My Spot: Von In Noho, NYC

What do the Complex editors do when they're not serving you with endless hours of entertainment?
My Spot takes you inside some of their favorite destinations, both in the 'hood and around the globe.

Given the large amount of exclusive sneakers and fly $600 jackets that grace the pages of our magazine and site, our readers might think our idea of a good time would be some place where we'd spend a large portion of the night screaming, "And don't forget to bring motherfuckin' sparklers with that Rozay!" But for the most part, much of the Complex crew avoids clubs like the plague, preferring dive bars when it's time to rage a little bit. Complex Senior Editor Toshitaka Kondo (@ToshitakaKondo) is different in the sense that you might actually see him in the club screaming about his motherfuckin' sparklers. But when he does decide to do things a little more low-key, a place he's come to love is the tavern-style Noho bar Von, on the corner of Bleecker and Bowery. With wooden decor, marble tables, and plank floors, it exudes a classy, but unpretentious vibe, and has a laid-back and diverse crowd that stays true to that feel. It's perfect for dates, drinks with a friend, or for birthday or work gatherings. Toshi had been there for all those reasons (and more, we have a feeling) and co-signs Von. Here are his reasons for why you should too...

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• They have a pretty extensive selection of wines, beers on draft, and any liquors you could want. Just the fact that they have Hoegaarden on tap makes it a win for me.

• The drink prices are reasonable. For the most part, individual drinks are under $10 regardless of liquor or brand.

• If you're not sure about someone you're about to go on a date with (maybe a wildebeest or subpar chick you met the week before when you were wild drunk or one of those women who still believes in chivalry), it's a perfect place to go. They don't serve food there, so if they decide they're hungry, you can use that as a cue to hit the eject button. You already ate and have another place to go, so it'd make more sense for them to go get something to eat on their own. And if that doesn't work and they decide they're not that hungry after all, maybe both of you will get inebriated enough that you'll enjoy yourself anyway.

• There aren't a ton of places to sit, so if possible try to get a spot along the wall, where there's a long ledge you can put your drinks on or lean on. This can also be a very good spot to post up in case you see something you wanna grab by the elbow and holla at because most likely she'll have to walk by you a few times if she's going to the bathroom or outside to smoke a cigarette.

• There's a downstairs lounge that has a bar and a DJ and sunken dance floor. The music can be everything from old-school hip-hop to techno to R&B to rock, with Thursdays tending to be the best. This area is also dimly lit, which makes it perfect for making out and getting your grope game poppin' discreetly.

• Upstairs, there's only two one-person bathrooms. This means when the bar gets crowded the lines for them can start to become really long. Like "15 to 20 minute wait" long. There are bathrooms downstairs but a lot of times the bouncer will make people wait in line to get down there for capacity reasons.

• Getting in and out of the bar isn't much of an issue and luckily Von is on a discreet side street without a lot of traffic, so finding a nice place to relieve yourself isn't an issue. Just make sure you handle your biz without touching it 'cause there's no soap or water out there.

What's your spot? Hit us at @ComplexMag and let us know by using the hashtag #myspot.