Sapphire Lounge is one of the first DJ lounges to open in New York. It opened in 1979 (along with bOb, I believe). These lounges were the alternative to big clubs like Studio 54. Sapphire Lounge usually spins house, hip-hop, dance, and disco tunes. The party people start dancing around midnight. The dance floor is small - it probably accommodates 40 people at most. The bottles of beer are still $5 (same price back in 1996). And the crowd is a diverse mix of young and older, hip and square, good dancers and not. I love Sapphire because it is a club where you can be yourself and have a great time without having to deal with too many Bridge & Tunnel types. It's a New York original. A bar, a dance floor, and a couple of Technics 1200's. Doesn't get purer than that. The cover is usually $5, but if you are female and look prettier than Ugly Betty, then the fee is often waived.