more stressful than ever. Though it may not be the Great Depression Part II, we can still pretend can’t we? Walk past the pizza ovens to a beat up door in the back of Cordato’s and prepare to enjoy your lunch hour by satisfying an appetite, in the form of an afternoon lap dance. And if you’re still hungry on your way out, we hear the food is not too bad either.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Even during the heart of the day, the world’s largest cathedral casts long shadows-- all the better to go slinking around in. With imposing Gothic features that vault to 162 ft. at their highest point, the building silently watches over the neighborhood of Morningside Heights far below. The structure is flanked by impressive grounds where a collection of peacocks, whose feathers are said to contain the “eye of god,” roam freely, along with a non-sectarian sculpture depicting the struggle of good and evil. So if you decide to keep up with your life of crime, the least you can do is counteract it with the absolution being offered inside.

Employees Only
In a move meant to evoke the disappearing mystique of the city’s gritty side, the front of Employees Only is made up to look like the den of a gypsy fortuneteller. Assuming fate is on your side-– some of the doormen can be real heavies-– once through the velvet curtains, you’ll be greeted by a warming glow and well poured concoctions at the bar. On cold nights, a fireplace adds to the ambiance, while spring is harkened by the opening of the outdoor patio. The furtive feel of this space is enough to make you nostalgic for the Prohibition era.

The Rainbow Room
Experience glamour the way Nick and Nora Charles would have, by stepping into a bygone era 64 floors above the chaos of the streets. The Rainbow Room pays homage to old school New York with its classic trappings and panoramic views of the city that are best enjoyed at night. Let the champagne transform that steely glint into a carefree twinkle as you glide out over the languidly revolving dance floor to tunes performed by a tuxedoed Big Band.

Doyers Street, Chinatown
Wander through this secluded block after dark when the storefronts have been shuttered and the din has died down to a murmur. Do your best to avoid the halos of streetlights, while checking over your shoulder to make sure you weren’t followed to your clandestine rendezvous. According to legend, Doyers’ twists were intended to keep straight flying ghosts from penetrating the center of Chinatown-- apropos, considering the street was later dubbed the “Bloody Angle” for its violent history. A network of underground tunnels still connect its buildings-- perhaps you’ll even discover an entrance while grabbing a bite at the eponymous basement restaurant located at number 11.

Greenwich Village Hideaways
Standing in stark contrast to the city’s grid structure, Greenwich Village is home to a maze of back alleyways and streets that can be difficult to navigate by daylight, yet once the sun sinks below the Hudson, getting lost becomes the whole point. Though no longer lit by gas lamps, this neighborhood defies time’s creep, whispering its secrets around veiled corners and beckoning from behind gates kept under lock and key-- making it the perfect setting for practicing the finer points of espionage. Should the life of an undercover agent not be your thing, grab a loved one, hold that person close, and take a midnight stroll along the brick lanes instead.

-Scott J Lachut


First photo by Stefan Falke via Flickr
Second photo, courtesy of PDT
Third photo, courtesy of Smalls
Fourth photo, courtesy of Circa Tabac
Fifth photo, courtesy of New York Magazine
Sixth photo by richdrogpa via Flickr
Seventh photo, courtesy of Chow.com
Eighth photo, courtesy of Bizbash.com
Ninth photo by Robert K Chin
Tenth photo, courtesy of Forgotten-NY.com