kat

I´m heading for New York next week with a friend. We want of course to visit the St. Patrick´s day-Parade. We are wondering what the best place is to be hanging out that day.
We are staying on west 72 street in Manhattan for a week, so we are also interested in some other nice hot spots. This is our second stay in New York in two years, back then we saw all the touristic places and now we´re looking for some ´not-touristic´ places to hang out.

Thanks, Kat

Kelly

Very proud Irish here would skip the parade, they have banned Irish Gays and Lesbians from marching. Also the parade is frequented by drunks and red necks from the boroughs and NJ. I live here and I can tell you it is never fun when that parade comes to town. The marchers are great but the crowd tends to ruin it.

I would go to the Irish Arts Center 57 or 59 between 10 - 11th last year they had a number of all day festivitites. I know in the evening Cherish the ladies and an Irish Tenor are performing. There is also an Irish play on Some years Ceilis have been organized.

alexander

Kelly is incorrect in her facts. They have not banned gay and lesbian marchers, as individuals. The organizers have invited them to march but not as a distinct group.

Kat to see the parade, from West 72nd, you can walk straight across the Park to Fifth Avenue.

In terms of places to go, there are plenty of great places to go that are not "touristy." However, my suggestions might vary depending on your age/interests.

If you are on the younger side (or terminally hip) there are some gret places to hang out in Soho, the Village, Tribeca, etc.

Merilee

One of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades is held in Pearl River, New York which is in Rockland County and about 15 miles north of the city...it's also home to one of the largest Irish populations...it's going to be held on Sunday, March 17th...afterwards (or before) you can get traditional Irish fare at Curragh's, Gallagher's Keane's Sheeran's and probably even Joe & Joe's all on Central Avenue...it's easily reached by bus via either Port Authority location and it's off Palisades Parkway exit 6W...there's a Hilton there, too and it has an indoor pool...it's a wonderful parade in a small town setting, but it really is huge and it gets crowded.

Marj

I don't know if this is still true (i'm long past that point in my life!), but the area to hang out after the parade were the bars/pubs in the 70s on the east side (2nd & 3rd av). They'd be packed with people, including many of the fire and police (off duty of course). It's a very lively atmosphere for the 20s single crowd (if that's what you're looking for).

Jay

I live at the end of the parade at 86th and 2nd. The police and fire buses line up along second avenue to take home the drunken municipal employees. The main bars afterwards are Fitzpatricks, the Gaf (both 85/2nd), OFlannagans on 83/2nd and really any bar in that area. Just a request...by 1 a.m. please keep it down, I'm sleeping