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Don't let the ceaseless barrage of tweets fool you. The staffers at Complex make time for successful social lives. Just like you, we eat out, attend live shows, drink to excess, and have fiercely held opinions about which bodegas stock the widest variety of soda. We know New York City and the cities we individually hail from. With this new feature, Complex Co-Signs, we have our people dish on their favorite spots.
Today, the topic is summer bars. The ideal summer bar won't feel oppressive, will allow the patrons to glimpse some sunlight while they imbibe, and maybe smoke outside if the spot is really tip top. Here are five of our favorites.
Motor City
WHERE: 127 Ludlow Street, New York
WEBSITE: motorcitybar.com
Co-Signed by: Bradley Carbone, Lifestyle Editor
(@bradleycarbone)(@ComplexMagStyle)
DRINK OF CHOICE: Budweiser
Summer is all about sneaking into rooftop parties with open bars,
hitting on girls that are out of your league, and trying to go straight from
“out” to “work.” But all of this can be exhausting, and sometimes you
just want to go to a grimey bar with your friends and drink Budweiser
until you're full. And those are the times when I go to Motor City.
Because it is awesome.
No Name Bar (Brooklyn)
Co-Signed by: Gina Batlle, Assistant Photo Editor
DRINK OF CHOICE: Tequila with grapefruit and a splash of soda
Sure, Greenpoint seems out of the way, and it might be if your idea of fun is going to a crappy NYU bar filled with sweaty bros, but this place is worth that ride on the G train. No name? No problem. They've got great cocktails that don't make you feel like a sissy, good music, and an outdoor space perfect for day-drinking without feeling like you're at Spring Break. Start here, grab some tacos at Calexico (crack sauce!) up the street (645 Manhattan Avenue) and if you haven't "forgotten" about your plans in the big city by then, try the absinthe margarita at Turkey's Nest (94 Bedford Ave # A) on the other side of McCarren Park and you'll be on your way to Hammeredville. Don't blame me if you can't find your way back home.
The Pencil Factory
WHERE: 142 Franklin Street, Brooklyn
WEBSITE: pencilfactorybar.com
Co-Signed by: Noah Johnson, Senior Editor
(@noahvjohnson)(@ComplexMagStyle)
DRINK OF CHOICE: Pint of Blue Point Toasted Lager with a Jameson sidecar
The name doesn’t make it sound all that exciting. And truth be told,
it isn’t. That’s what’s so great about The Pencil Factory. Because
here’s the thing about summer in New York: it sucks. It’s hot enough
to melt the soles of your Dunks and there are tourists everywhere.
Come beer-thirty, your only hope for repose is a dim, air-conditioned
bar in an out-of-the-way neighborhood.
The Pencil Factory is that bar. You can sit out front under the awning
for some quality Greenpoint bird watching while you sip a pint, or
cool off inside at the long mahogany bar. There are enough craft brews
on tap to keep the worst beer snobs satisfied (and plenty of Buds in
the cooler), and pressed ham and cheese sandwiches on the menu all
night.
There are definitely more exciting places to be in New York. And
please, by all means, go to those places. Leave the peaceful booze
havens like The Pencil Factory for those of us who need an escape this
summer.
International Bar
Co-Signed by: Orlando Lima, Managing Editor
DRINK OF CHOICE: Maker's Mark on the rocks with a Miller High Life back
Anyone who considers himself a proper New Yorker should have a dregs-of-humanity bar at the ready. This grimy sometimey spot is dark and cheap, and the local barflies are good for color but they won't steal your backpack if you leave it unattended. There's a backyard for smokers and an excellent pizza spot (South Brooklyn Pizza) next door—also for smokers. If you start here for happy hour, you're kicking the night off right. If you're still there for last call then perhaps it's time to get thee to an AA meeting.
Staten Island Ferry
WHERE: 4 South Street
WEBSITE: siferry.com
Co-Signed by: Jack Erwin, Senior Editor
(@JackEComplex)(@Complex_Sports)(@ComplexGuide)
Everybody loves summer in New York (or they should), but it also seems like everybody loves to complain about the heat in the city, too. Go figure. Me? I got no gripes with the greenhouse effect, mostly because I'm sitting on about a half a million in Exxon stock, but also because when it's time to beat the city summer heat, I hit the breeziest, sleaziest bar in town, the Staten Island Ferry.
A few things you should know about the Staten Island Ferry:
1. I'm talking about the actual Staten Island fucking Ferry, the big boat Shaolin residents take to get to work, not some newfangled bistro in Brooklyn Heights with a flip name (but watch, that'll happen soon).
2. It's free.
3. You will be rubbing elbows (literally when you're waiting to board) with tourists and freaks Staten Islanders at this "bar," so if you're looking for pretty people, either bring your own or try someplace else.
4. The "bar" isn't really a bar. It's a snack shop that serves canned beer (Bud, Corona, Heineken, nothing fancy) and hot dogs and the like. (There's no liquor. For that, try Downtown Cellars on Liberty Street and fix your own cocktail on the way.) When you get on the ferry, you'll want to go directly to the snack bar, because a line will form once the tourists figure out what's up, and if there's anything worse than having to wait for a beer, it's having to wait for a beer while some guy from Charlotte is deciding whether he wants a pretzel or an ice cream sandwich.
5. There isn't a "bar" with this combination of views and breezes anywhere in the city. Why spend a day visiting the Statue of Liberty, when you can sail past it at 25 knots (I totally made that up) and salute it with your Coors Light tall boy? Why go to Governor's Island at all, when you can shake your head condescendingly at your out-of-town friends when they ask if it's Staten Island? And why go more than 50 feet onto Staten Island at all when you can disembark from the ferry, turn a corner, and get back on to go right back to the city?
The trip is 30 minutes each way (check here for schedules), just enough for anywhere between one and five beers, depending on your make. Take your mom! That's what I do!
