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Category: Dance Clubs [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Fashion District, Theater District42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
Times Square-42nd St (1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W, A, C, E)
Thu-Sat. 10:00 p.m. - 4:30 a.m.
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-sigh- What can I say. Korean bar, midtown, dancing, and more. I'm not sure what it is, but you tend to pay a premium while here.
We scheduled a large event here (did not make it exclusively our event, unfortunately) to start with an open bar for the first hour after 10:30p.
We arrive, set up, and a line forms... and a line stays. There were three bouncers, who kept order in the line fairly well, but somehow, the owner managed to only have one person working the coat check - which they required everyone to go through.
Here's a puzzle. One person coat checking for $4. Line with about 200 people. How long does it take to clear the line? More than an hour for some, I'll tell you that. And guess how long was happy hour? One hour. Some were decrying conspiracy. I wouldn't blame them.
People were unhappy and leaving the line at various points. At least half-way through they separated the line into girls and everyone else and let the frozen ladies in first. I blame the groups for not warning the manager of the volume and the manager for not staffing an extra person on coat check (or skipping it).
Once inside, a large dance floor, with the ice/snow/fog machine, loud top-40/dance/house/hip-hop music, and two bars on either side. A separate space upstairs for people to stand, and a slightly separated table area. DJ booth on a stage and above on third floor in the very top are, far back, security & DJ possible, too, I think. Bathrooms have attendants, and men's and women's are on separate sides around the back of the stage area.
DJs that night... okay. They played mostly popular or well-known music, but they had a habit of pausing the song now and again at strange times to interrupt the flow? I'm not sure why, but it was annoying.
Bars. Two on the main floor, one either side, both really long, and both, again, staffed with just one person each. That meant a _very_ long wait for getting any kind of drink whatsoever. At least the mixed drinks were strong, if expensive. For 8 bottled domestic beers, I shelled out $64, plus tip.
Which leads me to the prices... I guess ex-pat Koreans and Koreans alike here have more money or just don't care they spend more, because you pay a serious premium for getting in (cover from $10-20 just to get in, more if you're a guy), $4 for coat check, $8 for a beer, and $12-15 for a cocktail. Plus various tips and gratuities added to your bill automatically if you have a tab.
Scene is.... well, a bunch of Asian people, heavy on the girls inside if there's a line and they discriminate. Mostly Koreans. So it's fun if you can mix with that crowd, but less so if you're inclined to go find something more of a balance.
Almost all the staff I talked with, from bouncers to bartenders, were apologetic and friendly. Manager there that night... not so much. I suppose he can afford to be whatever he wants, though, so kudos to him for stripping people of all the consumer surplus they have with minimal complaint.
It's a love-hate relationship with this place.
You "hate" it but.... cant... stop.... going....back....
Damn, who am I kidding? I LOVE Circle!
Yeah, it's a place where FOBs go to feel like they're partying in the motherland, but honestly, there's nothing bad about that.
I must say though, a night at Circle is a night of guaranteed fun. The music is always good, the dance floor is fairly big, and sometimes they have this violinist girl come to perform at around 2am. She's freakin awesome.
Reasons why I'm rating this place a 4 instead of 5:
1. They used to give out warm fresh baked cookies at Happy Hr on Thursdays. BRING THEM BACK!
2. Coat check is $4 ... PER ITEM wtf
3. It gets ridiculously crowded at peak hours
Three reasons why I'm rating this place a 4 instead of 3:
1. The violinist girl -- seriously, shes awesome
2. Hot bartenders -- esp the blonde one!
3. Good music
this is what you new yorkers call a korean club? its pathetic! its so small! i expected something like what they have in Seoul... or even LA... but its nothing like it!! i didnt travel coast to coast for this crap.
girls here arent that hot either, but that could just be my elitist side talking. i know, im not so hot myself, but im not talking about me here. =P
I noticed the rating on this place is either you hate it or you love it. Weriddd~ Well luckily I enjoyed my night here lol so whoa ho ~!
My friends and I got in without a problem, got our coats checked and went straight to the bar lol Bar service was fast and efficient. Soon after a few drinks we hit the dance floor. The dance floor is definitely huge and spacious with 1 Trapeze dancer and 2 gogo dancers the night we went and of course the crowd was mainly Koreans ahaha no brainer...it is a korean club after all XP
They were playing the lastest Hip Hop , K-Pop and House and of course, when House started playing I stood there like an idoit =( ahahah off to the bar we go ! ahahah =x OMG ~!! Saw one of the hottest guy here !! ahahha Drools ~ he so fiinneee~ ahahah =x BTW while my date and I were dancing, why did this one guy just stood there in front of us a good portion of the night just staring at us wile we were dancing? o.O creepy~
All and in all, had a fun night hehe ^___^
Q: why can't we have korean clubs in SF? =( sniffle sniffle
As I sit here writing this review, I currently have an ice pack to my left foot that is bruised and swollen...probably from all the darn people who stepped on my foot!
When we arrived, we lined up to get in. If you're a group of girls you'll have no problem getting in since the bouncers frequently check out the line for groups of girls and when they see them, they usher them in. Since I was the only girl in a group of 4, I waited about 20 min. to enter and pay $20 cover.
The place has a large dance floor but it doesn't help the mass of people that are on it. And I mean MASS of people. When you're on the dance floor, it's like being in a sardine can and you're all up in other people's business which is why I've seen (and read) that guys are just grinding on a girl...that's because there's no space between you and another person so a guy can take advantage of that.
The music wasn't the best on a Saturday night and yes, there were breaks in between songs. The DJ got people excited when old school hip hop played, but that's about it. I did like the live saxophone player...that was cool. OH! And the fog...that was awesome, especially when it was so hot in there! But they'd use a lot that you can't even see anything!
Although I had an okay time, this isn't my scene. For the girls who go, I'd recommend close-toed shoes so you don't wake up the next morning with a swollen, bruised foot!
Major Failure.
Ridiculously pompous, and horribly inappropriate bouncers and promoters.
Too hot, too crowded, nasty fobby korean guys who have absolutely no chance with any girl who is of a different ethnciity. Demeaning booking.
Get out of there fast. So much better places to go for a good time. Don't waste your time.
Small space, but great layout and an all-around good time on a Friday night. Music was Top 40s and hip-hop and perfect for dancing! Btw, does anyone know the name of the DJ from last Friday's 'Joe Ko's Birthday' night?
Dude, what can I say? I have been here a few times, and it is a good club. Music isn't that bad, girls are pretty hot, price of drinks are pretty much on par with other like establishments etc. I do have some great memories of this place.
But what happen today did a number on any goodwill that I had towards this place. I mean it basically nuked it and laid waste to it, and the impact of this will last as long as a nuclear winter would. I would seriously recommend against this place. This is not the way to treat your customers.
So basically what happen is this. It was Halloween, so bunch of us wanted to have a good time but didn't want to fight the crowd or wait in line. So a friend of mine reserved a table for around twenty people, with a 5 bottle minimum. If you count the anju (bar food) and assorted drinks, it would probably have come out to at least $2,000 and probably more (we were ready to have a good time and drink a lot). So we were all there, all dressed up (I freaking even wore a wig) waiting in the rain to be let in. After waiting for about 40 mins, it was our turn to get in. And we were all like 'finally!' But at that very moment, we just got screwed over. Without any explanation whatsoever, the lady with the 'list' told us that there were no more table left. We explained that we had a reservation but to no avail. We wanted to talk to the guy who assured us we would have a table, but they wouldn't let us in.
Hey, look, so you guys overbooked the tables. Fine. It is annoying but it happens. But if that is so, you should not lie to our faces and tell us that there will be a table available when we checked in a couple of hours ago. You should not tell us to come at certain time to make sure a table is available (we got there before the anointed time). You do not have the right to be all high and mighty and say if we don't like it, we can just leave. You should not ruin the plans of a party of about 15 people and not even apologize for it.
I like good food. I like having fun and going out. I love trying out new places. So bad experience here and there comes with the territory. But telling us our reservation is confirmed when in fact it wasn't isn't just bad service. This was straight up lying and fraud and blatant attempt to generate more revenue for them (I mean after you waited for an hour and pretty much plan to be there, where else can you go? We knew it was impossible to find a venue that we could all fit into. I am sure Circle was banking on this too). We could have made other plans if they told us that we didn't have a table. We could have even stayed home. I mean seriously? I hope those who were in the same boat as us (there were quite a few) echo my sentiment and move your business to a more customer friendly venue. Circle is not the only mostly Korean club you can hang out at you know.
My first review comes courtesy of Circle.
I only went there on Thursdays so I can't speak for their Friday or Saturday parties. You know the deal already, its a Korean club but other asians are welcome.
Problem is, if you're not asian, the fatty fat f$%% owner will stare at you like he wants to eat you. You can't miss him, he's quite large and breathes heavy due to his lungs being weighed down by his excess of fat. He has bad skin also because he eats too much grease. I heard he did a sit up once and started crying because he was both, really happy and also broke his rib.
But I'm straying off topic here. There's a decent amount of girls but its still a sausage fest. Music always, ALWAYS, starts off good with good mixes of hip hop/top 40 hits, then the DJ goes into some weird mixes around 1 or 2 at night. You could tell when you're doing a bad job when people stop dancing. Even people who have absolutely no rhythm, which is about 90% of the people there, stop and look at the DJ with the "I can't get my swerve on" look. Later on, they go home to look up the word 'swerve' in the dictionary.
If FOBS need to hide out from immigration, this is apparently their oasis. I swear I saw some people come in with oars.
That being said, Thursdays are free but doesn't pick up until 1130 or 12 (they open around 9). Fridays and Saturdays, I heard, split the lines up into 2, one for girls, one for guys with Goku haircuts, Super Saiyan 3 that is. So even if you go there with girls, it doesn't matter. They let the people with bottle service in first and girls in second. Goku's stay in line and wait while practicing their english.
Other notes: People who work there are constantly hitting on girls, the dance floor is relatively big, they have a foam machine and a lot of bottle seating.
Bottom line, good layout, cute if not mostly snobby girls and rude racist owner and workers. One good point is the bartender. Cute spanish girl who's too nice and too smokin to be workin in there.
My Korean-American friend brought me here once and I will never forget this experience. I was treated like a queen due to the fact that he knows everybody in that club. However, the fact that everybody and I mean it everybody was Korean was a bit overwhelming. I was curious in the beginning. 30 minutes later after 3 free drinks (my friend knows bartender as well) I thought I meant to feel really relaxed and happy. But instead I started feeling really bored. Maybe I like variety of people too much. Anyways, I was gone an hour later with a thought of never coming back. I love my friend and one Korean person is plenty in my life. Venue is nice though.
A staple to NYC nightlife and for Korean people who inhabit this wonderful city.
Let me emphasize the KOREAN (F-O-B) part of that. Being a kyopo with limited Korean skills, it's always difficult to try and talk to many people there.
The dance floor is definitely huge and spacious, but it does fill up around peak hours. It's not your tight dance floor that's squeezed between two bars with about 10 feet of walking space.
DJ spins mostly hip-hop/some Korean (Gee remix anyone?) and all the times I've gone, always has awkward breaks in his music/mixes. So you'll be dancing with someone, then he tries to do some mixing and totally ruins the beat. Makes things mad AWKWARD when you're just standing waiting for a beat. For the most part, the musics okay.
Another note about the crowd, if you have a table and bought the bottle of whatever you bought, BE CAREFUL. You WILL be USED and your alcohol WILL disappear as will the girls you DRANK (past tense) with as they "disappear" to the bathroom.
Enjoy!
P.S - there is always some Alto Saxophone/trumpet player whenever I go. Kudos.
Oh god.. I went to a Korean club..
Like the sound of a falling tree, if I don't review it, did it really happen?
I walk by this place all the time during my commute from the office. From the outside, the entrance is Gothic, like you're about to walk into church. If you do, boy will you be in for a surprise.
The days of going to clubs are far far behind me and I never expected that they'd ever be back. While the night began with the sweet promises of a jazz club, our group of eight Koreans gravitated to Circle instead, as if attracted by some property of cultural magnetism.
We got there early and there was already a line of dudes outside. If you're a guy, it's $20 cover and best if you're in a group with a girl:guy ratio better than 2:1.
My thoughts as I was handing over a hard earned $20 bucks: "Wow.. this is really happening.."
Walking into the smokey, fog machine hazy dance floor, there were two groups from what I can tell - the girls shimmying on the dance floor and the guys sipping on drinks and watching from the sides or from their overpriced bottle serviced tables. Maybe it was still early and everyone was getting some liquid courage. Maybe not. Population: 90% Korean, 9% Other Asian, 1% random white guy.
Expect Top 40, Kpop, and House.
Did I enjoy it? Anywhere is fun as long as you're accompanied by good friends. Drinking also helps.
Would I go again? Only kicking and screaming.
As others have mentioned, this is "the" KOREAN club currently and it was pretty fun when I went -- def reminded me of clubbing in the motherland... The DJ on the particular night I went (around when MJ passed away) did a pretty good mix so I spent my time dancing the night away. Guy-to-girl ratio? All I can say is that I always had a guy to dance with... ^_~ *heh*
My friends had gotten a table and since the floor got majorly packed, we were able to just dance in the table area as did others who had tables...
There's a smoking "pit" outside but if you're cool with the bouncers, they'll let you out to do whatever and then let you back in...
Bar service was fast and efficient. They definitely don't gyp you on the alcohol. The drinks I ordered were some of the strongest I've had in a long time and it takes a lot for me to even taste it (yeah, I'm a lush... *ahem*)
Caucasian aerialists on hanging cloths... pretty cool stunt but *meh* seen it before...
Watch out for the fog machine: it's so dense that you cannot see the stairs leading down from the table area to the dance floor = accident waiting to happen (thank god for the people around me who were able to save me from falling flat on my face!)
The servers are super nice: I accidentally whacked one in the head *oops* in the midst of demonstrating something during a conversation and he was totally cool about it! Also, if you're not into booking, they'll leave you alone (unlike my experience in Korea although I've heard this has toned down quite a bit over there...)
On the otherhand, the lady at the bathroom raises a fuss if you try to use the supplies at the sink counter without first tipping her... I tipped her the first time (enough that my friend asked why I was tipping that much) but the second time I didn't bother to bring my bag... when I tried to use something she raised a fuss... *my aren't we greedy!*
Bottom Line: go with a group (preferably koreans who are familiar with the korean club scene) and get a table... as for the DJs who spin there, guess it just depends on who you get... even if you're not into the korean club scene, I'd say it's still worth a try just for the experience.
I was the first to review Circle when they opened last year... and it has changed quite a lot since then... so here is my update. Being a Korean American in the city, it's impossible to completely boycott this place. Inevitably, someone I know will have a birthday party at Circle and I would have to make an appearance. I do like the fact that I've gotten to know the crew there... from Joe to the bouncers... so I do like the good treatment I get from them. However, this place has seriously gone downhill since my last review... not really the venue. It's the crowd.
It's SUPER crowded... and it's a sausage fest folks. Every chump in this club has their hair done similarly and dresses alike (spiky hair, dark jeans and button down shirt). Their game is limited to sneaking up on girls from behind and trying to grind on them... no wonder the girls are so defensive and bitchy. But these dudes all think they're the next big thing... even the ones that look like the old Sulu. A lot of pathetic tools here...
And the girls... always roll in packs. WIthout a doubt, there is always a "bigger" girl that's the designated cock-blocker, who will yank her friend away from you EVEN WHEN the girl actually hit on on you and initiated the conversation / dancing. LOL, true hater. Overall, you'll never really find a looker here. Short girls with the body of a 14 year old... the quality Korean women know how to use their looks for better places, let alone save themselves from the pelvic surprise. If you're a guy, you better hit the shots hard early on... to arm yourself with the necessary goggles for this place.
I feel sad for the regulars here who find comfort in going to a "Korean" place. They're seriously missing out on one of the greatest night-life cities in the world!
The Circle is the newest Korean Club in NYC, which opened mid-Feb. I only stopped in at 2:00am… Read more »
This is the 2nd time I've ever been to the Circle in the fashion district. Some of my Korean friends from out of town wanted a "real New York City" clubbing experience with a Korean crowd - this is the place to go for that.
After midnight, it's a $20 cover per head. They have a coat check which is $4 per person. The interior is not so large and especially so during the peak hours when everywhere is just a mass of humanity. We went on a Saturday night, especially busy for this club.
Music is BOOOOMING loud hip hop/house/sometimes Kpop provided by DJs/a sax player/violin player. The drinks run pretty expensive (3 midori sours were $36 plus tax/tip). Clientele is vastly Korean but a smattering of other asians as well. On the younger side...I'd say lower 20's to late 20's.
They have some sort of super fog/fan machine that goes off every once in a while and completely whites out the room and cools it down at the same time. The first time you experience it, you may get a little freaked out because you literally cannot see the person standing right in front of you but at some point, it's a God send when you're sweating like it's your job.
The only other thing of note...this most recent visit one of the staff (madmen suits and the circle logo painted on their faces) invited my friends and I for a shot. My friend ended up not going but I was led to the VIP tables and seated with 3 guys. It was just weird. They offered me a shot of J Black, some fruit and chatted with me politely in Korean as best we could considering we were screaming into each other's ears. I left to find my friend's again inside 5 minutes...I didn't know Circle had it's own pimping service....?
In any case. If you're young and Korean and you want to get drunk and dance and drop some cash, go to Circle.
I hope I never have to come back to this place!
We arrived at around 1am with a group of 5 guys and 3 girls so we weren't surprised when they denied the guys at the door (it's NYC, deal with it). So we told them we would buy a table in order to get in. Funny thing is, we never actually received a table. We were brought to the bar in the VIP section and literally sitting on the bar was our bottle of goose in ice. WTF? Where was the TABLE and bottle SERVICE? We look at the bill and we were charged full 20% gratuity AND $50 for a fruit plate. So we ask the bartender what the hell is a "fruit plate" and she responds, "it's standard". Worst table/vip service I have ever experienced!
Promoters - Extremely rude and arrogant.
Music - Mostly House from 1am on. Not a big fan of Korean music at the club.
Crowd - All Koreans. The guys there are mad sketch as all the girls with us were complaining about random people groping and trying to dance with them.
Venue - Average, but really hot (temperature) inside.
If it was possible to give this place ZERO stars I would!
too many fob girls. what happened to all those twinkies that knows how to shake their asses. god shy fobs
Thank you Circle for never failing to provide me with awkward moments, hilarity, and amusement.
It's true, I go to this place. A lot. And each time I go, I am always in wonderment of the Korean male species. There are several types of Korean men that frequent this place.
Exhibit A: Lame douchebag that never gets laid. You can spot him because he is the one with flailing arms, no rhythmic coordination, and Kanye West sunglasses indoors. In the dark. With smoke machines. He'll attempt to sneak up behind you with gyrating pelvic motions but your smooth ninja-like dexterity will sidle your way out of his pelvic trap. He won't ever buy a drink.
Exhibit B: Broke ass models and bottles. These are the guys that think they are the http://bomb.com because they purchased a table. They coolly sip on their watered down and overpriced Johnny Walker Black while staring on to the dance floor, examining the Korean women meatmarket. They'll book girls to their table, knowingly or unknowingly, that these girls are just using them for the free shots and fruit before the excuse themselves "to go to the bathroom".
Exhibit C: Clueless white dude. Bless his soul. You know how in a pack of Asians, there's always one token white dude that always tags along and claims he doesn't have yellow fever but is always hitting on the Asian girls. You can spot him at Circle, unsuccessfully trying to hit on the girls who have already put up (in full force) the Korean Bitch Shield, fondly known as KBS. He'll nurse a Miller Light and bob his head to the music. He'll go home by himself and probably do Crystal Meth (a white man's drug).
Exhibit D: Average Korean Guy (AKG). Works in Finance. But not in IB/PE/HF/VC because then he'd be Exhibit B. Probably Operations or Compliance. You know, middle or back office. Has spiky hair and wearing a button down shirt from Zara or Express Men. Probably went to NYU or Rutgers. Oozes normality. Will be found at the bar, knocking back shots and vodka tonics. Wants to hit on the pack of Korean girls but is well aware of the KBS. After enough liquid courage, probably will attempt to hit on a girl. By that time, she's probably dumb drunk and will yield to his pickup lines, "I'm still employed wink wink".
Bravo Circle, bravo.
This place is like a watered down, Korean version of the Meatpacking/Chelsea club scene -… Read more »
Really?? Really?? Place like this makes me don't want to party anymore.. A typical nyc low-end club style.. big warehouse with few tables couches and called it a CLUB.. give me a break!!!
Of course if you are wasted/hammed/drunk.. anywhere is ok.. I'm particularly not a big fan of the crowd.. it looks like a big "MEAT MARKET" filled with desperate men/women try to get LUCKY!!
I hate these clubbing theme..!! this club is definitely not for me..
If your korean - go and have fun - if your not - stay home and save your money.
No star if possible. We should all petition to Yelp so they can assign zero star to Circle. I think it's just that bad. While the crowd for the most part is fairly friendly, the management needs a lesson in humanity. He very well may be a shrewd business man. (how else can get get away with the prices he charge for this place). Ok, maybe part of me is hating because I'm not Korean and didn't get the preferential treatment. That must be it, because everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves. Wow, I totally lost my thought for a second, but yes, that's why I do not like this place. If you're Korean, you're fine. If you're not, you'll be treated like the scums of the world. I can't believe this business model is still in practice, in NYC, no less. *heavy sigh. Remember kids, say no to drugs.
basic summary:
Music was surprisingly decent- actually a lot better than I had expected..*thumbs Up*
Cover for guys $20- free for girls up to a certain time/or if u know the owner/bartender..etc
There were definitely lots of awkward moments at this club. The first hour I was there guys and girls were lined up on opposite ends of the club just sorta...staring eachother and sipping drinks? It was the weirdest thing ever...hehe Totally reminded me of middle school dances where cooties were in. Towards 1'ish the place filled up and the awkwardness became non-existent~
The upstairs bartender unnie is super sweet : ) Makes great drinks...
Club started spraying out foam - it was fun...
The club layout is pretty ideal. There is two balcony's on left side where there is tables for bottle service. And two other balconies on the other side as well and a vip corner on the farrr right.
The dance floor is located as the center of the club with bars on both ends... Simple- not too big.
Overall, it was a good experience. First korean club experience in NY. Probably go back when im with my krn girls in the future. :) Krn clubs are pretty similar whevever u go..~ :)
There are some ridonkulous fog machines here that will literally blind you until it stops. You won't be able to see ANYTHING but pure white. This can create a bit of a cluster f*ck if you and your friends are trashed. It's kind of amusing actually.
All in all, I prefer Circle to Hiro any day. The crowd is much better here. Minus the booking, the dudes tend to keep to themselves so you can avoid the creepy desperate types and can just dance. Maybe it's because fobs are less aggressive. Lastly, the DJ is hot!
I've been wanting to go to Circle for a while now, because I heard it was the new hot spot and then I heard Se7en was the guest for the night...so I finally went...
And I would not go again unless it was for a friend's b-day. Yes, I *would* prefer to be able to breathe and move more than an inch on the dance floor and yes, the sparklers that accompanies every new bottle purchased are cheesy and show-offy. The line was already getting long when we arrived at 11 but we had a table so we were on the 'express' line. Even then, we had to pay $4 for "mandatory" coat check, wth??
Our table was next to the DJ box with (what I thought ) 'private' bathrooms. Instead, we had random people walking up to our table/room (it was on the second floor) and using our bathrooms with the waiters completely indifferent. "Booking" was rampant as waiters did their best to earn their tips by pulling girls to tables. If it wasn't for Se7en, the night would've been a complete loss...
Pros:
Groups of girls get in fast! (like every other club)
Cool violinist performance after 2 am
Cons:
TOO MANY PEOPLE aka no room to dance
Mandatory coat check
Smoke machines
Music was too much K-pop and not enough hip-hop ( I know, it's a korean club but still!)
After about twenty minutes, the friend who brought me there turned to me and said, "You're going to have to start acting more Korean, if possible."
Just kidding.* But this wouldn't be completely far-fetched, as I'm pretty sure I was the only (partially) white guy in the place. I certainly wouldn't have gotten in if I wasn't with 5 Koreans, and even then we had to buy a bottle of Patron.
This place is a SCENE. There was a huge dance floor, and in the back there was a loft with two staircases on either side leading up to a lounge/balcony where you can stand and observe the madness down below.
The madness included wall-to-wall people, smoke machines, go-go dancers, and some sort of gymnast was doing...gymnastics on a ring that was hanging from the ceiling. The entire place was PACKED.
I haven't seen the friend who brought me there in a while. I keep imagining that he went the route of Mr. Schniedelwichsen in Beerfest:
There was some yelling in a language I didn't speak, and they drag him off; moments later, I hear two shots, and then I never see him again.
*See Bob Bar.
i went there last saturday, it was pretty fun..
but after 1am they were super crowded and i couldn't even
dance;
this is a korean club, hence if you're not korean, and if you don't speak korean, you're pretty much screwed. super crowded, super hot inside, barely a dancefloor, the bars are on both sides, and the dance area is filled with fobby chicks who don't know how to dance and guys who don't know what drinks to order. I do like the fact they have some girl dancing around a pole or hanging from a ring from the ceiling.
The line to get in, is pretty annoying. If your'e fobby enough you can forgo the line. If you're not wearing clothes from the motherland, expect a wait.
And a $20 cover charge?! WTF? And that doesn't include coat check which they force you to take for an additional $4. I'd pass cause I've had better, experienced better, and I don't need to be surrounded by a bunch of guys who have no game.
Went here on a Saturday around 1am- about 25 people in line, mostly men but being a girl there was no wait. Several guys actually tried latching onto our group. I have to agree that management is pretty greedy with the wardrobe policies, $5 tap water etc. But if they can get away with it then... why not.. .
As for the crowd... not very enticing. A predominance of the guys were wasted just-out-of-college fratboys mixed with a few 50+ corporate types looking for fresh meat- both groups being equally pushy. Most of the women were kind of cheesy looking... hello platform heels!
The dance floor was crowded but not uncomfortably so. The music is mixed, more western than Korean and the K-songs were pretty dated. Considering that this is a club and not a karaoke joint you'd think the DJ's would have newer hits up their sleeves... I made a $20 bet on how long it would take for the mandatory Bizarre Love Triangle to play and yes it did come up... more than once.
I did not see any gymnasts- maybe they weren't working that night. To my surprise there were plenty of empty tables- only 2 or 3 were taken. The anju served with the bottles are pretty decent, fruit platters and a variety of cheeses. You don't see that at Bungalow;)
A tip for those of you that drive a souped-up Honda Civic... I would recommend NOT parking in the adjacent garage. You'll never be able to find your car.
Despite being a huge fan of K culture, venues, music etc. I wouldn't come back here unless it was a non-weekend night and I got suckered into going.
Worst. Experience. Ever. If I could give 0 stars, I would.
I came on a Thursday night. First of all, mandatory coat check ($4)--not cool. You literally have to walk past the coat check guards at the desk to get into the club.
The place had a small crowd, but it was still so empty I could practically see the overloud music echoing on the empty dance floor/seats. I was ogled and stared at as if I'd walked onto the stage of a meat market, and it didn't get any better. I'm serious, I've been to a lot of clubs, but I've never been stared at some obviously and unwelcomingly.
Downstairs seemed like a different world (hey, white people), but still weird setup.
The bathroom had perfume and scents so thick I nearly choked. Nice bathroom attendant lady though.
The kicker of the night--I hacked up my lungs for 6 days because I got smoke inhalation damage from the retarded smoke cloud they had pumped onto the dance floor. I was only there for 20 minutes, but it was more than enough. Like Sammy H. said, "Circle around the block for something else"--ANYTHING else.
I would "CIRCLE" around the block for something else.
I bought 4 shots at the bar and the punk bartender added 20% gratuity. I didn't let it spoil my evening, but adding gratuity on bar drinks is shady. I've never seen a club charge their own drink tips. Server Dong Hwa...sorry, but "CIRCLE" DOES NOT GET THE SQUARE!
Circle is THE only Korean nightclub in Manhattan that has a respectable dance floor. The crowd is predominantly Korean on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Though it is pretty empty before 1am, the late night hours is when it gets "poppin'" and the place gets pretty packed.
Ladies don't pay cover ($20) before midnight, which is always a plus. The drinks are a bit pricey (I once dropped $30 on two drinks the first time I went), but if you are a girl, you never have to pay for alcohol because there are plenty of guys willing to buy you drinks.
As someone who loves dancing, I always have a blast at Circle once the dance floor starts getting packed with people. You can always meet new dance partners (but watch out for creepy sketchball guys!). The music selection varies greatly because two DJs switch on and off every hour or so. They play lots of hip hop, house, and k-pop music. Though many people complain about the music, I love it all because you never know what's going to play next and I like mixing it up instead of being limited to one genre. The sound system is awesome and you can barely hear yourself even if you're screaming at the top of your lungs. Makes for great dancing.
But ladies, beware of the guys at the club. It can get pretty crazy and some guys are way too aggressive for my liking. Always stick with your friends, because it's easy to lose them in such a crowded space. The crowd mainly consists of younger girls (early to late 20s) and older guys (30+ for the most part), though I have been noticing more and more younger guys now.
Overall, Circle is great if you love dancing and Koreans. The venue is nice and big yet still gets pretty packed.
Edit: I just wanted to add that ALLLL of the Circle employees are awesome. Get to know them!! (:
confession: i had never been to circle. i heard of it, knew what it was and judged mercilessly because it seemed like a cheesy korean club with awful, awful people. and then my friend tricked me into going. at least we got to skip the line outside and got in right away without cover.
the reality: i actually had a really fun time here! SHAME on me. but i did. the music was surprisingly not awful and we danced for about 2 hours straight, while fending off terrible korean guys whose idea of dancing is sneaking up behind you and trying to grind to your rhythm but they can't because... they have no rhythm.
i shaved off two stars because 1. it is a pretty douchey crowd, and 2. it was SO packed. like, at certain times i couldn't even move. i wouldn't mind coming here again to dance once in awhile, but definitely not every weekend like some people i know. i'll be better prepared for the grinders next time.
YES, it was super crowded on the dance floor so instead of staying there i went upstairs where my friends had a table and danced there.
I think it was 100% Asians or Koreans and maybe 30% fobs and sobs (still-on the-boat, aka SUPER fobby ones). So if you don't like Koreans (but who doesn't?) if you want diversity, then you shouldn't go there. Also, if you're into k-clubbing where girls have to go booking and get dragged to your room/booth, then this club isn't for you, either. If that is what you're into, then you should fly to LA (Le Circle) or go to Korea (Apku)
YOu'll LOVE this place if you like Top 40 and old school Kpop (DJ DOC, HOT etc etc). Music was way better than old Le Prive/ now Cercle in LA.
From what I remember the line was super long. So if you don't know someone, or someone who knows someone or if you're not cute/hot/pretty...then be prepared to wait in line. YOu will eventually get in? Might have to pay though. I wouldn't say it's super exclusive though bc i saw a lot of not so cute girls inside...
( i just read that some people have gone booking here...hmmm. well, I didn't see any of that .)
I heard alot of good things about this place but when I actually went I was pretty disappointed. First, it took a herculean effort to get in because we were rolling with all dudes (yes, I know...recipe for disaster when going clubbing). One guy knew a guy who knew another guy's cousin who knew a guy who knew a guy who owns the place so all we had to buy was 6 bottles and we were in. Booking was a joke and the music was not the greatest. It's very crowded and very loud so needless to say when I tried talking to girls the conversation pretty much went like this:
Alex: Hi
Slutty girl: What?
Alex: I said, Hi.
Slutty girl: I can't hear you, the music's too loud
Alex: What?
Slutty girl: Buy me a drink
Alex: Blow me first
Slutty girl: What?
Alex: (Laughs and walks away)...Gotta find other ways to entertain yourself in crappy clubs.
Massive, erotic TRAINWRECK. That's how I feel about this place after a few experiences here...I have been dying to review this place...and not for lack of excitement thankyouverymuch. Yes, I've been forewarned that it was a Korean club. So unusual, I've never heard of such a club deemed as KOREANS only.
Well....I'd have to say that I totally felt like I traveled to Korea for a night trip...cuz' the place is no joke, almost a 100% ASIAN only. Most identifiably Koreans of course.
For a Friday night, the line was unusually long. Even I have never seen such a line NOT move for the past 20-30 minutes. Luckily, Asian stereotypes exist, as ladies have their own line and did NOT have to wait. We were trying to be nice with our fellow mates..but it got so cold at one point. Sorry fellas. I LOVE being a girly girl. :)
Circle definitely jammed packed the damn place. Safety hazard? Questionable. I don't know what the capacity is, but people need to start caring. I need my own breath and dance space for the love of BUDDHA.... I should have asked if they'd let me dance on stage by the pole. I surely, would have probably had a better time.
Overall, I wanted to give this place ONE star...but seems like i have a DECENT ok time here...so i won't be that harsh....uh, will i be back? Probably not, unless i was kicked, dragged & forced. ;)
i'm bored; so, here goes an update.
music is whatever... but no one goes to asian or korean clubs for the music. if you do... you suck at life.
out of all the asian spots, the girls at circle look the best. i'm not saying they are all that, just better than elsewhere. elsewhere just has a so much noise to filter out.
size of the club is on the big side, but not big enough because it gets extremely packed, which can be annoying. but if you come here and find yourself surprised at how packed it is on a friday or saturday... you, too, suck at life.
they DON'T have Red Bull. WHY!?!?!
i hear non-koreans are not welcome, but i can't personally testify to this.
Go to Circle if you miss Korea.
Nothing to really complain about in the Context of a Korean Club.…
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It's easy to scoff at those different than you, and I tried to keep an open mind during my visit to Circle. I had heard about this place multiple times from my Korean friends, but finally had the chance (and enough female accompaniment) to make it in the other weekend.
If you aren't asian, it's likely that you haven't heard of this place. It's an innocuous looking doorway, right off of Times Square, and despite its location, is mercifully devoid of tourists (though sometimes I consider residents of Flushing to fit in the tourist category).
The door policy is one of the stricter policies i've seen in the city. If you're a guy, you are NOT getting in unless you:
A. Are asian, and buy a table
B. Are asian, and come surrounded by several good looking lasses and pay a cover
MPD clubbers never had it so hard.
Upon entering, a well-coiffed promoter offered our group a chance to be VIP members of Circle. After the girls were finished signing up, I reached for the sign-up clipboard. The promoter recoiled in horror, and sternly announced, "Ladies only!". Frickin' communist, I didn't want to be on the VIP list anyway.
The club itself isn't that bad. A large dance floor, plenty of tables, good music, one of the better sound systems i've heard out there, and generous pours. However, gringos and twinkies such as myself (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) must be privy to a couple of strange and scoff-able Korean clubbing practices:
1. Booking. Essentially legalized prostitution, where a group of well heeled "gentlemen" can call on their waiter to pluck a desirable girl off of the dance floor, and drag her to the table for an introduction.
This "tradition" gets 4 stars on my scoff-meter.
2. Overly aggressive dudes. If you think that your average long island guido is aggressive, you haven't met a Korean male with a bellyful of soju and an over-inflated self-image.
This gets 3 stars on my scoff-meter.
3. Not knowing thy tolerance. In the wee hours of the morning, young gents and ladies with a certain genetic predisposition to low alcohol tolerance forget that they really can't "party like a rockstar" like in the music videos or whatever. The ratio of "pee'ers" to "red-faced pukers" in the mens room is around 1:1 by 3am in the morning.
This also gets 3 stars on my scoff-meter.
I'd say that most folks are better off spending their hard earned cash in Meatpacking or Chelsea for a good club experience. However, if you're willing to endure the ridiculous door policy and cultural differences, it's worth a visit.
I guess guys buy drinks all the time anyways but it's great to be a female in New York. Chicks can find open bars everyday and as a result, the milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.
The one at Circle seemed to work out well. Lots of ladies enjoying free booze while dudes emptied out their wallets with the little change they had left after paying their monthly Manhattan rent. Definitely Korean fest but for weeknight, it was very poppin. Nice little club with bumping some good jams. In NY, there's no difference between weekdays and weekend. People still go big and make it to work. They also age twice as fast and got some serious baggages under their eyes.
Even though I'm not Korean nor Asian, I do like this place a lot. Ok, here's the thing .. This club is one of the clubs that is similar to ones in Europe. I'm not used to struggling to make my way in the crowd to get some shitty drinks from the bar so I absolutely love the idea of reserving a table -what I mean is reserving a table which is only for you, your friends etc. Most clubs in NYC don't have the privacy !! - So the two-three story thing works in here.
Other than that, drinks kind of depends to the bartender but mostly drinkable ! Prefer bottle service, much better !
There's a cover charge if you are just going to walk in without reserving a table. Mostly b/w $20-$30.. Couple of my friends said that bouncers can be a pain in the ass but I never had a problem. I'm pretty sure if you be nice, they'll treat you the same way.
Overall, good music, nice ambience. Best on Fridays or Saturdays. You might want to leave around 3-4 am since after that it gets a little boring.
Okay, the good first.
1) Hot gogo dancers
2) A trapeeze! Where occasionally someone will actually do tricks on it!
3) Great music
4) Pretty cool layout and decor, with entertaining Korean music videos shown on the screen.
Now, the not so good stuff.
1) I think it's impossible for a guy to get in past 12, if he's not with like at least 3 girls.
2) 20 dollar cover charge!
3) RIDICULOUSLY crowded, like no room to dance, and people shoving past you every 5 seconds.
Pretty good, just for the novelty of going there, but the price and crowdedness make it a place I would not normally go back to.
Free pool for the ladies!
Neighborhood: Flatiron
after 9 pm
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Category: Dance Clubs
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Category: Korean
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