Shore Leave: 14 Spots In Port Cities To Celebrate America's Independence

The 4th of July is a celebration of not only our country’s independence, but also a time to honor the fine young men and women who help keep us safe and sound. So while we’re out drinking and setting off fireworks, let’s hope that they can all join in the fun.

A sailor’s shore leave isn’t usually very long, so cramming in as much as you can while your feet are on dry land is imperative. This may or may not include excessive drinking, partying and tattoos, but if you do want to live up to the stereotype, here’s a list of bars, tattoo parlors and shops in some of our favorite port cities. And if you’re not a sailor, but treat the weekends like shore leave anyway, feel free to keep reading.

City: Wellfleet, Mass.
Address: 1120 Cahoon Hollow Rd.
Website: thebeachcomber.com

The Beachcomber has been welcoming Cape Cod visitors for over 50 years. Located in Wellfleet on the Cahoon Hollow Beach, the bar is an idyllic place to have a few afternoon drinks or spend a long night dancing. Or, if you’re feeling up to it, you can do both as long as you keep the oysters coming. It might be a little out of the way for a quick stop on dry land, but there aren’t many bars in New England this close to the beach. (We know that sailors don’t want to see more ocean when on shore leave, but a beach means bikinis, so...well, you get it.)

City: New York
Address: 18 Spring St.
Website: mothersruinnyc.com

After a day walking around Manhattan, you’ll need a drink and some good food. On a shore leave in New York, you’ll either want something quick and hearty (see: pizza, burritos) or something a bit nicer that the crew doesn’t serve in the cafeteria. And if you want something nice but don’t necessarily want to sit down for dinner, head to Mother’s Ruin in Nolita. Great food (Mini Meatball Grinders and Ginger Glazed Ducks Wings) and classic Sailor Jerry cocktails make this place a no-brainer.

City: New York
Address: 49 Essex St.
Website: pk-ny.com

If you’ve ever been around for New York City’s Fleet Week, you’ll know why we had to choose another bar from the Big Apple – the city becomes one big, raucous white sea of sailors. PKNY, located on the Lower East Side, is a windowless tiki bar, decked out (no pun intended) with ’60s kitsch from the tropics – the kind that might make a man or woman of the sea feel right at home. Choose from a wide array of drinks, including the classic medium or large Scorpion Bowls, a perfect (and strong) drink to share with the new friends you met while waiting for the bathroom. But make sure you act fast, because by July’s end, this legendary spot and New York institution will be shutting its doors for good.

City: Brooklyn
Address: 572 Manhattan Ave.
Website: threekingstattoo.com

Three Kings is the place to go if you’ve made it over the East River into Brooklyn and are looking for some body art to remind of your New York City shore leave. Located in Greenpoint, Three Kings has built their reputation on high quality art in a relaxed atmosphere. This might not be the hard drinking, dirty tattoo parlor that might live up to the stereotype of a shore leave, but no one wants a tattoo parlor that’s going to misspell Mom. Sailor Jerry would approve.

City: Tampa, Fla.
Address: 1518 E. 7th Ave.
Website: resbar.com

When you’ve only got 48 hours on dry land, sometimes you really do want a place to hang where, as the saying goes, “everybody knows your name.” The Reservoir Bar in Tampa is just that. Open since 2004, the Florida bar is a self-proclaimed hole-in-the-wall, complete with pool and a whole laundry list of alcohol and beer to choose from. Because honestly, some rock music and eight-ball until 3 a.m. is a perfect start to the night.

City: Chicago
Address: 960 W. 31st St.
Website: community-bar.com

Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar opened its door in 1986 in Bridgeport, a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It’s half liquor store, half neighborhood tavern, which means the party doesn’t have to stop when the bar closes. (And it probably won’t.) If you can’t choose from one of the 300 beers on the menu, try something a little harder while you sit at a butcher block table, basking in the glow of the bomber bottle chandeliers.

City: Chicago
Address: 1736 W. North Ave.
Website: brokencherry.com

Let’s be honest, if you’re a sailor and looking to attract a member of the opposite sex, you’re probably going to use your sailing outfit to its full advantage. As the saying goes, “A woman loves a man in uniform.” But if you’re looking to get out of your head-to-toe whites and not one for a tattoo, head to Broken Cherry on North Avenue and get a custom t-shirt made to remember your time in the Windy City.

City: New Orleans
Address: 501 Esplanade Ave.

If you’re coming by boat to New Orleans, there are three things you’ll need when arriving on shore – a strong drink, a big burger and a place to do your laundry. If you’re at Checkpoint Charlie’s, located on Esplanade in the Marigny, you can do all three. Charlie’s has coin operated laundry machines, a half pound Charlie burger and nightly rock shows to keep you busy while your clothes get clean.

City: New Orleans
Address: 501 Frenchmen St.
Website: downtowntattoonola.com

If you’ve taken our recommendations for bars to visit in New Orleans, then you won’t have to walk far to get to Downtown Tattoo. The self-appointed “newest ‘oldest’ tattoo shop” in New Orleans is right around the corner, and boasts some of the best talent in the Crescent City. And if you’re not a tattoo person and want another earing or nipple ring instead, Downtown has you covered.

City: Houston
Address: 1641 Westheimer Rd.

Poison Girl, located in the “eclectic” Houston neighborhood of Montrose, is known for their strong, cheap drinks. It keeps the bar crowded with a wildly diverse group of people. Pinball machines and arcade games make for a good time before you go out back to smoke a cigarette next to a giant Kool-Aid Man. And if you’re a caring sailor – and most are – you’ll be glad to know that on select nights, the owners donate a portion of the sales to local non-profit organizations. Just imagine spitting that line out when asked, “Do you come here often?”

City: Houston
Address: 1911 Westheimer Rd.
Website: shopmortar.com

Mortar in Houston is a store for a guy who wants some quality threads from brands that you can’t find at any old place around town. Think of the Mortar as Texas meets New York City. With a sparse setup that includes a lot of labels that make their products right here in the United States, it’s a great spot to pick up a few things for the date you have with the gal you met at The Poison Girl the night before.

City: Long Beach, Calif.
Address: 2913 E Anaheim St.
Website: alexsbar.com

If you’re a fan of sexy vampires, then you’ll be happy to know that “True Blood” was filmed here, where it doubled as “Fangtasia” in Season 1 and 2. The walls of Alex’s Bar are covered with framed photos of bull fighters, which you can choose to look at or ignore while listening some of the best bands from Southern California. And if you have a good enough time – which you most likely will – take home a couple of photos from the photo booth at the end of the bar.

City: San Diego
Address: 1271 University Ave.
Website: rubyroomsd.com

The Ruby Room in San Diego is just as much venue as it is bar. Stumble in for a variety of entertainment, including live music, DJs, karaoke, and yes, burlesque shows. (Nothing seems more appropriate for shore leave than a burlesque show, right?) And if you have wild animals on your mind after a few weeks out on the ocean, the famous San Diego Zoo is just a mile away.

City: Honolulu
Address: 32 N. Hotel St.
Website: manifesthawaii.com

Located on Hotel Street in Honolulu’s Chinatown, Manifest is a coffee spot by day that turns into a lively watering hole as the sun starts to go down. Owned and operated by native Hawaiians since 2009, Manifest’s inventive Sailor Jerry cocktails make it a great place to start a long night of imbibing while spending a few days in Honolulu.