Burgers, Beers and Bears at Julius

 This is the oldest gay bar in the city, and by far one of my favorite places to go in the afternoons to get away from the typical West Village crowd. Here you can not only get one of the best grilled burgers in NYC for only Five bucks – or beers and well drinks for three during the 4pm-9pm happy hour – but you can also sit in the ambiance of a bar that was built in 1864, which actually makes it one of oldest operable bars in Manhattan too. With old, cracked hard wood floors, a bar of wood just as old, Whiskey barrels for table seats, Chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, and an afternoon ambiance of old men swapping stories or quietly sipping their beer, this makes Julius a perfect dive to get a great meal and a bit of peace and quiet with your drink.

This is the kind of place that you walk in to and really feel (and actually see) the way Greenwich Village used to be. It’s cozy, warm, relaxing and now a relic. There aren’t too many places like this left, and the spots that embody that essence are always worth frequenting. Julius’ barroom has been through the turn of two centuries, prohibition and was the first openly gay meeting grounds in NYC. But all that aside, it’s still a bar – and once the night rolls around this place gets crazy.

So, whether you want a pleasant spot to pop in in the afternoon for lunch, or if you want a classic dive to get wasted at for cheap, Julius is one the best.

Julius
159 W 10^th St.
Between 7^th Ave. & Waverly Pl. [West Village]
New York, NY 10014

Image from NYMAG.COM