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need recommendation for NYC lower east side meeting place

AC7

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Ok, let's give this a shot; I'm a NYC native but I've been living in Miami for 5 years and I'm a little out of date on the NYC nightlife scene (plus I was always kind of a geek so not like I ever knew the scene that well):

I need a place on the lower east side, from say Tompkins Square/St. Mark's Place area south to E. Houston, to have a bunch of people meet up. Not sure how many people, could be from 5 to 14. I'm looking for a bar that also serves bar food. This will be around 9 o'clock on an upcoming Saturday so ideally it will be busy enough to be fun but not so busy that we can't all find seating.

Clientele would ideally be diverse, can't stand yuppies and hipsters are almost as bad, and definitely don't want too young a crowd.

Ideally the bartenders would be female and hot, but that's not really a necessity I guess, not like I ever work up the nerve to hit on the bartender...

Any suggestions?
 

mps23

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lower east side is full of yup-sters & frat brothers. i'm not sure there is any spot down there that would be lacking in either type of douchebag. i'm not sure what i disliked more: getting mugged past 1st ave & in the LES back in the early 90s, or getting harrassed today every block by some lame hipster for a cigarette.

anyway, you might want to go to freeman's, essex bar, schiller's, but if your party is small enough, clinton st bakery is great, but no bar. i hear shopsin's opened up in the LES, but it's probably not as cool as its old spot in the west village. you could get some scones & teas at moby's teany. there's also inoteca.
 

romafan

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Originally Posted by AC7
Ok, let's give this a shot; I'm a NYC native but I've been living in Miami for 5 years and I'm a little out of date on the NYC nightlife scene (plus I was always kind of a geek so not like I ever knew the scene that well):

I need a place on the lower east side, from say Tompkins Square/St. Mark's Place area south to E. Houston, to have a bunch of people meet up. Not sure how many people, could be from 5 to 14. I'm looking for a bar that also serves bar food. This will be around 9 o'clock on an upcoming Saturday so ideally it will be busy enough to be fun but not so busy that we can't all find seating.

Clientele would ideally be diverse, can't stand yuppies and hipsters are almost as bad, and definitely don't want too young a crowd.
Ideally the bartenders would be female and hot, but that's not really a necessity I guess, not like I ever work up the nerve to hit on the bartender...

Any suggestions?


You are SOL. Depending on your definitions, everyone fits into one of these catagories....
 

tbone226

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Originally Posted by AC7
Clientele would ideally be diverse, can't stand yuppies and hipsters are almost as bad, and definitely don't want too young a crowd.

Not sure that its possible to avoid people in those categories, but I'd recommend Schillers Liquor Bar
http://www.schillersny.com/
 

gdl203

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The OP is not looking for LES suggestions - the boundaries he mentioned define the East Village. To answer the OP question - what you're looking for doesn't exist. Saturdays are busy everywhere, there are "yuppies" and "hipsters" everywhere, there is no place where you'd want to go and where you could find seating for 14 people without reserving a table, and by definition the crowd in the East Village is young.
 

fredfred

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Bourgouis Pig... 7th street between 1st & Avenue A. It's a wine bar. They have minimal food. It's more of a bring a date place though. Definitely not an ultra young crowd. But it's not the upper east side, so youngish is expected.
 

romafan

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Originally Posted by gdl203
The OP is not looking for LES suggestions - the boundaries he mentioned define the East Village. To answer the OP question - what you're looking for doesn't exist. Saturdays are busy everywhere, there are "yuppies" and "hipsters" everywhere, there is no place where you'd want to go and where you could find seating for 14 people without reserving a table, and by definition the crowd in the East Village is young.

The OP did state 'lower east side', but then gave parameters that indicated he was really interested in the East Village. That being said, the East Village is a neighborhood that only came into being in the '60s (I think). Historically, that area was always part of the LES...
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by romafan
The OP did state 'lower east side', but then gave parameters that indicated he was really interested in the East Village. That being said, the East Village is a neighborhood that only came into being in the '60s (I think). Historically, that area was always part of the LES...

I never heard it being referred to as the Lower East Side. Before "East Village" it was generally referred to as "Alphabet City".

In any case, I wanted to redirect suggestions towards the EV since the OP clearly meant that and not the LES (based on the area he defined)
 

wq1999

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Originally Posted by AC7
I need a place on the lower east side, from say Tompkins Square/St. Mark's Place area south to E. Houston, to have a bunch of people meet up.

The area you specified would really be "East Village". LES begins south of E. Houston Street. Welcome back.
 

samblau

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Schillers makes good drinks...but always crowded when I go, usualyl past 10PM. Most places in that area are going to be crowded with B&T and D'Bags. I feel somewhat bad using those terms as I was raised on LI...but damn I can't beleive the attitudes these kids have...and I am only 27.

PEGU club which has been spoken of on this site is fantastic. If you go early or call and see about making a reservation you might do well.

Certain hotel or restaurant bars might be decent if you make a reservation...upstairs at Rivington Hotel maybe, wil be pricey. Aside from that be prepared for a lot of yuppies, kids with too much or their parents money or a lot of credit card debt.
 

romafan

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Originally Posted by gdl203
I never heard it being referred to as the Lower East Side. Before "East Village" it was generally referred to as "Alphabet City".

Originally Posted by wq1999
The area you specified would really be "East Village". LES begins south of E. Houston Street. Welcome back.

Alphabet City only includes Avenues A,B,C & D. The East Village extends west to Fourth Avenue. The 'old' Lower East Side's northern boundry was 14th Street, and Broadway to the west....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_E...cal_boundaries

But, yes, the OP is looking for an EV locale.
 

MrDaniels

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Originally Posted by romafan
Alphabet City only includes Avenues A,B,C & D. The East Village extends west to Fourth Avenue. The 'old' Lower East Side's northern boundry was 14th Street, and Broadway to the west....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_E...cal_boundaries

But, yes, the OP is looking for an EV locale.

+1


The area south of 14th and east of Lafayette was always considered the Lower East Side until the Hippie culture of the 1960s, that is when it took on the "East Village" name and vibe. Alphabet City is just a part of the East Village. Do you all know the Alphaber City Safety lecture? I got it when I moved down there in the early 90s:


Remember:

Avenue A is OK

B is Beware

Cis Caution

D is DEATH!!!!


(Nowadays it's all pretty good except for D....)
 

gdl203

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How old are you guys exactly? I made a simple comment about the area being EV and not LES and I'm getting reactions about how the neighborhoods were called in the 1960's. That's interesting but I doubt that either the OP or yourselves used to hang out in the LES in the 60's...?
 

romafan

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Originally Posted by gdl203
How old are you guys exactly? I made a simple comment about the area being EV and not LES and I'm getting reactions about how the neighborhoods were called in the 1960's. That's interesting but I doubt that either the OP or yourselves used to hang out in the LES in the 60's...?

Interesting historical note, that's all. Knowledge is power.

BTW, I'm 67....
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by romafan
BTW, I'm 67....
Really? I had no idea - thought you were in your forties
 

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