*Before reading the following blog, you're asked to push play on the adjacent playlist. Use the first two songs as a backdrop for this one. Thank you wisely.
Friday night was unbeatable. Some of the home kids and I thought we'd check out a bar in the city for a change and get out of the Queens crawl we always run with the people we always see. Because I was the pusher for a change I was left in charge of finding a place to go. And because some of my friends still look at subway maps like a Russian tourist with an eye patch, I played navigator as well.
Hunting for a bar can be tricky when your trying to please a small, yet opinionated group of young revelers who claim they'll go "anywhere." There's certain criteria these establishments must meet, that even CitySearch.com can't guarantee.
First, you have to make sure it's cheap enough. Not just standard cheap, college cheap. But Googling "cheap bars NYC" gets you nowhere. Nowhere safe at least. Trust me. We're looking for drink specials and invisible cover charges.
Next we must consider "the vibe." Delicate stuff here. If it's too clubby, some group members may feel out of place, or worse yet, they may not be dressed appropriately. If it's too pubby, we may as well have stayed in Queens. Music, theme, crowd...all of it comes into play during this stage.
Now for location. This one's huge kids. Cab rides are a wallet sucker, subway connections can get confusing (especially when the group navigator tends to wander off), and walking should be kept to a minimum (girls tend to wear heals and certain people avidly avoid coat checks, no matter how cold the alternative may be).
After an hour or so of reading NYU student blogs, browsing bar and club websites, considering reviews and playing on HopStop.com, I'd found the bar: Fat Black Pussy Cat. You read me right.
Before I go on I really need to reflect on a portion of our commute into the city. Our train was stopped at the Jamaica station platform for an unusually long period of time. Once we began moving again, the intercom assured us it was just some "intoxicated guys who were surfing on top of the train." This is Long Island's finest folks.
Anyway - Fat Black Pussy Cat - one of the best parts about this place was that you were really getting 3 bars in one. The main bar was pure pub, pool table and dart board included. The room beside it was more of a lounge. And the basement...we never left. Thanks to good real estate (and the same owner) this bar sits atop a pretty famous venue -The Village Underground. And this place was shaking in every sense of the word. Which brings me to my new obsession, The UnionN. This group of musicians had me 100% entranced in their sound from the moment I stepped inside. Check them out if you haven't already at myspace.com/theunionn. It's no surprise John Mayer and Sasha Allen have jammed out with these guys before. They're incredible, and make live music what it should be.
As for the details of my night - there was a lot of dancing, a certain friend got friendly with a saxophonist, and I somehow got separated from the group (no worries, I ran in to them on the train ride home). All around, some great memories.
Friday night was unbeatable. Some of the home kids and I thought we'd check out a bar in the city for a change and get out of the Queens crawl we always run with the people we always see. Because I was the pusher for a change I was left in charge of finding a place to go. And because some of my friends still look at subway maps like a Russian tourist with an eye patch, I played navigator as well.
Hunting for a bar can be tricky when your trying to please a small, yet opinionated group of young revelers who claim they'll go "anywhere." There's certain criteria these establishments must meet, that even CitySearch.com can't guarantee.
First, you have to make sure it's cheap enough. Not just standard cheap, college cheap. But Googling "cheap bars NYC" gets you nowhere. Nowhere safe at least. Trust me. We're looking for drink specials and invisible cover charges.
Next we must consider "the vibe." Delicate stuff here. If it's too clubby, some group members may feel out of place, or worse yet, they may not be dressed appropriately. If it's too pubby, we may as well have stayed in Queens. Music, theme, crowd...all of it comes into play during this stage.
Now for location. This one's huge kids. Cab rides are a wallet sucker, subway connections can get confusing (especially when the group navigator tends to wander off), and walking should be kept to a minimum (girls tend to wear heals and certain people avidly avoid coat checks, no matter how cold the alternative may be).
After an hour or so of reading NYU student blogs, browsing bar and club websites, considering reviews and playing on HopStop.com, I'd found the bar: Fat Black Pussy Cat. You read me right.
Before I go on I really need to reflect on a portion of our commute into the city. Our train was stopped at the Jamaica station platform for an unusually long period of time. Once we began moving again, the intercom assured us it was just some "intoxicated guys who were surfing on top of the train." This is Long Island's finest folks.
Anyway - Fat Black Pussy Cat - one of the best parts about this place was that you were really getting 3 bars in one. The main bar was pure pub, pool table and dart board included. The room beside it was more of a lounge. And the basement...we never left. Thanks to good real estate (and the same owner) this bar sits atop a pretty famous venue -The Village Underground. And this place was shaking in every sense of the word. Which brings me to my new obsession, The UnionN. This group of musicians had me 100% entranced in their sound from the moment I stepped inside. Check them out if you haven't already at myspace.com/theunionn. It's no surprise John Mayer and Sasha Allen have jammed out with these guys before. They're incredible, and make live music what it should be.
As for the details of my night - there was a lot of dancing, a certain friend got friendly with a saxophonist, and I somehow got separated from the group (no worries, I ran in to them on the train ride home). All around, some great memories.
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