New Yorkers know the East Village as the birthplace and historical home of Bohemian artist movements, counterculture protests, and punk rock madness. But when they think of this artsy neighborhood they also think cheap. There are plenty of great cheap bars that are a real slice of New York life.
Arrow Bar(212) 673-1775
85 Ave A,
New York, NY, 10009
Weekly parties and drink specials are the norm here to attract plenty of folks and convert them into them regular patrons. On Heavy Metal Happy Hour Fridays cheap drinks and thrasher music flows freely. Every night before 9 PM the bar serves up two-for-one drinks, so there’s more of an incentive to get the party rolling sooner rather than later. Professional drinkers: not miss the $20 all you can drink draft beer specials on Monday nights with Monday Night Football and live DJ.
Blarney Cove(212) 473-9284
510 E 14th St,
New York, NY, 10009
Blarney Cove is a well-known East Village cash only dive bar. Cheap brews and veteran drinkers drop by here to drink cheap drafts and talk about sports from 8am to 4am in the morning. Sunday through Wednesday is usually when the locals hang out. Weekends tend to be the time for tourists and trendy hipsters.
Blue & Gold Tavern(212) 473-8918
79 E 7th St,
New York, NY, 10003
A family owned bar since 1958, the Blue and Gold remains a great neighborhood bar with reasonably priced drinks and a great jukebox. The bartenders are friendly and efficient and the clientele ranges from 25-35.
Continental(212) 529-6924
25 3rd Ave,
New York, NY, 10003
5 Shots of anything for $10, all drinks under $5. Need we say more?
KGB Bar(212) 505 3360
85 East 4th Street,
New York, NY, 10003
In the years since it opened in 1993, KGB has become something of a New York literary institution. Writers hooked up in the publishing world read here with pleasure and without pay to an adoring public over drinks almost every Sunday evening (fiction), Monday evening (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Mars Bar CLOSED(212) 473-9842
25 East First St.,
New York, NY, 10009
Mars Bar is as it always was—covered in graffiti from ceiling to floor, full of punks and drunks, local celebrities, NYU students, aging hippies and dreadlocked white rastas. Most happening after the midnight hour, the legendary jukebox has all the classics from the Dead Kennedys to the Clash and many others you haven't heard for two decades. Drink prices remain ridiculously low.
McSorley's Old Ale House(212) 254-2570
15 East 7th Street,
New York, NY, 10003
Superlatives abound when you are talking about one of New York's oldest continuously-operating bars. For over 150 years, McSorley's has been brewing its own, and just entering the place and noting all the antiques, memorabilia and sawdust on the floor, it hearkens back to an earlier time. Ordering your beers, you'll receive two smaller glasses rather than one pint, which is just part of the McSorley tradition. Although there is food here too, we stick to the alcohol. St. Patrick's Day here is a madhouse scene, don't miss it.
Parkside Lounge(212) 673-6270
317 E Houston St,
New York, NY, 10002
This East Village bar on the southern border of the neighborhood is not only everything that you crave in a good old-fashioned NYC dive bar, it also has a small performance space in the back with regular comedy acts, local bands, and DJs sessions which are reasonably priced and sometimes free.
Village Pourhouse(212) 987-3790
64 3rd Avenue,
New York, NY, 10003
The Village Pourhouse features over 60 feet of bar length, 21 high definition flat panel and projection televisions, a wood burning fireplace and a sports memorabilia gallery. Frequent Special Event nights, happy hours, and Friday Night Ladies Night.
