Not everything will be hipsters in Williamsburg...
They smell bad. To a mixture of humidity, dirty cloth, alcohol and stale panchitos . The worst bathroom in Scotland next to the toilets in some of these bars is the newly polished Palace. On its walls there is no room for one more graffiti. The chairs and stools, if any, are broken . It is better not even to look at its floors, no matter how close you stay. Like your bar. Because you come back again and again. And you sit on their broken chairs, next to that fixed clientele that has been sitting there since they lifted the Prohibition Law . You order the cheapest beer, in this case, national brands Budweiser, Bud Light or PBR (the student beer). You look ahead. You ask for another. And another. And maybe you order a shot of cheap whiskey with a can of beer when happy hour rolls around. And you go hungry or order takeout from another place.
In general, by definition, dive bars never serve food. Although of course, there are exceptions, cheap and crappy exceptions , but that pair perfectly with the choice of your beer. Or they are the final rapier of your night.
In each neighborhood there is a dive bar or several. It's the usual bar . The neighborhood dive. The one who is always there. Faithful. Or so you think. Gentrification is turning these city mainstays into an endangered species. More and more classics close and with them a little bit of the soul of New York leaves . Their rents go up and they have to close. Hopefully, they move to another location. Another place where your parishioners will follow you. blindly.
HOGS AND HEIFERS SALOON
This is a farewell. The reason for this article . If nothing changes, the Hogs and Heifers, the counterpoint of that increasingly cute and uniform Meatpacking District **will close its doors in a few weeks (they raise the rent to 70 thousand dollars)**. And he will turn off his megaphones. Legend has it that El bar Coyote was inspired by this joint with waitresses armed with megaphones who yell at each new customer, “no photos” and “only beer”, if you don't drink, go away. No peepers. And yes, they dance too. And they hang bras on the walls. And you don't know where to lean. And it's dark all day . And its wall full of stickers and graffiti and beer neons defies the cute Standard hotel and the High Line. Hogs and Heifers has been in the area since 1992, and if it goes away, the past of this neighborhood of meat slaughterhouses goes with him.
A New York nightlife institution
THE RACCOON LODGE AND THE PATRIOT SALOON
They are two classics of Downtown Manhattan. Those places where Wall Street executives loosen their ties and they enjoy the relaxed afterwork, with happy hour, a bit of pool and at the Patriot even with greasy food. One of the classics of dive bars are the waitresses and those of these two are among the most revered. Of course, the bras hang from fans and strange decoration, in the patriot.
Those places where Wall Street executives loosen their ties
JIMMY'S CORNER
You fall through Times Square and you get thirsty . Or you die of heat. You always wonder where you can go, that is not a big chain of food or cafes, or a super restaurant swarming with tourists. Jimmy's Corner is your place. A dive bar where There is hardly room for two people between the bar and the wall, with tables at the back, the air conditioning always very high and the beer very cold and very cheap. The walls are papered with old posters and photos of Jimmy, the boxer, owner of the place, who still walks around.
You fall through Times Square and... Jimmy's awaits you!
CHARLESTONE
Not everything is going to be hip bars in Williamsburg. The Charlestone resists and fills up every night. We don't know if for his beer or for the free pizza you can order for every beer you drink . It is the worst/best decision you can make. Happy hour lasts eight hours (from 12 in the morning to 8 in the evening).
Free pizza for every beer you order... FAN
THE LIBRARY AND THE DOUBLE DOWN SALOON
The East Village and the Lower East Side are youth territory. Students roam freely thirsty for cheap beer . For this reason, there are still some of the areas where you can find seedy bars that will touch your heart, such as Library (with books on the walls To pretend ) or Double Down Saloon, proud to be the inventors of the cocktail assjuice ( ass juice ) either the bacon martini.
Subway Inn
A survivor. 77 years had been in the same place on 60th Street , at the beginning of the Upper East Side, serving beer in the dark. Last year he announced his closure and the neighborhood turned to try to save him. They succeeded and opened in December two blocks further east. They took with them that neon that is one of the most emblematic of the city.
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77 years serving drinks