The Thirsty Scholar - New York, NY

I've been meaning to write about this place for a while now, as it's really our main go-to bar in the city. At first glance, there's nothing really special about it and it certainly doesn't stand out amongst everything else on Second Ave. in the East Village. But there's just a great vibe to this place, and they do everything right.

Let's start with the bartenders, easygoing Irish dudes. They got the accents to keep the ladies happy, and they got the mentality that if you're there to drink you're there to drink. I have never sat there for very long with an empty glass, and that's honestly what I want from a bar. In terms of atmosphere, it's sort of dark, very pubby with some slight loungey accents. They have a dart board in the corner, and unlike many bars in New York, a place in the back to hang up coats.

I'd be amiss if I didn't also mention the music selection. I'll say it right now, I'm completely over the internet-jukebox concept. The last thing I want is some idiot with bad musical taste forcing me to listen to an entire album of Meat Loaf. Thirsty Scholar has never had that; instead they play from an iPod that generally contains a good mix of alternative rock from the '90s (STP, Smashing Pumpkins) and today (My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy). Since that's the kind of music I tend to listen to, it works for me; your mileage may vary.

The only sort-of-drawback is the crowd; there's never a consistent crowd all night. It's very much a place people seem to go before or after other bars; kind of perplexing to me, but so it goes. So you don't have a good crowd of people hanging out all night. Of course, the plus side to this is that, at some point in the night, you can definitely commandeer a seat at the bar. :)

Basically, Thirsty Scholar is a great place to drink in excess, which I have done there countless times. I recommend that you go there and do the same.

The Thirsty Scholar
155 Second Ave. (btw 9th & 10th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 777-6514