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From the now closed "don't get what the big deal is.." thread...
Can anybody give me some suggestions? I'm looking for places that you can buy a domestic beer for under five bucks and have "No Smoking" signs on the walls but ashtrays on the bar. Can be a mixed crowd, doesn't matter what kind of people as long as they're laid back and not trying to impress. I wasn't born a dancer so none of that either. Just looking for a grimy little place to relax and damage my liver with like minded scumbags.....no yuppie/hipster infested spots. Do they exist anymore?
If you know any places in the outer boroughs let me know too, I get around and like to check different places out. Thanks!
From the now closed "don't get what the big deal is.." thread...
Can anybody give me some suggestions? I'm looking for places that you can buy a domestic beer for under five bucks and have "No Smoking" signs on the walls but ashtrays on the bar. Can be a mixed crowd, doesn't matter what kind of people as long as they're laid back and not trying to impress. I wasn't born a dancer so none of that either. Just looking for a grimy little place to relax and damage my liver with like minded scumbags.....no yuppie/hipster infested spots. Do they exist anymore?
If you know any places in the outer boroughs let me know too, I get around and like to check different places out. Thanks!
There is a place by Burritoville on 72nd and Broadway, that would qualify as grimy, it has ash trays, no dance floor, very small, and if your not a regular they stare at you funny when you come in, but they get over it. I can't think of the name at the moment, but I bet it's your type place.
not sure if my favorite - WXOU Radio (on Hudson & Perry) is still there. great local bar w/ good music on the jukebox. Shades of Green is also good in Union Sq ( Irving Place).
and there are still great bars in & around St. Marks, don't let the new hipsters sway your opinion.
the dive bar of all time = the patriot on chambers street near church street doesnt get more ****ty than that...and they play "Sweet home alabama" a lot....pool's on the second floor.....stay away from the sliders tho if you dont want the runs.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Dive bars are a topic close to my heart. My suggestions:
Mars Bar -- The filthiest, most divey and crumbling bar I have EVER been in. I mean it is absolutely disgusting and depressing even by my standards. It is apparently some old holdover from the punk/CBGB days and it looks like they haven't even touched the place in years. You can barely see out of the windows due to years of cigarette smoke resin, gaffiti, and stickers. I can't imaging this place will be around much longer since it seems like the board of health's worst nightmare but it is definitly worth a stop in to set a baseline for the sh--tiest dive bars imaginable. They do card and smoking is a no go so I guess that takes away from some of their cred. (2nd ave and 1st st, East Village)
Welcome to Johnsons -- Ok, this place can be a little hipsterish if you go on a crowded weekend night...it is in the Lower East side after all. It is modled after a 1980's rec room replete with vinyl covered sofas and faded family photos of strangers. They have a 6 foot pool table that will **** you off if the place is crowded, Pac Man/Galaga tabletop videogame, a great jukebox, and cheap PBR's $2 happy hour and $3 normally(though I prefer the very strong $4 vodka/ice teas). Go during the week or on an off night when it isn't crowded and it's a great dive bar. (Rivington and Essex, Lower East Side).
Subway Inn -- This is my midtown after work bar that I drag my coworkers to before they inevitably leave me for some semi-swank lounge that charges junior i-bankers $11 for a Jack on the rocks and $9 for a Heineken. It's a totally unpretentious, non-hipster place with the requisite dark booths, ripped vinyl bar stools, Big Buck Hunter, and classic rock on the jukebox. At some point they won the 'Best Dive' award from Schecky's which is prominently displayed above the bar. (60th St and Lexington, Midtown)
Alibi -- This is my local place in Fort Greene. It is a total hole in the wall with a nice unpretentious crowd. I went to Pratt back in the day and it was a big draw for us young drunkards back then but I honestly don't see any of the college crowd there anymore which is a plus in my book (I think they must've migrated to Rope on Myrtle). They have old tube TV's which they play soccer on and which draw a few devout expat soccer fans. The bartender will look at you like you are ruining his night when you order a drink (he's actually a really nice guy) but he makes them STIFF...probably the strongest Jack and Coke I've had in NYC for $5. They have a 6' pool table, Big Buck Hunter, Bowling video game, and an internet jukebox so you can **** everyone off when you play obscure metal tunes. There is also a really great back patio (closes at midnight so as to stay in the neighbor's good graces) and during nice weather you'll often find some friendly patrons grilling on a portable Coleman and they are always happy to offer up a burger or a dog. Dark, dirty, strong drinks, no pretensions...what's not to like? (DeKalb near Washington, Fort Greene)
Duff's -- Nestled by the East River and the Domino Sugar Plant in a mostly abandoned (for now) section of Williamsburg this is a dumpy metal dive bar that I hope remains in the face of impending condofication. The inside is probably 20 feet by 20 feet with a single bathroom but the real draw is the patio. In warm weather during happy hour you can kick back with a $1 PBR (they might be $2 now) on the ripped out car seats that double as furniture. They even have a port-a-potty out there for you. The jukebox is stocked with exclusively metal and classic rock which they play plenty loudly through the outdoor speakers. For being in Williamsburg the hipster factor is almost nil. It is usually a bunch of old metalheads, biker dudes, big-haired women, and a smattering of us youngsters thrown in. One of my very favorite bars in NYC. The last warm summer evening I was there they were playing midget porn on the lone TV and blaring some classic Slayer outside. My idea of a perfect bar. (North 1st and Kent -- I think, Williamsburg).
*Note: I haven't had much luck with smoking inside ANYWHERE in NYC but I can live with that*
check out billymark's west on 9th ave near w. 29th in northern chelsea. unpretentious and any time i've been there it's been devoid of corporate, yuppie, or hipster types. the place has been around since the '50s, i think, and its core clientele over the years has been the post office workers from across the street. Billymark's West User Reviews - New York, NY 10001 - Citysearch
i could name tons of dives in lower manhattan, but many of them now have a hipster or sometimes even frat element, depending on the day and time. you can find the same 10 or 20 places mentioned in any "best of nyc" list, so i won't go into more detail here.
some great places, primarily in brooklyn, are listed here. my current favorite dive that's somewhat out-of-the-way (if you're manhattan-centric) is the soccer tavern on 8th ave in sunset park. it's a truly old-school, unaffected spot that's a holdover from the days when the hood used to be predominantly norwegian(!). considering that 8th ave in sunset park is now overwhelmingly chinese, going into the soccer tavern is like entering a 1950s-era time warp.
but even though the scandinavians are almost all gone, if you look hard enough you can find a few remnants of the community (shops, food, etc - check that final link for more info).
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