Located at 19 West 31^st Street, Gibson & Luce is a speakeasy-style bar in the basement level of the Life Hotel.  According to some, this space was a true speakeasy back in the Prohibition era.  Now, it’s an early 21^st century era NYC “speakeasy”.  Patrons can enter directly from the street by climbing down a few stairs to the somewhat unmarked door (see photo below) or through the hotel lobby and take the elevator down one level.  The bar seats around 10 patrons and other table seating is good for parties of 2 to 6.  We figure this space can get crowded fairly quickly, so it’s probably a good idea to arrive early.

Located at 300 West 40^th Street in the shadow of Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal, Beer Authority is a solid spot for any NYC beer bar crawl through the neighborhood.  We’ve been here numerous times since it opened in 2012.  We hadn’t been here in a while and figured a visit was in order.  The spot is doing as great as ever.

Located at 515 Ninth Avenue at the southern edge of Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Bar Gonzo is a bi-level spot connected to Cassa Times Square Hotel (a smidge too far west and south to be a “Times Square” hotel, we think).  The ground level has a small bar and seating area.  The second floor bar area looks west and is significantly larger.  It’s an enclosed spot that (we expect) will have open windows once the weather warms up.  There’s a Hunter S. Thompson theme going on here.  Stop in here on your next Ninth Avenue NYC bar crawl.