Check it out ...

Basically PIAS is a small neighborhood nicely-appointed video poker bar with a few dancers wandering around. 180-opposite of a Vegas mega-club experience.

In one corner, management has wedged in a small dancing area with a pole, white plexiglass that is underlit and has some little Christmas lights around it.

I wandered in here on a weekday at about 5am. And on purpose. I figured this time and place was a better bet to have an edge and pluck some convo. And I was right. There was no door person and no attempt to pluck any cover charge at all. Three dancers were on duty. One seven, one six … and an much-older dancer who clearly had too many years of illicit, mind-frying substances in her history. She, of course, made the first move, and I shoo-ed her away. Though I had to repeat myself about six times for it to sink in.