Nightlife

Citysearch.com is "your guide to everything local," providing current information on restaurants and other businesses. The site hosts thorough comments from users in addition to its own editorial information on all businesses. Hours, location, and payment types are all listed. You can find maps to your destination and the Web site and contact information of the business you are researching.

TimeOut offers international directory services, although its listings in the United States cover only the biggest cities. Visit "Time Out Cities A-Z" to determine if your city is included. You can find virtually any kind of event on this site-just select from the long list of categories and you will find upcoming events and "most viewed" links.

Yelp.com consists primarily of reviews. Contributors post comments on restaurants, nightlife, and arts and entertainment. Select your city and plug in an address if you want to localize your search. The site will always show you a map and will even point to other areas of interest near the location you're searching.

Zagat , the gold standard for restaurant and entertainment rating services, offers descriptions of food, service, and atmosphere. You will also get expert opinions on hotels, nightlife, and attractions in any locale you select. Some parts of the site are by subscription only ($4.95 per month, $24.95 per year), but the reviews are done by professional entertainment critics and may be worth the investment. Zagat does not review all establishments and events in every area, however. 

Citysearch noted in the previous section, aggregates user reviews when describing restaurants. The site answers these questions with a Yes or No: "Prompt Seating?", "Romantic?", "Make a Reservation?", "Good for Kids?", and "Good for Groups?" Click on "Best of Citysearch" for annual poll results, where users nominate and vote for their preferred restaurants.

MenuPages offers conflicting but informative reviews from patrons of restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and southern Florida. The site furnishes links to each restaurant's Web site, along with printable menus, reviews, affordability information, driving directions, and maps to help visualize locations. You can search by cuisine type, neighborhood, restaurant name, or other specifications, such as "Open 24 Hours." Have a craving for a particular dish? The "Find-a-Food" search will let you search restaurants by entrée.

Shecky's offers reviews in a few U.S. cities: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The site features a "Bar of the Day" and lists bars by category so that you can look up the type or location of any establishment. Visit the "Hot List" for lists of quirky bests-like best "Working Class Bar," or "Best Spots for Cask Beer."

Party GPS will provide a Google map of your zip code marked with nearby bars, clubs, or liquor stores. Hover your mouse over any destination on the map, or name your location in the search results, and you'll find links for directions, reviews, and additional information. Also provided is a list of locations nearby the destination you've selected-a very useful feature if you're a diehard bar-hopper or just didn't find what you were expecting.

World's Best Bars is a bar search tool sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey. Dozens of U.S. and international cities are included; the homepage for each city has a "Bar of the Moment" with user reviews. A list of links to other bars appears beside the feature, with extensive reviews and location information.

ChuckleMonkey is mainly a resource for comedians, but it has a good state-by-state club listing as well. The site is based in Los Angeles, so its West Coast information is often more accurate. Click on your state in the U.S. map for a list of all clubs.

Comedy Soapbox will help you find comedy clubs all over the country. Select your state from the map of the United States and club listings will appear along with club information. Visit the "Calendar" link schedules on any day-shows listed occur nationwide. Visit "Top Viewed Comics" to see who's currently most popular on the comedy circuit.

Punchline Magazine covers a variety of topics related to stand-up comedy. Check out the "Clubs" tab for a list of the country's most reputable comedy venues, or browse the sites of the affiliated "Comedians" to see who's playing where. There is also a list of "Hot Shows"-see if the trendiest comics are coming to a club near you.

TimeOut Travel is "your guide to a good time" in more than 140 cities. The site provides an overview of go-to restaurants and bars, featuring over a dozen hot-spots, all independently reviewed. Select your city and go to the "Nightlife" link to read about the hippest spots, with reviews and location listings. TimeOut prides itself on being the Bible of the trendy city-dweller, so you're likely to avoid the tourist traps and find some good insider picks here.

The New York Times Web site offers an extensive list of attractions for travelers to major cities-both domestically and internationally. First select the region you're visiting from the drop-down menu "Plan Your Trip, click on the "What to Do" link and then browse the recommended nightlife listings. Use this site to search places in your hometown as well-you might find something new, even if you think you already know all the local hot spots.

Fodor 's features establishments personally vetted by in-house writers and editors. There is up-to-the-minute travel advice as well as forums where users can post ideas and reviews. Select the city you are planning to visit and browse the "Nightlife & the Arts" link for listings of places to go.