The Big Adventure Guide of Things to See & Do in NYC - Bars, Taverns, Ale Houses, Watering Holes and more Bars

The Big Adventure recently hosted an event in NYC that brought scores of people to town. We had gathered some recommendations of various places to see and go for first time visitors and seasoned travelers alike. In the end, we had a list of restaurants, bars, activities, and museums  that are unique to New York City,relatively inexpensive and eye-opening. In short, A Big Adventure "Best Of" list. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of our suggestions here…

Looking for something to drink? Some of our beloved bars... 

  

Ear Inn

326 Spring Street (between Greenwich and Washington Streets)

www.earinn.com

With a legitimate claim to possibly being New York City’s oldest bar, this historic tavern has a welcoming crowd and a unique feel. Crowded at happy hour, but cozy most other times, it’s a great local spot for conversation and drinks.  Because it is located almost on the Hudson, it can be a little harder to find, but worth the effort.

Stout

133 W. 33^rd Street (between 6^th and 7^th Avenues)

www.stoutnyc.com   

One of the largest bars in the city, Stout is just steps away from Macy’s, The Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. By New York standards, this is an unfathomably huge space that serves top notch Pub Fare. In an area that’s packed with tourists, this is a great place to rest your feet, recharge and get some food.

Stone Street

Between Coenties Aly and Hanover Square

www.stonestreettavernnyc.com/

Not just one bar, but rather a series of bars and restaurants on a surprisingly cute cobblestone street in the middle of downtown. Many bars seem similar, but Ulysses 

is our personal favorites. If you find yourselves down by Wall Street, Battery Park and World Trade Center Area, this is a great place to stop, enjoy outdoor (or indoor) dining and watch the happy hour crowd.

The Pony Bar  
637 10^th Avenue (between 45^th and 46^th Streets)

http://www.theponybar.com/

A Beer Bar in the most traditional sense of the term. The taps have all domestic craft beers that are hand chosen and all pints are $5. A fun atmosphere packed with a welcoming crowd who share a common bond of sincerely enjoying beer. Good snacks on hand as well. Don’t forget: when you hear the bell ring, join the other patrons by yelling out “New Beer!”

Next Up - More Bars ranging from a Canadian experience to the city's best beer selection...

Best Place For A Guinness on St. Patrick's Day in New York City

Well, we've enjoyed enough of Ireland's best stout in enough bars to be smart enough not to get tangled up in this debate: There are too many great bars, great bartenders and just amazing locales in the city to coin on as "The Best."

That being said, we thought we'd pass on this article from the NY Daily News that lists some top bars that serve the legendary stout from St. Jame's Gate:

Best Bars in New York City for a Guinness

Some of their NY Daily's selections include:

• Dalton's Seaside Grill - Way out on Rockaway Beach, but the trip is apparently worth it

• The Beekman - Billed as "An Irish Pub in Downtown Manhattan"

• Tracks RAW Bar and Grill -Sure, great, if you like your bars underground and in a filthy train station with no windows, but hey, maybe that's just us

• Irish Heaven -  In the heart of Sunset Park Brooklyn, they boast pints for $4

• The Dead Poet -  Which is coincidentally one of the Big Adventures beloved Upper West Side bars. We just recently enjoyed a few pints in a futile attempt to get our name on the wall.

Additionally, we would be incredibly remiss if we didn't mention a few of our own:

• Paddy Reilly's Bar - The All-Guinness bar at 2nd Ave and 29th in Kip's Bay serves nothing by Guinness on tap and constantly entertains with live music.

• Stout- Near Madison Square Garden, probably one of the largest bar/restaurant spaces in Manhattan with a delicious menu to boot. Our guess is they pour more Guinness than 50 small neighborhood bars combined. 
  

• Doyle's Corner - In the middle of Astoria, our heart sings always for thee. More than any other pub in the city, Doyle's feels like home to the Big Adventure.

Happy St. Partick's Day from the Big Adventure!

Announcing: The 24-Hour Big Adventure

It’s that time again! As promised, all the plans are set and we hope that you’ll join us for the 24-Hour Brooke and Phil’s Big Adventure as we trek through the city that never sleeps. This one has been in the making for a long time and the perfect way to give a Gotham farewell to Summer and a NYC hello to Fall.

Brooke and Phil's 24-Hour Big Adventure –

10:00 AM Saturday, September 13^th-

10:00 AM Sunday,

September 14th, 2008

Up, Down & All Around New York City

So, once upon a time over drinks with friends last Spring, the question was asked, what can one do for twenty-four straight hours in New York City? (Aside from watching two dozen episodes of a Kiefer Sutherland packed marathon) The better question, we have found, is what can’t you do in 24 hours?. Below is the brief itinerary for our next Big Adventure. As per usual, all the stops are meant to be a) unique to NYC b) relatively cheap, c) incredibly fun and d) for just about everyone. And, no, sleep is not on the menu. Feel free to meet up with us at any stop on the way. Check back on Monday, September 8^th for final details and plans.

10:30 AM-11:30(ish)

Brunch at Kitchenette

156 Chambers Street. TriBeca

http://www.kitchenetterestaurant.com/brunch.html

Gotta fuel up for the day. This off-the-beaten-bath kinda cutesy, kinda delicious place offers such fine treats as The Bridgehampton – silver dollar pancakes topped with fresh fruit and yogurt.

Noon – 1:30 PM

New York Transit Museum

(AKA The Subway Museum)

Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights

http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/

Five bucks gets you in to one of the most underrated museums in the city. Placed in an actual decommissioned subway station, they have everything from 1920s subway cars to a collage of subway tokens (or just buy the cuff links!)

1:45- 4:00 PM

Tour of The Brooklyn Brewery

79 N 11th St, Brooklyn

http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/about/

Free tour and cheap beer samplings in their custom beer hall make this one a no-brainer

7:30- 11:30 PM

OSU/ USC Game at Stout

133 West 33^rd Street, Midtown Manhattan

http://www.stoutnyc.com/

We’re working on getting a special section (perchance private pool room?) for the biggest college football game of the early fall. Don’t like the pigskin? It’s a great bar with some of the best pub grub in the city

Midnight- 1:30 AM

Upright Citizen’s Brigade

307 W. 26th Street, Chelsea

http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/

Five bucks gets you into some of the best comedy improv in the country. Alums include Amy Poehler, Jason Sudekis and more. Each time Brooke and I have gone, we laughed so hard that our noses bled on everyone. Wait…that’s kinda disgusting.

1:30 AM -3:30 AM

Finest Bars in Hell’s Ktichen

Still narrowing the field, but we’re down to Valhalla, Circus Bar, Vinyl and more

scattered throughout Hell’s Kitchen.

3:30 AM on…

Other Events include fine late,late night dining, watching the sun rise in the best location in Manhattan, being part of the Sunday Morning Today Show/CBS Sunday Morning News, Free Outdoor Concerts and much more. 24 Hours in total. Ts to be crossed, Lower case Js to be dotted. Of course, advance feedback and suggestions are always appreciated.

As always, we’ll also have a handful of surprises and a few things to spice up your day along the way. I’m not making any promises, but two people whose names rhyme with O’llama and McDain may be there in person.

Hope to see you on September 13^th and 14^th! Check back on Monday, September 8^th for final details and plans.
Thanks…

-Brooke and Phil