Pub Crawl NYC is considering hitting a few outdoor spots this weekend in Manhattan’s Financial District. That means a visit to Stone Street is almost definitely on the itinerary. And maybe the outdoor spot in Battery Park. This weekend’s weather looks mostly promising, so we expect to be able to hit our goals this time.
All posts by deronc
A visit to Alewife in Long Island City, Queens
Alewife opened in late 2011 and is a solid craft beer bar in the Long Island City section of Queens, located at 5-14 51st Avenue (in the old Lucky Mojo space). One block south and one block west of the Vernon-Jackson 7 train stop (which is just one stop east of the Grand Central Terminal), Alewife offers 28 quality tap beers and another three dozen or so bottled beers. The spot is bi-level. Opposite the main bar area on the first floor are 6-7 high-top tables that fit 4-6 patrons. A long, non-hightop communal table resides toward the back of the lower level.
Upstairs is a small lounge area and some more tables for parties of 4-6 patrons. There’s also a small outdoor patio upstairs (that was not open during our visit). The food menu, currently experiencing some upgrades, consisted of mostly pizza and burgers, along with a few appetizers. If there were more places like it nearby, Alewife would certainly be the anchor spot for the Long Island City craft-beer NYC bar crawl.
What are your thoughts on Alewife? We want to hear from you!
A brief visit to two new spots in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen
Due to other commitments, Pub Crawl NYC wasn’t as enterprising when it came to bar hopping this weekend as we had hoped. This weekend, we visited two recently-opened spots in Hell’s Kitchen: Fast Eddies and Mickey Spillane’s. Fast Eddies is located at 47th Street & 10th Avenue (southwest corner) and Mickey Spillane’s is located at 49th street and 9th Avenue (southeast corner). A more detailed review will be forthcoming. Suffice to say, both have a sort-of neighborhood bar feel to them (maybe Fast Eddies more than Mickey Spillane’s). Each has a good craft beer selection on tap.
Where to pub crawl in NYC this weekend?
Pub Crawl NYC is pondering in which neighborhood to bar hop this weekend. Last weekend, we hit a few spots in the South Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and the Upper West Side in Manhattan. We haven’t visited Park Slope in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side in Manhattan in a while, so maybe those will be our top candidates. If you have any suggestions, please share your thoughts with us!
Some photos from a recent crawl in Manhattan's East Village
Gramercy Park Bar, located at 322 Second Avenue (between 18th and 19th Streets).
Kingston Hall, located at 149 Second Avenue (second floor).
East Village Social, located at 126 St. Mark’s Place (between First Avenue and Avenue A).
Gin Palace, located at 95 Avenue A. It’s the same owners as Cienfuegos, which is just upstairs from Gin Palace. Gin Palace’s layout is almost identical to El Cobre, the former occupant of the first floor of 95 Avenue A. Pub Crawl NYC wonders why the renovation to this location took nearly one year.
Pub Crawl NYC's visit to Doyle's Cafe in Boston
When your visit to the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston is complete, take the party trolley a few blocks south to Doyle’s Cafe. Dating back to 1882, Doyle’s is a classic Boston Irish pub as well as the starting point for the Old Boston pub crawl. A few photos from Pub Crawl NYC’s recent visit:
Pub Crawl NYC's visit to the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston
Next time you’re in Boston, you must check out the Sam Adams Brewery in the Jamaica Plain section of town. Here are a few photos from a recent visit:
Hey, look! It’s the guy from the TV commercials!
What are your thoughts on Sam Adams and brewery tours? We want to hear from you!
Pub Crawl NYC's brief thoughts on mixed drink prices in Midtown Manhattan
Pub Crawl NYC realizes it’s not news that mixed drinks at upscale Manhattan spots can now cost well over $10. Still though, on a recent night out at Rooftop Lounge at Renaissance Hotel in Midtown, Pub Crawl NYC learned that a Grey Goose vodka and soda drink cost $14 (see picture of bill below). Grey Goose is not a high end vodka, probably middle range. Considering how much ice was in the glass (see second photo below, which was taken after the drink was finished), Pub Crawl NYC thinks that this borders on the ridiculous. Yes, there are numerous cocktail bars that charge $14 or more for artisanal cocktails. But this vodka-soda was definitely not one of those well-crafted cocktails. And Pub Crawl NYC is not uniformly calling out Rooftop Lounge at Renaissance Hotel on their drink prices because there are numerous other Manhattan rooftop bars that charge similar prices. But where does it stop? It probably doesn’t. As long as we, the consumers, are willing to patronize these places and pay these prices, the establishments will continue to charge what they can.
What are your thoughts on this? Pub Crawl NYC wants to hear from you!
Another night out on Manhattan's Upper East Side
Pub Crawl NYC’s last outing on the Upper East Side was so much fun, we had to return sooner rather than later. On a recent night out, we visited three spots: Sin Bin (located on First Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets), the Honky Tonk Tavern (located on First Avenue between 63rd and 64th Streets) and Tequileria Maya (located on First Avenue between 64th and 65th Streets).
Happy Independence Day from Pub Crawl NYC
Wishing you all the best for a safe and happy holiday.