La Maroquinerie

A former leather-goods factory in Belleville turned music venue, with excellent programming — indie, electro, world music — and a courtyard that's the real social space between sets. Drink a beer between bands and meet people in the courtyard. Come when there's a band you want to see, and buy tickets ahead for the popular shows. It is one of the city's best mid-size venues, the kind of place where the booking is consistently sharp and the courtyard does as much for the night as the stage. Check the calendar and go for the music; the in-between moments in the yard are half the experience.