#NYCFail: Drinking

#NYCFail: Drinking

#NYCFail: Drinking

Moving to NYC has made me super budget conscious. Fortunately, I work a lot and don’t have many friends in the city. Being on my own most of the time makes it easy to stick to my budget, and hanging out with my hometown friends on the weekends in NJ is so much cheaper than in the City that I don’t worry about it much.

However, NYC is a pretty big draw and lots of times I get phone calls from old friends who say they’re coming to town and ask if I want to meet up for a drink. Heck yeah! I love catching up with old friends over a pint or two or umm… a few more than that.

This leads us to my latest #NYCFail, the cost of a night out. It took me a few times to realize it doesn’t have to be like this, but without some preparation on my part, it will be. See, tourists are drawn to certain parts of the city and bar owners know this. The same pint that’s $4 up where I live will be $9 in Times Square.

I know this because, against all reason, I always meet up with my friends in Times Square, which is clearly the 6th circle of hell.

I know this and yet that’s still where I tell them to go, because A.) every time I meet up with a friend, I’ve been coming from work, which is on 56th Street, right under Times Square, B.) they are almost always coming from a Broadway show and C.) they can actually find it. I tell them to go stand under the Bubba Gump Shrimp until I can get to them.

I just comes out of my mouth now and I forget about it. Until I go to leave work that evening and think “what have you done??” That thought is amplified each step closer to Times Square and continues to scream as we find a bar where the average mixed drink price is $15.

Not gonna lie, I did go with a friend to bar in that area once that had this amazing champagne, vodka and berry liquor drink for $12 each. Unfortunately we were there for hours and that bill is one I still don’t like to think about.

Champagne Cocktail

Unlike my other #NYCFail’s though, this one will not be repeated, because step 1 to fixing this problem is:

HAVE A PLAN

The Internet, as we all know, is pretty much amazing. And instead of haphazardly heading out in search of alcohol, just do a little research and decide in advance where you’re going.

 GET OVER THE IDEA OF MAKING THEM SPEND MONEY

Maybe it’s just me, but I also used to feel guilty making a friend buy a Metrocard, but in all honesty, if it takes us to somewhere that serves $4 drinks instead of $9, their Metrocard has now paid for itself in one drink.

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN THEM

Most of the friends I seem to meet up with are old ship friends. When we’re reminiscing it’s about the time we got so lost we nearly missed the boat is Spain, the time we ran down an Alaskan mountain because we startled a moose and it scared us more than him, or that time in Turkey when bargained with the dude at the bazaar well enough to knock the price of his magic carpet in half even though he didn’t speak any English.

I mean, for Pete’s sake, I should probably trust that my fellow world travelers can handle being told which subway to get on. Furthermore, almost everyone has a Smartphone. Google maps will get you anywhere.

CHEAP PLACES TO DRINK IN NYC

1.)   Bravest – $2.50 beers – 700 2nd Ave.

2.)   Welcome to the Johnsons – $2 beers – 123 Rivington Street

3.)   The Blarney Stone – $7 pitchers, $4 BIG GUYS (24 oz.) – 710 3rd Ave.

4.)   123 Burger Shot Beer – $1 Burgers, $2 Shots, $3 Beers – 738 10th Ave.

5.)   Continental – 5 shots for $10 – 25 3rd Ave.

 

And if you must stay near Times Square:

1.)   Jimmy’s Corner – $3 Beers, $4 Shots – 140 W. 44th Street

2.)   Mother Burger – Warm Weather Only – 329 W. 49th Street

3.)   Rudy’s Bar and Grill – $7 Pitchers – 627 9th Ave.

 

Finally, never forget that people are always really curious about NYC apartments, so why not invite your friends back to yours. Instead of buying 2 drinks, you could buy 2 six packs and prove to them that cockroaches do not roam free in your home. Most of the time.

Any readers have any other great, inexpensive hang outs in the City?

13 thoughts on “#NYCFail: Drinking

  1. Don’t beat yourself up too much for past over indulgences. Sounds like you’ve come to a reasonable conclusion that they’d be willing to travel further to meet up with you. The cheaper bars are often more fun anyway. I don’t have any experience in NYC, but oftentimes the “dive” bars have friendlier, more lively crowds than trendy, swank places.
    Mr. Utopia @ Personal Finance Utopia recently posted…Understanding the Power of Compound InterestMy Profile

    • I agree. They’re way too loud and overcrowded in the heart of the city (and now I sound like I’m 50). I wouldn’t say I’m really beating myself up, just trying to save myself and others from future headaches.

  2. Rudy’s is definitely on my list when people are in midtown. Anywhere in Hell’s Kitchen generally is going to be at least a bit better than Times Square proper. Billymarks (9th ave at 30th st) is a good cheap place too. And HK is close enough that people don’t need a metrocard but it does get them to venture a little bit outside their comfort zone.
    Leslie Beslie recently posted…Weekly Updates: March Madness + Half Marathon Training ModifiedMy Profile

  3. Pretty funny stuff, people like seeing your NYC apartment. LOL. I have heard cats can help curtail that roach problem. They will not come out during the day, and especially if you have a great four legged hunter. Yes I have heard a few great bar spots near uptown around 80th street, with dollar beer. Just meet in bubba shrimp and go uptown together next time.
    EL @ Moneywatch101 recently posted…When is Enough really EnoughMy Profile

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