upper west side bars
 

I will be in NYC in a few weeks and staying on the upper west side on 79th st between Amsterdam and Columbus ave's and would like one night out for a few drinks. From what I have read there are alot of bars on Amsterdam ave and some on Columbus ave; can someone recommend a place which serves cheaper drinks in this area (within walking distance) to accommodate the low value of the Aussie dollar.<BR>Thanks in advance

You best bet for cheap drinks will be to stop in any of the beer-pouring frat bars, but they lack atmosphere and are testosterone heavy. <BR>420, at Amsterdam & 80th, has a nice atmosphere but probably doesn't qualify as "cheap". What price range are you looking for?

Allan -- there are literally dozens of bars within walking distance of 79th & Amsterdam. Jess is right, most of them are of the "frat boy" variety which means a young crowd and not a ton of atmosphere. I'd suggest you just wander until you find something that strikes your fancy.<BR><BR>A few old favorites -- Raccoon Lodge, McAleer's, the Firehouse.

Thanks Jess and Lisa; Thanks for the info; not familiar with the term frat boy but guessing you mean of the younger age group?<BR><BR>Thanks again

"Frat boy" refers to men belonging to fraternities. The stereotype is of a loud, uncouth group of men who prefer beer to wine, fart jokes to Shakespeare, and Adam Sandler to Dustin Hoffman. Have you ever seen Animal House? Those guys are the ulitmate "frat boys". Not totally true, but not always that far off, IMO.<BR><BR>A nice bar for just sitting and talking is Fez, above the Time Cafe on Broadway & 84th I think. The food at the restaurant isn't great, but the place is very mellow and you can sit by the window and look out on Broadway.

For cheap drinks, try Jake's Dilemma (81st/80th/Amsterdam) - for a place I like, but which is a bit more $$, try Potion Lounge (77th/78th/Columbus). If you're looking for cheap drinks - 9 times out of 10 it's gonna be a college bar (w/ frat boys).

Soha somewhere between 109 and 111 on Amsterdam Ave.