With the recession in full swing, many of us are wondering how to pull off a fun summer without blowing all of our cash. Answer: the dive bar. Blue collar workers know it, alcoholics know it, and it’s time you came to know it too. Though not always aesthetically seductive, the dive bar is an essential tool of the drinking trade, and given the chance, it can be surprisingly endearing in its own gritty, down-to-earth kind of way. It’s either that or (gulp!) give up drinking. Ha, ha—right.
Frying Pan
Pier 66 (W. 26th St. & 12th Ave.)
Chelsea 212.989.6363
This floating barge gives a literal meaning to the phrase “dive bar”—the decommissioned lightship sank in the mid-‘80s only to be resurrected and refurbished for your drinking pleasure. While the ship itself essentially serves as a floating dining room, the barge it’s anchored to is really the main space, with a bar, kitchen, multi-leveled seating, and even a stage for entertainment. Although drink prices are a bit high for being served on what is essentially a hunk of rusty metal ($6 beers, mixed drinks starting at $8), the beautiful view and open atmosphere make Frying Pan the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing summer evening. Added bonus: You can use the boat’s rocking motion to explain your drunken stagger.
The Levee
212 Berry St. (@ N. 3rd St.)
Williamsburg 718.218.8787
If anything breaks here, you can bet it won’t be your wallet. This may be the only place in the state where you can get a can of a beer you’ve never heard of, a shot of paint thinner-like whiskey, and a bologna sandwich all for $6. The bar offers a variety of non-traditional bar foods (PB&J, chili dogs, cheese sandwiches, etc.) as well a cache of board games, and (perhaps best of all) complimentary cheese puffs and candy. Just be sure to bring an extra bottle of Advil for the morning after—those $2 shots of whiskey could double as deck varnish.
Stumble Inn
1454 2nd Ave. (@ E. 76th St.)
Upper East Side 212.650.0561
When Mo’s Caribbean shuttered earlier this year, the owners were wise enough to trade in the palm trees and Christmas lights for antique seltzer bottles and a tin ceiling. The new incarnation now looks more like The Gin Mill and basically has the same nightly drink specials and typical pub grub as the rest of its sister bars (Off the Wagon, Down the Hatch, and Jake’s Dilemma). A daily happy hour runs from 11:30am to 7pm (make that a "happy day?"), during which time the entire bar is half-price. With such unreal drink specials, maybe they should have named it “Stumble Out.”
Welcome to the Johnsons
123 Rivington St. (Essex & Norfolk Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.420.9911
There’s enough vinyl and wood paneling in this dive to shock an interior decorator into a '70s stupor. Intended to look like your weird Uncle Gary’s dated rec room (tanning bed not included), this vintage watering hole has recreated the era in exquisite detail. Hideous oil paintings, carved wooden ships, and old family photos adorn the walls, while shabby-chic couches sheathed in plastic embrace the young local patrons. While Johnsons’ décor may be a little, well, frightening, the $2 PBR is well worth the visual offense. Poor taste never tasted so good.
Lost & Found
113 Franklin St. (@ Greenpoint Ave.)
Greenpoint 718.383.6000
A free hotdog (veggie or “meat”) with every beer!? It would almost come as a surprise if you didn’t know that this carnival-themed establishment was brought to you by the free-pizza-giving owners of The Crocodile and Alligator Lounges. This two-story revamped warehouse is the Chucky Cheese of adult debauchery—pinball, a photo booth, and skeeball (at a quarter a game) are all welcome alternatives to the standard pool table and Buck Hunter (although they’re there too). On second thought, why bother with the games? Isn’t that just precious time taken away from your drinking?
