Posts Tagged ‘G’
1st Ave. btw 7th and 8th St.
Used to be Lunasa, and the basic difference is more sports on TV and less board games. Mixed crowd of young and old, plenty of TV’s, plenty of space, not much more to it. Average and above average beers at average prices, taste alright.
Bleecker St. and Barrow St.
Used to be Bleecker Heights Tavern, but now it’s cleaned it’s act up a little bit. First off, it’s harder to find due to the construction downstairs. But once upstairs, the place has been renovated with the old furniture from Sunset Boulevard. If you don’t claim one of the furniture groups, you’ll be crammed into the decent sized bar area as every young 20 year old seems to come here. Service gets bonus points for being pretty quick on service, above average beers at slightly above average prices, taste fine.
Eldridge St. btw Delancey and Broome St.
Nice spot with limited seating, this open air bar (during nice weather of course) is relaxed spot to pop in for a chat or, as was the case, there was no more room at Attaboy. Not much too it, simple cocktail bar that has a few interesting drinks of their own, crowd is 20’s and 30’s with locals. Friendly service, cocktails at cocktail prices, taste fine.
Update, place is closed, sad news
2nd Ave. and 81st St.
Quiet cocktail bar that, while hosting a young to early 30’s crowd, has patrons looking for a quiet drink mingling with people just wandering down 2nd Ave. before hitting the next spot. Space is slightly small, service is good, mostly tables to sit at, menu has lots of the same cocktail options, all at average cocktail prices, taste fine.
1st Ave. and 1st. St.
So after seeing this place on countless “top new bars” lists, I gave it a once over. With the exception that the bar area reminds me of the neon lights on an old jukebox, there is really nothing out of the ordinary about this place. The menu had your generic cocktails, there was a decent sized space for sitting, service was friendly, just your run of the mill bar. Mixed drinks, average prices for them (~$8-$10), taste fine.
University Pl. btw 12th and 13th St.
Adult Playground brings up so many other images, so I’m going to call this Mid-Twenties’ Putt Putt that charges you for bar games you can pay nothing for elsewhere. Situated above Bowlmor Lanes, this activity bar has your beers, your nine hole putting course, air hockey, shuffleboard, etc… all the while charging a decent penny to play them. This place can get crowded, sometimes it’s closed for events, sometimes you are the only people there (my favorite times!). Average and above average beers, slightly above average prices, taste fine.
www.bowlmor.com/greenwich-village-country-club
Stone St. btw Coentis Slip and William St.
To say any bar on Stone Street is subdued is a stretch, but this is definitely one of the quieter venues on that stretch. Has your sports on TV, good amount of bar space, crowd is the same as pretty much every bar on Stone Street, meaning business kids and tourists mixed in with some people who want to actually watch the game. Above average drinks at above average prices, tastes fine.
3rd Ave. btw 26th and 27th St.
Use to be McCormack’s, same long bar with a backroom, but now it’s been shined from a pub to a gastropub. The crowd has also changed, from older local sports fans to the late 20’s-30’s crowd that like to search for new hot spots. Drinks are now above average beers with a cocktail menu, slightly above average prices for the beers, taste fine.
Park Ave. btw 28th and 29th St.
The newer of the two Gansevoort hotel rooftops, and the lesser of the two. This one isn’t as pretentious, and maybe a buck cheaper on drinks, but it’s kind of like a Jersey Shore bar on a roof, with a lot of stairs and not as much open space. The crowd is really mixed, from young, to business kids, to coworkers, to an older crowd of guys mixed with mid 40’s Bon Jovi fans from Jersey. Average drinks and mixed drinks, above average prices, taste fine.
26th St. and Park Ave.
This bar basically looks as if they took a rooftop studio apartment, gutted it, put some booths out and added a giant giraffe statue. All that aside (though its kind of peaceful), it’s pretty easy to get a table, though there is decent room outside of the seating area. Service is pretty good, crowd is a mix of business kids and hotel guests. Average beers and mixed drinks, slightly above average prices, taste fine.
23rd St. btw 6th and 7th Ave.
Another spot that is borderline a restaurant, but since I see few people eating and most drinking, I’ll write it up. All craft beer, numerous taps, lots of wine, and all the hotel guests one can handle! Located on the first floor of a B&B, this decent sized bar is a quiet spot for a few drinks on a weekend (open during the week too). Service is friendly, slightly above average prices for above average beers, taste fine.
26th St. btw 6th and Broadway
Used to be Gstaad, now more of a sports bar. Plenty of seating and standing room, lots of TV’s, crowd is a mix of business kids, B&T’s and people full of BBQ from across the street. Average beers at average prices, taste alright.
9th St. btw Ave. A and 1st Ave.
Growing up in Queens, I always remembered going with my dad to the beer distributor and him picking out what was needed, seeing the big guy behind the counter, and the 1 or two old guys who hang around reading the paper. This place is basically the same thing, except everyone is under 40, it’s basically all craft beer to be bought in 6 packs, and there’s a bar serving some of its wares.Friendly staff and smells like a distributor, so I’m thankful for the nostalgia. A handful of tables in the back that are usually taken, it’s a quiet scene, good for a stop in. Above average beers at above average prices, taste pretty good.
2nd Ave. btw 18th and 19th St.
This place used to be 3 Steps, but don’t worry, the steps are still here. Thankfully the rest has been changed, from what was a dimly lit bar to a bright open room that is a lot more welcoming. The hipsters aren’t there en masse anymore, but then again, there weren’t a lot of people in there at all. The few who were there were chatty/kept to themselves. Also, don’t be deceived by the name, about a 10 minute walk to Grammercy Park. Friendly bartender, sports on TV, average and above average taps at average prices, taste fine
8th St. btw MacDougal St. and 5th Ave.
Definitely more of a lounge then a bar, reasons being its mostly tables, the booths have plush seating, and they have zero idea what sports to have on the TV. Who wants to watch non-championship college baseball at 7 PM when there’s other good stuff on? Anywho, bottled beers, on the above average side of prices, taste fine, good amount of space but nowhere to stand.
48th St. btw 9th and 10th Ave.
One of the smaller sports bars in Hell’s Kitchen, but by no means the least popular. Dartboards and TV’s everywhere, young crowd, decent amount of room to move around, and I use the term “around” literally as there is an island in the middle of the bar…for some reason. Friendly staff, regular pints, taste average, average prices.
57th St. btw 11th and 12th Ave.
This place used to be J Macs, but I guess they took the taps when they moved out. Very small bar, a dive with some paint and flat screens (thereby losing the dive title) that is all alone out in this section of Manhattan. Crowd is made up of locals, the businesses surrounding, and a couple of regulars. You can maybe fit 30 people in here, and the pool table takes up most of the standing room. Everything was in bottles, tasted alright, average prices.
8th Ave. btw 18th and 19th St.
This place was not too bad. Sure I wouldn’t meet anyone that I could date in here, but it was a lot of fun to hang out. There’s a lot of space upstairs, but this floor gets crowded, so thankfully there is more space downstairs at the quieter bar. And it’s one of two places with sports on TV in the neighborhood. Good music, average drinks at average prices.
47th St. btw Broadway and 8th Ave.
Upscale bar in Times Square, with some of the softest bar stools I’ve ever sat in…if you’re into that kind of thing…cough. Anywho, yes, upscale looking, business/tourist/Broadway crowd, decent amount of room with more room upstairs. They have sports on TV, average tasting drinks at slightly above average prices.
7th Ave. btw Charles and 10th St.
Not as big as its uptown namesake. It’s quieter, more subdued, and definitely not your typical West Village crowd, meaning there are B&T’s here…how did they find it!?! Most games are covered by the TV’s all over the place, good amount of seating, alright tasting beers at average prices.
Bleecker St. and LaGuardia Pl.
The new kid on the block. This place used to be Senior Swanky’s, and now it’s just swanky. I guess you would call this a gastropub, but while there are no hipsters present, pretentiousness abounds. They have your above average taps that taste fine, a little above average prices, and while this doesn’t draw your typical crowd for this area, it’s jumped completely to the other side of the spectrum.
14th St. btw 7th and 8th Ave.
The record definitely screeched when I and my friends walked in here. That being said, it’s a frickin’ huge bar, compared to its neighbors of course. So much so that there were two bars, with a good amount of space in between, and a pool table. The friendly older/trying-to-look-younger bartenders were nice, served average priced beers (no taps) that tasted average, and the crowd sticks to themselves.
Forsythe St. btw Broome and Grand St.
Every time I’m here, there’s an impromptu dance party, though that’s usually after closing time so tough darts to everyone else. As for normal operating hours, this place is pretty big, good music is always on, drinks are average prices and taste pretty good.
MacDougal St. and 3rd St.
I like this as a live act venue, but it gets way too crowded in here to get anywhere near the stage. This might not be a bad thing though as some of the bands should give it up. Not much to do hear besides drink and listen to the music, but the drinks taste good and are average prices.
MacDougal St. btw Minetta and Bleecker St.
There honestly is nothing spectacular and nothing bad about this bar. Probably just here to provide a respite from the insanity laden sausage fests of its neighbors. It’s basically just a square room, a decent amount of space, and…god, I really can’t think of another thing to say about this place. The beers tasted fine and were average prices…there, that was two more things.
Greenwich Ave. btw Perry and Charles St.
Right off the bat, stairs, which I hate. I mean, you’re just asking for trouble. After that, a really nice bar. You walk up to the second floor of the building, and there’s a decent sized room with a decent crowd, speaking in behavior and age terms. It basically is a quiet respite from the crowds in surrounding bars. Good music, good beers, average prices…I guess the stairs keep people out of this one, but thankfully the stairs are the only negative thing about this place.
Greenwich St. and Beach St.
Bar, wannabe lounge, who the heck knows. They have plenty of TV’s and booths and seats and lots of taps. But the lighting just throws the place off and makes me feel underdressed if I walk in wearing jeans. Plus there is a hostess. Anywho, the beer is average prices, tastes fine, and the staff very friendly.
St. Marks Place btw 2nd and 3rd Ave.
My lasting memory of this place will be my friend Armando’s 21st birthday when he kept downing cheap shots and then proceeded to throw up on himself. That being said, the rest of the bar isn’t too memorable, nothing even remotely reminds me of anything “grassroots” related. It kind of reminds me of a wine cellar without the wine. The music is good though and, as said, the beer is average prices and tastes average.
9th Ave. btw 49th and 50th St.
One of Hell’s Kitchen’s newer editions, and it’s definitely one of the bigger bars in the area. If they could only get a crowd in here, it would be great. Lots’ of TV’s, your older locals at the bar who don’t mind talking to any girl that approaches the bar, plenty of places to sit too. The pints taste fine and are average prices.
23rd St. btw Lexington and 3rd Ave.
I used to love this place when it was Grand Saloon, so I was extremely skeptical about the makeover. While the bar area has more or less remained the same, I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the rest of the place. I mean, turn up the lights, I want to see my friends! Is it a lounge? Who knows? Another negative is that they took away the jukebox and you have to listen to the same 8 songs on repeat (trust me, I counted). The beers still taste good, still average prices, the staff still friendly, and one benefit of the makeover is a much better bathroom.
36th St. btw 5th and Madison Ave.
So many beer taps and at average prices make this place the popular place it is…that and it’s equidistant from Park Avenue to Penn Station. True, lots of B&T’s, and the majority goes to the males here, but it was hard to find other faults with this bar. If you keep a close eye on the tables, the crowd usually rotates through them so you won’t be standing for long. Definitely a great after work place to head to, which is completely what this crowd is.
Amsterdam Ave. btw 81st and 82nd St.
Completing the trio of college/young adult bars on the Upper West Side, this bar is known for good, cheap food, plenty of cheap pitchers, and the beer pong/flip cup tables set up in the back amidst plenty of TV’s. Great place for happy hour, meeting people, and home to contenders for possibly the best looking female bartenders in NYC. I take this bar out of the trio *the other two being Jake’s and Bro. Jimmy’s). however, avoid when a school decided to hold their sports night there because there is no room.
Amsterdam Ave. btw 83rd and 84th St.
I was surprised when I stumbled (literally) into here. I wound up putting this bar as one of the tops on my list of bars in this area. There are lots of beer choices here, good music playing. Not a great place to meet new people but definitely good if you have a group that wants to go out and have a fun night out. And popcorn!
2nd Ave. btw 88th and 89th St.
The things I sometimes don’t like about a bar…actually didn’t bother me here. Normally, I don’t like a bar having someone seat you, but the guy was so frickin nice, we had to oblige. They had a great set of taps (bonus points for the best Carlsberg tap in the city) with average prices for beer and the fish and chips are one of the best I’ve had at a bar in this city. The bar was packed with very friendly people and the atmosphere was totally chill.
Spring St. btw Lafayette and Mulberry St.
A very polished pub in the Soho/Little Italy area. Now, if you suffer from claustrophobia, this might not be the best place for you as it feels very tight in here with headroom and width. Though, if you’re not a 6’-1” gigantor like me, you might find it only mildly restraining. Very friendly crowd, average priced beers and extreme awesome bonus points for showing Braveheart while I was in there. Granted, I don’t like movies in bars, but the volume was up and the whole place was just hanging out and reciting lines along with me. One major drawback is that after ten, it turns into Club Gatsby’s (I made that name up) and this you definitely want to avoid.
14th St. and 9th Ave.
Not exactly a bar and not exactly a club…who knows. This place is for all of the Meatpackers that still want to feel like they’re someplace really exclusive but don’t want to wait on line. The clientele is hit or miss with some nights having a light crowd and some nights getting meatheads. The service is pretty good and the drinks are average prices to slightly above average for beers that taste average.
36th St. btw 5th And Madison Ave.
Hands down, the worst name for a bar. I expected either a seedy dive or scraggly women of the night and was surprised to stumble into a club-like atmosphere. The place was near empty, possibly due to the two unnecessary bouncers outside, but the service was quick, along with average priced drinks that tasted fine. Don’t know if I’ll frequent again but I’ve definitely been to worse.
Orchard St. btw Delancey and Rivington St.
Everything that the Lower East Side has horribly turned into. Where do we start: velvet ropes, people who think they’re in high society, guest lists! I mean come on, why is it so hard to put up a bar with some chairs where people can hold a conversation with one another without having to pay $7 for a bottled domestic that tastes the same as any other bar?
1st Ave. btw 88th and 89th St.
Probably one of the few actual Irish bars north of 86th on the Upper East Side. The bartender was great, lots of UK sports showing on TV, beers taste good and average priced, and the other patrons are pretty friendly.
Christopher St. and Hudson St.
Lindsey might actually murder me if I don’t put this on, so here we go. This bar/restaurant is right at the crossroads of two completely different neighborhoods. A quiet place that serves up decent food and, more importantly, pretty decently priced drinks. Nothing but the classics playing over the stereo in this very polished, quiet Italian place. Boring, but accurate, review Linds, so deal with it.
3rd Ave. btw 82nd and 83rd St.
Very nice pub and pretty close to authentic. The bartender was very chatty and friendly, serving up good tasting pints at average prices. There was a decent amount of room here and the patrons were a mixed young/old group of people.
39th St. btw 6th Ave. and Broadway
Now this is a place I can get used to for my after work drinks. I went on a Tuesday night and it was mildly packed with a good crowd that wasn’t too old or too young. The drinks were average prices, tasted fine, and the Irish bartenders were friendly. The bar had a good amount of TV’s showing sports and plenty of seats.
26th St. btw 6th Ave. and Broadway
This flatiron lounge is on the outskirts from the other trendy bars in the area. This overly trendy bar is a good place for the workers in the neighborhood who want more than a pub, and thankfully there aren’t many of these workers. The beer is reasonably priced and tastes fine though you get your normal yuppie beers (Stella, etc.) on tap.
19th St. btw 7th and 8th Ave.
A very spacious gay bar in Chelsea. In fact, a little too spacious. One of my friends was there to meet people, but unless you’re crowded around the bar, everyone is sticking to their own groups. My girlfriend was definitely the only girl there, so straight guys, no hags to be found. The mixed drinks were a tiny bit over average prices, but the beers were normal prices and they tasted good to me.
