New York Blogger Bars
Did you die a little inside when you read that headline? Good, then the rest of this shouldn't hurt a bit. We're discussing bars popular with New York blogger types as drinking establishments -- not places such people go to actually blog. One can cull a bit of history from this article in last year's Observer, and even more current selections are already fading from relevance. Bloggers be fickle. This list is neither comprehensive nor fair, as bloggers will drink most anywhere really, and the taint of blog can adhere to a place after just one signature blogger-heavy night. And don't blame me for the Lower East Side concentration ... the world is thus. Feel free to dispute, revise, or expand in the comments or tipline.
[Photo]
11th Street Bar
510 E 11th St
New York, NY 10009
Four words: Lockhart Steele birthday party. That is all. [link]
Lucky Jack's
129 Orchard St & 126 Allen Street New York, NY 10002
The legendary long copper bar really is worth checking out for nightlife aficionados, though the narrow setup leads to frequent bottlenecks. The downstairs event room … works well for parties and big groups, and it hosts the odd bloggy event or reading. [link]
Happy Ending
302 Broome St
New York, NY 10002
A trendoid suck-hole of the first order, Happy Ending nevertheless draws a regular procession of happy blogtards to its various reading series and afterparties. The … rooms are not unpleasant, but the crowd goes from zero to douchebag in nothing flat. Avoid unless you're going to support your pals onstage; even though the cocktails are passably good, it's otherwise dead or heaving. [link]
Pianos
158 Ludlow St
New York, NY 10002
The first time I saw a line behind a velvet rope waiting to get into Pianos, I thought it was a hilarious traveling art piece. But no. The line was real, as was the … velvet rope. There was no big-time secret show in the performance room. It was just Saturday night. That was a year ago, or more, and a couple years before that, bloggers were already sick of this place. [link]
Marshall Stack
66 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
Long since overrun with awful creatures on weekends, you can still occasionally scrape out a decent evening on weeknights. Still no liquor here last time I checked, but … not bad for a swill with the right crowd. [link]
Lolita
266 Broome St
New York, NY 10002
This bar enjoyed only a brief spurt of bloggy populism, though lil' gatherings still take place on weeknights when the douche factor is relatively low. An acceptable … local when LESers aren't in the mood to work too hard for their booze. [link]
Shark Bar
48 Spring St
New York, NY 10012
No, fool, not this place -- Shark Bar is nominally called Spring Lounge, but Alex Balk made a habit of popularizing the already more-popular name for the place … whilst at Gawker. There are sharks, there is a bar. That's all you need know. [link]
Tom & Jerry's
288 Elizabeth St
New York, NY 10012
T&J's "real" name is supposedly the 288 Bar, but use that moniker and no one will know where you mean. It's another popular after-work stop for Silicon Alley denizens … due to its cavernous space, long bar, and decent draft selection. [link]
White Rabbit
145 E Houston St
New York, NY 10002
A loungey LES drinkery favored by bloggos desiring a step up from the usual divey swill. Played host to "Gothamist House" a couple years back. (photo) [link]
Max Fish
178 Ludlow St
New York, NY 10002
Still absurdly popular despite succumbing to noble rot some time ago. Yes, it's an LES institution of sorts, and yes, the lights are too goddamn bright, and yes, everyone … has had bad nights here. But we all had nights here, right man? You know, right? [link]
