8:30 pm- My
cell phone rings; it’s an old friend, thirsty and bored.
Having worn himself out on the glut of bars, restaurants,
and clubs that dot Manhattan, I remind him that Bay Ridge
is rife with great spots to kick back and have a drink. The
last exit before heading to the wilds of Staten Island, Bay
Ridge is a quiet corner of Brooklyn where Dutch fishermen
harvested the waters in the days of New Amsterdam. Often overlooked
in pricey city guides, Bay Ridge has a vibrant nightlife,
with its own Restaurant Row and slew of bars, pubs, and lounges.
We settle on a time and place to meet.
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10:00
PM- The appointed meeting spot is one
of New York’s least known landmarks, the Barkaloo
Family Graveyard, commonly called the Revolutionary
War Cemetery. The plot of land, at the corner
of Narrows Avenue and Mackay Place (and adjacent to a
Catholic school), only covers the area of a typical single
car garage. Four or five headstones stand silent witness
to a time long past. There is some debate whether any
of those residing in the cemetery actually fought in the
war, but it makes for a charmingly creepy and anachronistic
sight. |
Our first stop, The
Salty Dog (on 3rd Avenue between 76th Street
and Bay Ridge Parkway), is perhaps one of the city’s
most schizophrenic bars. Weekdays this firehouse-themed
bar & grill offers a full menu by Chef Victor and
a giant television for the neighborhood’s sports
fans. Weekend nights, the bar
morphs into one of the biggest meat markets in lower NYC.
The young, beautiful, and horny flock from Staten Island
and other surrounding neighborhoods, bling sparkling in
the party lights, to get down to the best that KTU (NY
pop dance radio station) has to offer. |
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| Grinding bodies, glistening with
sweat, populate the dance floor in the back. Sex rises
from the crowd like a toxic fume, so intense you can almost
taste it. It’s here that the true spirit of Tony
Manero lives on- dressed to the nines and cruisin' to
score. Luckily it’s early enough that we don’t
have to wade through a mass of bodies to get to the bar. |
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11:
00 PM- (718)
567-BEER says it all.
Bullshots,
a generally non-descript bar on 5th avenue between 80th
and 81st streets, is a must for any true beer connoisseur.
Throughout the 90s, it was known as Ruby’s, a
popular destination for those in the dancing/prowling
mood but not willing to brave the crowds at the Salty
Dog. A change of ownership has changed Bullshots- for
the better. Offering the requisite darts and pool table,
Bullshots hosts a young crowd of local regulars who
like to have fun, but its real draw is the great selection
of microbrews. It's one of the only bars in Bay Ridge
where Ommegang, Flying Dog, Magic Hat, and Victory beers
are poured with pride. Tom Byrnes, a bartender and sometime
DJ, was nice enough to give his recommendations, and
remind us that like wine, fine beer is best drunk from
a glass. A pint glass, that is. The bar’s proximity
to 86th Street, one of Bay Ridge’s main commercial
areas, makes it a great stop after dinner or holiday
shopping. |
12:30
am- Just a couple of blocks down Fifth
Avenue is The
Wicked Monk, a lively Irish pub known
for its live music and weekend crowd. Much of the interior
was built from salvaged pieces of a 17th century Irish
monastery; plenty of wood and stained glass lends the
bar an authentic Irish feel.
Damnation and hellfire once rained on the faithful
from the DJ booth in its previous life as a church pulpit,
and at the confessional-turned-phone booth, only AT&T
is willing to listen (with the proper amount of change,
of course). The Wicked Monk also boasts the longest
bar in Bay Ridge, so there’s plenty of room to
get your order in.
The crowd cuts across all ages, though weekend nights
tend to attract a younger set with bands and DJs providing
entertainment for those not on the pool table. On stage,
the cover band bangs out a soulful rendition of “Brown
Eyed Girl”; the slightly sauced mob rewards them
with a deafening cheer.
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2:00
am- Back on Third Avenue, Delia's
Lounge (at 9224 3rd Ave) goes for a more
“Manhattan” vibe. Antique claw-footed couches,
heavy velvet curtains, and bulbously colorful drinks are
lorded over by a giant replica of the Mona Lisa. The bordello
décor and martini list attract a clientele looking
to live out their favorite Sex and the City episode. Over
the chattering of the perfectly coiffed horde, I hear
my friend comment to gorgeous martini-sipping Miranda
clone that “if it weren’t for OJ Simpson,
I would never have gotten into Bruno Magli shoes.”
I don’t know if it's the reference to an accused
killer or his ratty Payless loafers that finally sends
her packing. |
| 2:45
am- Ahead
glows the radiant sleekness of the Verrazano
Bridge as we reach
Kitty
Kiernan's (between
97th Street and Marine Avenue), named after the fiancée
of assassinated Irish politician Michael Collins. Once
inside, I ask my friend if he recognizes the brick archways
that separate the bar area from the “lounge”
area. Kitty’s crimson interior appeared as a set
in Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. Here the Guiness
tap is never closed for long, and the bartenders' Irish
brouge are unmistakeble. |
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Just a few blocks away
stands St.
John's Episcopal Church,
built in 1834. This historic chapel counts Stonewall
Jackson (who was baptized there in 1849), Robert E.
Lee, and Abner Doubleday amongst the congregation. Lee
and Jackson were also briefly stationed at nearby Fort
Hamilton, which remains an operational military installation
today.
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3:30
am- As the night comes to a close, my
friend and I both reach the most logical conclusion:
it’s time to hit the diner. Tiffany's
at 99th Street and 4th Avenue offers, as most Bay Ridge
diners, 24 hour service so that revelers can soak up
a night of boozin’ with some greasy french fries
and burgers. Nearby Cannonball
Park, also called John
Paul Jones Park, has one of the few remaining
Rodman guns in the world. The Rodman was created as
a coastal defence weapon and used throughout the Civil
War. This 20-inch model, now bathed in the serene light
of the bridge, was first tested in 1864, weighs 58 tons
and fired giant cannonballs weighing 1080 pounds.
At the diner, my friend tries his best to charm the
comely waitress, but winds up spilling water all over
himself instead. As we head off to the subway station,
he gives me a hearty, slightly moist handshake, and
thanks me for showing him around. While it may not be
as popular as other areas of the city, Bay Ridge offers
a variety and quantity of nightlife options to rival
the best “it” neighborhood. If you’d
like to satisfy your own curiosity, just hop on the
R train and head for the end of the line. You’ll
be sure to find a bar you can call home, if only for
the time it takes to drain a pint.
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