In my humble opinion, two recently renovated bars:

G Lounge, 225 West 19th Street: Chelsea lounge bar with good looking A list types (especially bartenders!) and generally nice, hip crowd.

The Townhouse Bar, 236 East 58th Street: classy, Sutton Place piano bar with friendly, down to earth staff. Clientele tends to be late 30s on but also young types as well.

Check out both when visiting New York. (I am a long-time patron of both, not employee!)