In a recent post about New York, I alluded all too briefly to a fantastic bar I visited for my first time while in town for Christmas. Thinking about it, Old Town deserves much more than a quickie mention! It really was one of the greatest bars I’ve ever saddled up to. Thus, I’ve added my review on Qype (ooh, I was the initial reviewer – cool beans!) and figured I should go ahead and spread a bit more love on my blog for this antiquated but still buzzin’ watering hole in Manhattan’s Flat Iron District.
What made my Old Town experience so fab wasn’t so much about the place, actually. I was there to meet up with a couple of dear friends (one I’ve known since high school and the other since university). We would have had a good time just about anywhere. Of course, setting up camp at Old Town’s gorgeous 55 foot long marble and mahogany bar was optimal for our rendezvous and most conducive to quality conversation. Music was killer (when we left they were playing the Replacements) but not too loud, and the beer flowed beautifully throughout the night. We went through more than a couple of rounds of Pauliner; a few of which were on the house – I think our attentive bartender could tell my friends and I hadn’t seen each other in a long time and was glad to oblige in making the most of our reunion. A juicy burger from the grill helped set my mood right too.
Open since 1892, there’s nothing trendy about Old Town. Indeed, what makes it so ideal are its original furnishings and décor, such as New York’s oldest dumbwaiter, the gigantic full-length urinals in the men’s room and the 16 foot high tin tiled ceiling. This is a well established no-nonsense watering hole and a true New York institution. During any future New York City breaks, I’ll do my darnedest to bee-line it to this superlatively aged joint of the New York drinking scene.
