This city may be crawling with people, but that doesn’t mean it’s not damn near impossible to find someone you wouldn’t mind waking up next to sans beer goggles. But there’s good news on the hook-up front: V Day falls on a Saturday this year, so there’s no excuse not to get out to these tried-and-true hook-up bars. At the very least, you’ll get a thrill out of looking for new prospects while couples settle for some mediocre Black Saturday dinner.

Hudson Bar @ the Hudson Hotel

Union Pool
484 Union Ave. (@ Meeker St.)
Williamsburg 718.609.0484
Ok, ok, before you start some predictable rant about dirty hipsters and whatnot, consider that this bar is more about quantity than quality. Sure you’ll see your fair share of skinny jeans, but judging from the packed dance floor, everyone comes here to get down. If someone doesn’t approach you by last call, then it might be time to break down and try internet dating after all.

Dark Room
165 Ludlow St. (Houston & Stanton Sts)
Lower East Side 212.353.0536
The name says it all, folks, and doesn’t everyone look better in the dark? Have yourself a few cocktails and get ready to make some new friends. If you’re not so much into the B&T crowd (hey, we’re not judging, just sayin’), you’d be better off stopping by on a weeknight, when the crowd is a little more laid back.

Naked Lunch
17 Thompson St.(@ Grand St.)
SoHo 212.343.0828
We’ve got it on good authority that this is the place to get lucky (and has been for years.) Good looking peeps in their 20s and 30s fill the place up on the weekends for the music and for the scene of unpretentious, approachable singles ready to mingle. Get down on it!

One Little West 12
1 Little West 12th St.(@ 9th Ave.)
Meatpacking District 212.255.9717
We’d be remiss if we didn’t throw in a Meatpacking bar for good measure. This place can get a lot of hate, but we have to give it props for converting from a restaurant to a lounge. Yes, it gets crowded and the place is a little snug, but that just ups your chances of “bumping into” that cute stranger across the room.

Hudson Bar @ the Hudson Hotel
356 W. 58th St.(8th & 9th Aves.)
Hell's Kitchen 212.554.6343
Who doesn’t fantasize about having a rendezvous with some mysterious out-of-towner you meet in a hotel bar? Luckily the Hudson Bar is seriously swank, so the odds are stacked in your favor that you’ll be flirting with a high roller instead of some down-and-out backpacker.

~Courtney Stoutamire