Per the comments on yesterday’s post, Friday the 20th seemed like a good consensus, and so did “somewhere in Midtown or Hell’s Kitchen”.
Now open for suggestions as to the exact venue (or any other questions / suggestions). Tag, you’re it!
(Best I can tell from our archives, the last couple NYC meets, both in early 2014, were held at Rudy’s and Ballaro. I could swear there’ve been others since then, but if so, I managed not to tag them correctly — or they just didn’t get covered on the front page.)
Gin & Tonic
@srv: It’s only a lunch place, unfortunately.
Mike J
@Gin & Tonic: Please don’t support him, even ironically.
SarahT
Crappity crap crap ! Will be out of town, but I suggest the Old Town Bar 45 E 18th: Great atmosphere, good basic bar food, and a lessi-busy dining room upstairs. Used to be featured in the Letterman Show intro, FWIW. Good place, very old school.
SarahT
@Mike J: Especially not ironically.
LAO
Not midtown or Hell’s Kitchen. Abbey tavern, 26th and 3d. Recently renovated, with good outdoor feel, but indoors.
daveNYC
I’d throw out Hallo Berlin as an option. German beer garden on 10th, with outdoor space. Tenth isn’t what I’d call convenient to transportation though. Personally I’d also go with the Bohemian Hall out in Queens, but I’m pretty sure nobody wants to deal with that.
Who really doesn’t want to walk and what subway/PATH/whatever will you be coming in on?
SarahT
@daveNYC Another plus w/Old Town – it’s right near Union Square & loads of subway lines
Tom Q
Well, since I live in the People’s Republic of the Upper West Side, East Village is the least convenient for me, but whatever works for the majority.
Diana
Alas Ballaro closed, driven out of biz by the astronomical rents of the East Village. I intend to turn up for the meet-up, although I’ve been too busy to post anything here lately. I see we have two votes already for Old Town — I’ve never been, but it looks OK: oldtownbar.com/
SarahT
@Diana: no matter how nicely and/or drunkenly you ask, Old Town will not let you ride in the dumbwaiter :( – we tried.
LAO
@Diana: It’s a good, old school bar with great hamburgers. The downstairs gets super crowded, though.
daveNYC
The Boat Basin would be pretty excellent, though quite inconvenient.
We have a rough head count and anyone who has a strong need for closeness to a specific subway or PATH? Friday after work is gonna get crowded, even with people heading out for the three day.
LAO
I’m in and nearness to subways not an issue for me. But it’s not the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. That’s the following weekend.
SarahT
@LAO: Salads are good there, too. But one drawback just came to mind: There’s no elevator to the quieter upstairs area, so not a good place for anyone with disabilities.
daveNYC
Details details.
Edit: That’s in response to LAO pointing out the correct weekend. Not a dismissal of the lack of stairs. ‘Cause that’d be shitty.
LAO
@SarahT: I don’t love Old Town Bar, but if everyone else is in favor, that’s fine. (Honestly, I feel like a schmuck, I live about 7 blocks from the bar, so it couldn’t be more convenient for me, but it’s an impossibly loud and crowded bar downstairs. lol),
PaulWartenberg2016
@srv:
They won’t serve Trump any crow.
SarahT
@LAO: True, it gets packed, so that’s why I thought the upstairs would be better. But most decent places will also be packed on Fridays after 4pm, really. Wherever you guys end up, have a few for me – wish I could go.
debbie
@SarahT:
Glad the Old Town is still around. We used to hang out there after work back in the bad old days of the early 1990s. I don’t think it has AC, though.
Vheidi
We could try my local, the archive, 12 e 36
daveNYC
In that neck of the woods there’s also Rattle ‘n Hum East and The Keg Room.
RedDirtGirl
@SarahT: Asking was your first mistake.
RedDirtGirl
I’m in! I’ll meet y’all anywhere!!