St. Nick's Pub – The Best Underground Jazz in New York
St. Nick’s is one of the true gems you’ll find in Harlem and one of the best underground places in NY (possibly the world) to see live jazz. It takes jazz back to where it came from, small dingy dive bars with real drinkers and working class people, not the bourgeois shit it is today. Ya’ll motherfuckers can have the Lincoln Center, I’ll take St. Nick’s any day. The crowd here is a mix of older black folks from the neighborhood, and young jazz heads from all over the world, who all come together to hear the hottest sessions you can possibly imagine. You will be blown away'and it’s free! If you decide to sit at a table there is a $3 charge and a two drink minimum, but you can stand or sit at the bar and only pay the cost of your drinks.
St. Nick’s Pub is almost as special as the first time you got laid; meaning it’s hard to go back to just fooling around once you’ve experienced the real thing. It’s also a great place to hang out in the daytime when it’s just a bunch of regulars sitting around and clowning each other, like the two guys who argued playfully about which one of them made the best mac & cheese and collard greens. Or the other two guys who argued about the lady who brings the food at night, and whether or not she charges (she does, but not for everyone). There aren’t many places in the world that allow you to tap into the soul and essence of a neighborhood, simply by attending them. St. Nick’s Pub is one of these few rare spots.
St. Nick’s Pub
773 St. Nicholas Ave. btw W 148th & 149th Sts.
[Harlem]
Image from darkroom.danielyeow.com
