You don’t need me to tell you this, but I’m going to tell you anyway – there is something happening every night of the week in New York. But something I can enlighten you on is this – when it comes to going out in New York it’s all about ‘the Village’, and more specifically Greenwich Village and the East Village.
The centre of Greenwich Village is around the intersection of Bleecker Street and MacDougal Street. Here you will find bar after bar suiting all tastes. Further east along Bleecker Street you will the East Village, around 2nd Ave and St Mark’s Place (8th Street). Here things are a little more alternative.
Another popular spot is the Lower East Side, and just below East Houston Street, Ludlow Street, Orchard Street and Stanton Street bubble away constantly, no matter what night of the week it is.
Note that it is customary practice to tip a bartender with every drink. The average is $1 a beer, although this increases with larger rounds. Also note that you will not get served in many bars/nightclubs without valid ID.
102 MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village, New York, USA
This popular Irish bar can be either an intimate place for a beer or the complete opposite - it all depends on the night. Extremely welcoming thanks to the friendly staff, during the week it's perfect for a quiet beer while at weekends things get noticeably livelier.
Open daily from 11am-close.
1590 2nd Ave, between 82nd and 83rd St., New York, USA
For the 'all-American' sports bar experience where you'll see football jocks throw high fives to each other and bottles of beer blanket the wooden tables, visit this bar. Televisions outweigh the barmen, and if you feast on half of what’s on offer on its menu, you’ll outweigh most of your friends when you go home.
Open Mon-Thurs 3pm-4pm, Fri-Sun midday-4am; admission free.
MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village, New York, USA
2 shows Sun-Thurs at 9pm & 11pm, 3 shows on Fri at 9pm, 10:45pm and 12:30am and 4 shows on Sat at 7:30pm, 9:15pm, 11:00pm and 12:45am..
29 St Mark's Place (8th St), New York, USA
This Irish bar in the East Village doesn’t dwell on its ‘Oirishness’ too much thankfully. Instead, it puts most of its emphasis on cheap liquor and good tunes. All day Monday is happy hour while there are specials every day of the week.
Open daily from 12 noon-4am.
183 Bleecker St, Greenwich Village, New York, USA
Found in New York's West Village, 1849 is bar/restaurant with 'old west' theme to it. Thankfully, some of its prices aren't too far off from what they were the year this bar concentrates on! On Sundays and Mondays wings are only 5c each, while bottles of Corona are only $2 all day Tuesday.
Open daily from noon-4am.
Midtown, New York, USA
At the turn of the last century, Bowery barkeeps offered a free lunch of pickles and boiled eggs to attract workingmen during their mid-day break. This has evolved into happy hour, now designed to pull in the after-work crowds. It is generally a two-hour period, often 5–7pm, Monday to Friday only. Discounts are offered, either in two-for-one deals, or sometimes with special prices on specific drinks. Bars often put out thirst-inducing snacks like popcorn or pretzels during happy hour, but some offer free hors doeuvres, particularly the swell Midtown joints. Since the idea in these cases is to draw in well-heeled clientele, you will do well to dress appropriately, though most of these places will accommodate you as long as you perform with confidence and do not too obviously clear the tables.
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