A few spots that we have been considering for the upcoming weekend include Astoria and some of Manhattan’s best beer bars. It’s been a while since Pub Crawl NYC was last in Astoria. Of course, an old friend of Pub Crawl NYC will be passing through town this weekend and this friend loves craft beer bars. So, perhaps a Manhattan craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl will also be in order this weekend. Which beer bars or section of town to you suggest that Pub Crawl NYC visits this weekend? Please share your thoughts with us.
Visit to Five Lamps Tavern on Manhattan's Upper West Side
Five Lamps Tavern, located at 2657 Broadway (between 105th and 106th Streets) is a must visit. 18 mostly quality tap beers and an outdoor space (which is still under construction). Friendly staff. A good spot to include on the Upper West Side craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl. Tasty weekend brunch menu (try the IPA-brined french fries or the breakfast flatbread!).
Summary of pub crawling in NYC this past weekend
It wasn’t Manhattan’s Financial District, it ended up being the Village in Manhattan and the North Side of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Saturday started with The Wren and continued with Jimmy’s No. 43, The Central Bar, Kettle of Fish and Barrow Street Ale House. All great spots, especially Jimmy’s and Barrow Street, both candidates for a craft-beer focused NYC pub crawl. Sunday, Pub Crawl NYC crossed the East River to explore a few recently-opened joints including The Bellwhether (in the former Royal Oak spot), Kent Ale House and The Ides Bar. A few words on the Ides Bar: If you like rooftop bars, then you must, repeat MUST visit this spot. The Ides Bar, located at 80 Wythe Avenue (at North 11th Street) offers 360 degree views of Brooklyn, Queens AND Manhattan. The bar is located only on the 6th floor, but because Williamsburg does not have many buildings above that height (not yet, anyway), you can see for miles in every direction at this place. Pub Crawl NYC can’t wait to visit again.
What are your thoughts on these spots? We want to hear from you!
Where to pub crawl in NYC this weekend?
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.
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!