These days, it seems you can barely hold a cigarette without getting a dirty look from someone, which is why places like Basement Hookah Lounge, whose fundamental premise centers around smoking, are a shisha fan's dream.

Frustrated with having to pay increasingly higher fees to smoke at other lounges, the owners of Basement decided it was time to start their own biz and vowed to never charge cover. The absence of alcohol makes this a popular hangout for the underage crowd, and the owners even allow customers to bring in their own music selections.

With more than a hundred flavors of top-selling Middle Eastern tobaccos like StarBuzz ($12), Basement offers plenty of exotic flavors, including Sex on the Beach, Caramel Macchiato and The Basement Special, which mixes five different flavors (they won't tell you which ones). You'll also find more common fruit flavors (apple, wild berry mint, coconut) and picks from the popular brand Fumari, which boasts choices like Fakhfahina (tropical fruit), Jello (cherry) and citrus mint. Bonus: If you come between 2-9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, a hookah only costs $7.

The main lounge feels cluttered and wholesomely rambunctious; mismatched carpets, low-level sofas, flat-screen TVs blaring BET and Arabian hip hop create a kind of retro utopianism that is both serene and playful. There's a separate room from the main lounge, which fits about 80 people and has a dance floor that's usually reserved for private parties. For $10 a head, you can rent the room all night long with unlimited hookahs. They'll even teach you how to blow smoke rings, which is a useful skill at any age.

Centerstage Reviewer: Anna Pulley