Best Bar to Watch a Sporting Event On the Cheap
The 13th Step
We've always been big fans of The 13th Step. Every night of the week, there is some sort of insanely good special, including Tuesday night’s 1 dollar drafts from 8 PM until 4 AM. Also (pictured above), Happy Hour is all day everyday. You just can’t beat the deals at this place. Sure, it’s pretty douchey and a lot of NYU kids are there, but if a game is on and you want to be at a fun, cheap place where you’re not going to be paying at least 15 dollars for each pitcher, go to The Step and enjoy the hell out of those 7 dollar pitchers. Just try and remember to close your tab out after 4 or 5 of those…
Location: East Village. Address: 149 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Best Bar to Dance the Night Away
The Woods
If you’re looking for a consistent dance party, The Woods is always a great time. The drinks aren’t too overpriced and there’s always a wide variety of good looking people. Yes, there’s tons of places to dance in this city, but we've never been let down at The Woods.
Side’s note: this is the best bar, not nightclub, for dancing. Basically any nightclub in the city (that you can get into) is the best one to dance the night away.
Location: Williamsburg. Address: 48 S 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Best Bar for Day Drinking
Any rooftop party in the city
Spring has sprung in New York. Essentially, this means that the season of exposed skin and rampant alcoholism is upon us! In the winter, the true drinkers are found in dark whiskey lounges and dives, while the rest of the population “stays in because it’s too cold out.” Thank God that’s over. Spring and Summer welcomes the seasonal drinkers back into the fold. Each night, patios across the city are filled with margarita swilling New Yorkers. The best place to day drink, though? A rooftop. Any rooftop, really. Whether its 5 people having some 40s or a hundred people with a DJ, you really can’t beat the fun, cheapness of enjoying libations on a goddamn roof.
Location: Anywhere in New York.
(Editor's note: Hit theThe Frying Pan. Get there early.)
Best Bar for Games
The Whiskey Brooklyn & Ace Bar (Tie)
Sometimes (read: always) it’s really fun to play video games, darts, you name it, at a bar. Both The Whiskey Brooklyn in Williamsburg and Ace Bar in the East Village, have a very similar vibe. Usually a good crowd of people any night of the week, cheap enough drinks and tons of fun extra curricular activities to engage in.
Location: East Village. Address: 531 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009 (Ace)
Location: Williamsburg. Address: 44 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (Whiskey)
Best Bar for Solo Drinking
169 Bar
Don’t get us wrong, 169 Bar in Chinatown is awesome to go to with friends (as most bars are) but there’s always such an eclectic, fun crowd, that the bar is actually quite amazing when you’re going by yourself, as well. It’s a New Orleans style bar with great food, cool bartenders, and always cute girls. So, stop in sometime and make some friends at the bar.
Also: That’s a picture of Flight of the Conchords at the bar, so…ya know, that’s pretty awesome, too.
Location: Chinatown. Address: 169 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
Best Bar Food
Crocodile Lounge/ Alligator Lounge
Okay, so, there’s a lot of really, really great bar food in New York. However, only a few places offer a free personal pan pizza with every (yes, every) drink you order. Crocodile Lounge and its sister bar, Alligator Lounge, in Williamsburg are these golden beacons of hope. Also, the pizza is actually pretty awesome thin, crusted dopeness. Beer and pizza continues to be a winning combination.
Location: East Village. Address: 325 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003 (Crocodile)
Location: Williamsburg. Address: 600 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (Alligator)
Best Happy Hour if You Happen to be Stuck in Midtown
Johnny Utahs
Listen: a lot of New Yorkers have to work in Midtown and, overall, it’s not too fun. However, there is good news for all of our friends up there. Food trucks, for one, are a great staple of the Midtown lunch scene. There’s the amazing Halal Guys stand on 53rd and 6th and, then, of course, all of the touring trucks that stop in for a day here and there. Secondly, there’s Johnny Utah’s Happy Hour special. 3 dollars for cans of Rolling Rock and Budweiser drafts. Also, when people get really drunk, they get on the mechanical bull which is always hilarious. Besides Johnny Utah’s, there is a sea of overpriced, terrible Irish pubs to avoid at all costs. Oh, and did we mention that the bartenders at Johnny Utah's are all smokeshows….
Location: Midtown. Address: 25 W 51st St #3, New York, NY 10019
Best Bar for a One Night Stand
Lit Lounge
One night stands are a staple of the New York lifestyle. Lit is an excellent bar to capitalize. It's seedy in the best way possible. Sex, drugs & Rock ‘n Roll just ooze out of this establishment. The best time to get there is (basically) any night at 2 AM or later. The dance floor will be crowded, the drinks will be flowing and by closing time, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be going home with someone new.
Location: East Village. Address: 93 2nd Ave # A, New York, NY 10003
Enjoy, bros. Just make sure you don't hang out in Times Square the whole time you're in New York.
Follow Stu and his writing partner Ethan on Twitter @stu_mc and @ejwalden
“