There are only so many hours in the day to live your life before you go to bed, only to wake up and do it all over again. But every once in a while, when the planets align and that cute stranger you’ve had your eye on smiles at you from across the room, you’re just not ready to go home yet. Even in a city as big as New York, once the bars close, what are the after-hours options?

Sure, you could spend the rest of the night wandering around inside bodegas, but it’s too easy to get waylaid in the snack aisle. Maybe you’d rather ride all the subway lines instead–- giving out grades to every station, until you realize that there are only so many D’s in the alphabet.

So allow psychoPEDIA to guide you through the dark. Before you know it, you’ll be watching the sun peek above the horizon and you haven’t even slept yet.

Juvenex Spa
Women only, 7am–7pm; Co-Ed, 7pm–7am
After a long night spent hoisting pints, even the most seasoned lush’s arms get tired. Instead of waking up with sore muscles, stumble by Juvenex Spa and have that excess alcohol massaged away. For an extra $35, take their Jade Journey to rejuvenate and detoxify in a series of saunas and Japanese-style soaking tubs laden with good things like sake, ginseng and seaweed. That said, we recommend you don’t drink the water.

NYSC
3 all-night locations
Even though you walked back and forth between the bar and your table at least 15 times tonight, can you really call that exercise? No one says you can’t continue your life of excess, but all those extra carbs have to go somewhere. With three 24-hour locations in Manhattan, you can sweat the guilt away at NYSC with the added bonus of already numbing the pain – until the next day. Though the chances of falling off a stationary bike are pretty slim, we can’t say the same for the treadmill.

Apple Store, 5th Ave @ 59th St.
24/7
Tired of the throngs of tourists cramping your iLife-style? Why not sidle on up to the Genius Bar late-night (reservations required) for a couple free shots of tech advice at the 5th Avenue branch of the Apple Store. While you’re there, you can buy the all the latest accessories you’ve been coveting. And when the credit-card bill comes, blame it on the drinks. Just don’t take your purchases out of their boxes before you get home, because the stairs can be downright tricky.

Karaoke Duet 35 and Karaoke Duet 48
Fri and Sat until 6am
Getting up the nerve to perform in front of people can take hours, not to mention plenty of liquid encouragement. At both locations of Karaoke Duet, you can prime your vocal chords all-night and sing until 6am (Fri-Sat only). Private rooms go for $8 per person, per hour, and most people probably won’t remember how bad your voice is the next day. Besides, your slurring rendition of the latest Britney Spears song sounds much more authentic that way.

Liberty Inn
24/7
After a few too many, you and your new “friend” are going a bit too far with your PDA at the end of the bar. For once, you can heed all the comments offered by your fellow patrons and get a room, literally. At the Liberty Inn, you can get amorous with that special someone any time day or night. Three-hour stays start at $70, and to impress, an extra $15 gets you a 2-person whirlpool. Reservations are not currently accepted, so make sure to save their number on speed dial under “Love Nest.”

The New Fulton Fish Market @ Hunts Point
M-F, 12am - 9am
There’s nothing like the scent of fresh seafood in the morning. One whiff of the state-of-the-art facilities at The New Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx, and you’ll be setting sail for the tranquil waters of sobriety, sea legs not required. Bring a swashbuckling attitude along with your favorite eye patch to ensure you get the best price for the day’s catch.

White Castle 24 Hour Drive-Thru
All NYC locations 24 hours, all Manhattan locations 24 hours storefront only
As the oldest fast-food restaurant in the country, White Castle’s version of the “American dream” is square, steamed and packed inside a bun. Though it’s debatable what makes their “sliders” so delicious, at two or three bites apiece you can experience the tastiness by the case-full. With all the city’s locations open 24 hours, your journey there can be as epic as you want.

Club Shelter
Doors Saturday Night @ 11pm, open until Sunday Noon
If dancing conjures traumatic images of the hokey-pokey or “getting low” in a puddle of beer, then maybe you’re going to the wrong places. To recapture the underground vibe of NYC’s vanishing after-hours club scene, a pair of industry veterans opened Club Shelter, a multi-level venue that promises to keep the party going late Saturday, well into Sunday morning. Featuring homegrown talent and international DJs spinning an eclectic mix of sounds, you’re guaranteed to find a track that will have your inner Heathcliff Huxtable cutting some serious rug.

Veselka Diner
24/7
Whether sitting at the counter sipping coffee while chatting up the help or slumped over a plate of eggs in the back, few scenes evoke the essence of city life better than a 24-hour diner. Like the changing landscape of the East Village, Veselka has continually reinvented itself throughout the years. With a menu offering updated standards, along with Ukrainian comfort foods like handmade pierogis and stuffed cabbage, you’ll almost feel like you’re already home.

Conversations with Hot-line operators
24/7
Your booty call isn’t answering the phone at this hour so you’re feeling lonely. There’s no reason to fret, because somewhere in the world, people are awake and they want to talk to you! Even better, the whole conversation will be caught on tape, so they’ll have proof if no one believes them. In the process, you might wind up with a brand new car alarm or a deeper understanding of the Windows operating system. It’s easy, just start with 1-800 then fill in the rest, and who knows where on the map you’ll be calling.

-Scott J Lachut


First photo by shuggy via Flickr
Second photo courtesy of Juvenex Spa
Third photo by aloha_pineapple via Flickr
Fifth photo by geaphiles via Flickr
Sixth photo courtesy of Liberty Inn
Seventh photo via Librado Romero
Eighth photo by imnotthatclever via Flickr
Tenth photo by redxdress via Flickr