Rouge Cat, the hippest gay bar in Santa Fe, just a block from the Plaza

The Rouge Cat (101 W. Marcy St., 505-983-6603) is just a block off the historic Plaza downtown. Run by longtime Santa Fe DJ Oona Bender, this eclectic spot welcomes a mixed crowd but is definitely courting the city's sizable LGBT population - it has two distinct spaces. At street level, there's a relatively cozy and somewhat swank cocktail bar, where you can also light food. Head downstairs, and you'll discover a mid-size dance floor and bar where some of the area's top DJs (including Bender herself) spin tunes. Santa Fe had lacked a predominantly GLBT hangout for a few years until Rouge Cat opened, and its popularity has been huge right from the start.