The best real, authentic, old DIVE bars in your city?

[tdawg]

My favorite local dive is the Albatross, which is the only gay/gay-friendly dive bar I can think of in Astoria, Queens, or at least Western Queens (images care of the bar's website): http://www.albatrossastoria.com/grid





There's another one on my block called Hellgate On The Park, which is pretty great on game days and comes with the usual stock of sketchy regulars.

[volguus zildrohar]

Originally Posted by Parkway

McGlinchey's is a place that will always have a special place in my heart. The Inqy even did a piece on it today.

They got rid of the Infinity Towel?!?!?! I don't even recognize this town anymore!

[OnDriver]

The Park's Flamingo Lounge circa 1960s-70s - (at the Park Hotel) taken by me Ray Ottulich



https://www.flickr.com/photos/261977...posted-public/

[mrnyc]

the only authentic dive in nyc i can think of, that is at all accessible and not a complete fright or a club that is, is glackens in the bronx.

we used to go there after work once in awhile — its memorable or was because if you ordered liquor like say a jamesons or tequila they automatic give it to you in a pint beer glass — a full pint beer glass!

one silly and memorable after work night there was when they built the new nytimes tower a spiderman climbed it and they showed this live on the news as it was happening — so everyone in the whole bar was yelling “jump! jump! jump!”

[TempleGuy1000]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

the only authentic dive in nyc i can think of, that is at all accessible and not a complete fright or a club that is, is glackens in the bronx.

That's actually pretty sad you can't think of any others ha

we used to go there after work once in awhile — its memorable or was because if you ordered liquor like say a jamesons or tequila they automatic give it to you in a pint beer glass — a full pint beer glass!

Nice, that's a common Philly dive bar thing to do. It's a "city-wide special" as people like to call it: https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...wide%20Special

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

That is correct. I think the term 'dive bar' carries a vibe with it anyway and such places would never think of themselves with such an intentional label. If they did then they're really not helping themselves.

I first heard the term "dive" in 2002. I asked what they meant...and then I was like, oh, you mean a regular bar. There used to be no such thing as a not dive bar. I grew up in an area where there absolutely was no such thing as a yuppie or a yuppie bar. I had no concept of a place that didn't involve pool tables, dart boards, lots of smoking, etc.

There is a bar on Passyunk called 'The Dive'. Never been there only because any place that would call itself that doesn't seem to be my kind of spot. Maybe one day I'll see for myself.

A bar opened in Cincinnati about five years ago called "Dive Bar":
https://www.instagram.com/divebarcincinnati/?hl=en

Preposterously, it replaced one of the most low-down places imaginable, called the Sub Galley. I went in there on Christmas one year with my brother and a lady was smoking crack, a homeless guy was passed out with his head down on the bar, and there was a gay German in there for unknown reasons.

[sopas ej]

There is a distinction between regular "neighborhood bar" that's unpretentious and that everyone goes to to unwind and not necessarily to go to see and be seen.

Then there is a "dive" which is generally thought to be dark and dirty, and not a very respectable place. I've been to many neighborhood bars, and a few dives with total drug dealers and rent boys and female prostitutes.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

That's actually pretty sad you can't think of any others ha

i know, right?

i’m sure there are more lol, but yeah gentrification just wrecks havoc with these places.

but dont get it twisted, there are still irregular and ultra sketchy joints and clubs scattered around you would never set foot in. based on the rest of this thread its obvious you should at least have an expectation of being able to walk through the door.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Nice, that's a common Philly dive bar thing to do. It's a "city-wide special" as people like to call it: https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...wide%20Special

This is also pretty common in Brooklyn dive bars.

[Steely Dan]

"a beer and a bump" (shot of whiskey served alongside a pint of beer) is a common special in every dive bar from coast to coast.

what mrnyc was talking about was whiskey itself (or other hard liquor), being served to patrons in extremely heavy pours in pint glasses.

i have seen this a couple times in chicago dives, but only the truly sad ones where the professional alcoholics slowly drink themselves to death.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

"a beer and a bump" (shot of whiskey served alongside a pint of beer) is common in every dive bar from coast to coast.

what mrnyc was talking about was whiskey itself (or other hard liquor), being served to patrons in extremely heavy pours in pint glasses.

i have seen this a couple times in chicago dives, but only the truly sad ones where the professional alcoholics slowly drink themselves to death.

Yeah, that's what I thought but wasn't sure if I missed something. I've never seen hard liquor served in a pint glass. Most dive bars I've been to have whiskey glasses for that purpose.

[pj3000]

I've seen bars do this... it's usually just a double shot of liquor. Lots of ice and soda/tonic/whatever really make up the bulk of the drink.

No bar in their right mind is going to serve a full pint of liquor, and no one would order it like that. That's half a standard bottle. It would make zero $ sense.

[mrnyc]

yes hard liquor served served in a pint beer glass.

not a beer and a shot.

its way more than a double shot.

but yes with ice lol.

thats what stood out — i havent seen that elsewhere around town.

it certainly does seem like a real desperate alcoholic bar, umm, tact.

i guess its common in always sunny philly?? is that true? because wow.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

I first heard the term "dive" in 2002. I asked what they meant...and then I was like, oh, you mean a regular bar. There used to be no such thing as a not dive bar. I grew up in an area where there absolutely was no such thing as a yuppie or a yuppie bar. I had no concept of a place that didn't involve pool tables, dart boards, lots of smoking, etc.




A bar opened in Cincinnati about five years ago called "Dive Bar":
https://www.instagram.com/divebarcincinnati/?hl=en

Preposterously, it replaced one of the most low-down places imaginable, called the Sub Galley. I went in there on Christmas one year with my brother and a lady was smoking crack, a homeless guy was passed out with his head down on the bar, and there was a gay German in there for unknown reasons.

neighborhood bars and zoomer bars have nothing to do with the real dive bars.

they can be confused by outsiders at a glance sometimes at most, but the distinction is clear.

i dk about cinci, sounds like you needed to get out of your own neighborhood more, but dive bars have always been a real thing around cleveland. its where people went out last to eventually drink themselves to death. and you know or knew that place clearly if you set foot in one. i dk these days with gentrification, but definitely dive bars were sadly very real at least until fairly recently.

[Steely Dan]

^ i hear what you're saying, but it think the term "dive bar" has gradually shifted to mean any old casual, low-key, unasssuming tavern that's not trying to specifically be anything beyond a place where people gather to drink (ie. no theme or "concept").

back in the day it more specifically meant those dark dingy places where 50+ year old men go to drown away their loneliness night after night after night....

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

There is a distinction between regular "neighborhood bar" that's unpretentious and that everyone goes to to unwind and not necessarily to go to see and be seen.

Maybe now, but the only distinction that existed where I grew up was a "bar" versus a "motorcycle bar".

The notorious motorcycle bar in my neighborhood was nicknamed The Pine (right in the middle of the strip, directly across from my Great-uncle's old store) and one of my aunts went in there to sell candy bars when she was in 7th or 8th grade and saw one of her older brothers, who was only 16 or so at the time, in there smoking and shooting pool. They worked out some sort of deal for her to not tell grandma. Decades later I was there for the confession and grandma, now aged 86 or 87, got really upset.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

its way more than a double shot.

but yes with ice lol.

thats what stood out — i havent seen that elsewhere around town.

it certainly does seem like a real desperate alcoholic bar, umm, tact.

Oh yeah, I've definitely seen the pour of liquor stretched out beyond a double shot in pint glass... I may have even partaken in such a beverage once or twice at these choice dive establishments... not really my thing, but hey, when in Rome.

I was just saying that a lot of crappy bars will serve liquor in pint glasses with ice and a mixer or whatever. See it at college-type bars a bunch. More of a gimmicky thing for 20-somethings looking to get smashed and easier for the crappy bar to not have to deal with multiple types of glassware.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

There is a distinction between regular "neighborhood bar" that's unpretentious and that everyone goes to to unwind and not necessarily to go to see and be seen.

Then there is a "dive" which is generally thought to be dark and dirty, and not a very respectable place. I've been to many neighborhood bars, and a few dives with total drug dealers and rent boys and female prostitutes.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily associate a dive bar with prostitution, but there is something more grungy about a real "drive" versus a no frills neighborhood bar. I associate true "dive" bars with alt-rock culture. Places with wooden bars that have been carved into and bathrooms covered with tags written in marker. The East Village, LES, and Bowery in Manhattan used to be littered with them up until the mid 00s, and even now there are still a couple legacy dives still left.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily associate a dive bar with prostitution, but there is something more grungy about a real "drive" versus a no frills neighborhood bar. I associate true "dive" bars with alt-rock culture. Places with wooden bars that have been carved into and bathrooms covered with tags written in marker. The East Village, LES, and Bowery in Manhattan used to be littered with them up until the mid 00s, and even now there are still a couple legacy dives still left.

yeah there are two kinds of true dive bars. the real down and out last stop rummy version and the sketchy af version with questionable at best and outright illegal business going on like that. of the latter the most famous one in brooklyn was kokie’s place that went on for years openly selling cheap drinks and … well, the name rang true lol.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

yeah there are two kinds of true dive bars. the real down and out last stop rummy version and the sketchy af version with questionable at best and outright illegal business going on like that. of the latter the most famous one in brooklyn was kokie’s place that went on for years openly selling cheap drinks and … well, the name rang true lol.

Ha! I've heard a lot of stories about that place but I never went.