Some days all I need to have a good time is a cheap beer and a working jukebox. For those nights the scene becomes too despicable, I hit up favorite local haunts that pretty much guarantee a dirty, drunk evening of debauchery.
1. 7B (Avenue B and 7th St)
Grimy from head to toe, this place is a real dump. They have the cheapest, largest beer cans you’ve ever seen (brand unknown), the jukebox plays Black Sabbath or Stevie Wonder depending on whose paying and floor is covered in filth and USOs (unidentifiable sticky objects). Oh and it smells like vomit. It's great.
2. Reade Street Pub (Reade St bet Hudson and Greenwich Aves)
Strollers, bagels and galleries come to mind when you think of Tribeca. But this pub defies the baby boom neighborhood drawing a young crowd (early 20s) ready for power hour. No smoking laws don’t abide here where even the bouncer lights up. Awesome.
3. Bourbon Street (Amsterdam Avenue bet 79th and 80th Sts)
A taste of Mardi Gras in the UWS (no that is not an oxymoron), this particular establishment serves beer on tap, cheap liquor and cheesy t-shirts to frat boys from Columbia University looking for a cheap thrill. Girls who shouldn’t be dancing on bars, dance on the bar to Bon Jovi and Lynrd Skynrd – it’s an awful spectacle, but everyone’s too wasted to care.
4. Automatic Slims (Corner of Washington St and Bank St)
It’s hard to believe such a place could exist in such a charming neighborhood. Sandwiched between boutique restaurants and brownstones, this dive is a true standout. The bartenders play Marley and some god awful music but it’s all good cause everyone’s dancing. Drawback: the narrow staircase down to the bathroom takes the coordination of a Cirque de Soleil staffer.
5. Hog Pit (13th Street and Ninth Avenue)
Amidst the trendy eateries, hotels and shops of the Meatpacking District lies the Hog Pit, a true dive by all definitions. There are actual cowboys in there. I kid you not, I saw the hats. With a bar and a pool table in the back, this is a no frills watering hole. I heard their BBQ ain’t bad too.
Final Word: With the Irish’s claim to fame day coming up, this could not be a better time roll up those sleeves, hit the bars and chug as much green beer as you can stand until passing out. Happy St. Paddy’s Day.
2 comments:
Good topic...
Those unidentified large canned beers you are talking about at 7B are Natural Light, or as most call it, Natty Light.
Another word of advice at Automatic Slims... watch out for the choke hold the male bartender puts on you when you're walking out and he thinks you didn't tip him on your tab. And don't expect to be allowed back when you throw him onto the sidewalk for doing so.
lame
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