Not all of New York nightlife means bars and clubs with cover charges, outrageously expensive cocktails, elegant finger food, beautiful people, and velvet ropes to keep you waiting in the cold. There are places here that you should be rewarded for braving; old dark places where the drinks are cheap and the characters colorful. These are the dive bars and they are just as much New York as their hot, trendy counterparts. Here are some of my favorites; stop in one for a real New York experience.
Jimmy's Corner. 140 W. 44th St., between Broadway and Sixth Avenue (tel. 212/221-9510). Owned by a former boxing trainer, Jimmy's is a tough guy's joint that has been around for more than 30 years and survived the Disneyfication of Times Square. Pictures of boxers adorn the walls and the jukebox plays lots of R&B and '70s disco. In the pre-smoking ban days, the smoke would get so thick in Jimmy's you needed night goggles to see through the haze. Beer is cheap and drinks aren't fancy. Skip the theme bars and restaurants in the area and go for an after-theater pop at Jimmy's instead.
Rudy's Bar & Grill. 627 Ninth Ave., between 44th and 45th streets (tel. 212/974-9169). This Hell's Kitchen establishment is no secret; its happy hour is legendary and the small place is usually packed with slackers sucking up cheap beer including the house brand, Rudy's Red, a weak watery brew served in a huge plastic cup for $3. My advice is to get there before happy hour, grab a seat on one of the few broken banquettes and keep your eyes open for the hot dog guy who gives out free hot dogs. You'll need one to balance out a bucket of Rudy's Red. In the summer, Rudy's opens its cement garden for drinks "alfresco."
Subway Inn. 143 E. 60th St., at Lexington Avenue (tel. 212/ 223-9829). My all-time favorite dive, the Subway has been around for over 60 years and I believe some of the regulars have been on their stools the whole time. The red neon sign beckons from outside while inside, no matter what time of day, it's midnight dark. The bartender is ancient and until recently, served Schaeffer on tap. The demise of Schaeffer was troubling, but thankfully not much else has changed. The booths are still wobbly and the models of Godzilla and E.T. along with assorted other dusty junk continue to decorate the shelves behind the bar. The last time I visited, I was barred from entering the men's room by police who were shaking down one of the regulars during a drug bust. You might find workers from the upscale stores in the neighborhood and writers searching for "material " slumming at the Subway, but this joint remains the pinnacle of divedom.
Tap a Keg. 2731 Broadway, between 103rd and 104th streets (tel. 212/749-1734).Tap a Keg calls itself a "Hell of a Joint." And hell can mean two things here; very good fun or a nightmare. That's the happy contradiction of the Tap a Keg and all dives really. There are a few wooden tables and televisions, a great jukebox with jazz, reggae, and R&B, and a very popular pool table. But it's the 7-hour happy hour with pints of beer for about three bucks and the regular gathering of wizened, disheveled characters that give the Tap a Keg its well-deserved dive status.
