Good Night on Low Expectations

It's well established there aren't many downtown strip club options, so it's fortunate NY Dolls isn't awful. After a fun night with some friends who went to bed early, I headed to a nearby pub. On my way, I was handed a "guaranteed" free admission pass to Dolls... and fate steered me in a new direction.

I've passed this place a bunch of times, yet somehow never drawn in. On this quiet late night, there was nothing to suggest it would be either fun or horrible. Looks like any club, from the outside. I didn't even have to hand over the admission card to the well-dressed doorman. I figured they were probably happy to have a customer at this hour. Surprisingly, it wasn't as dead as I expected. Inside is a long room, a bit brightly lit, with a bar all along one side, and a small stage at floor level on the other. There were a couple customers lining the bar, and some at the very few tables in the room.

The girls behind the bar were typically cold and business-like. Fine with me, as long as I get my drink. On the floor, a few dancers walked around. The scene was more like locals hanging out, probably because it was a Tuesday. I sat for a very short time before the parade of dancers asking to go private started. None were too rude or pushy, and I didn't feel bad saying no, or at least "maybe later." And no one was asking for much in the way of tips. The most aggressive was the one who repeatedly offered massage, but this was a kind of sweet and playful aggression that I didn't mind at all, again keeping with the chilled out vibe. Almost every girl that approached me was bone-thin Eastern European. I know plenty of dudes who are into that, but for me they were just not very exciting, and I was getting ready to finish my drink and go .