Time Travel in BK at The Way Station
Last Monday I walked from my temporary crash pad near Prospect Park to The Way Station in Prospect Heights (683 Washington Ave between Prospect and St. Marks to be exact). It was one of those really beautiful fall New York days I had been hearing so much about. The kind of day you take advantage of before the inevitable blister and hell of the New York winter I’ve also been hearing about. The stroll was quick at about 30 minutes and I was able to have a nice view of the park most of the way. I had received the suggestion to visit The Way Station not from a local but a friend in Virginia. He told me this place was an absolute must for a geek.
I was meeting up with a fellow ‘Whovian’ for a nice relaxing night of drinks and an inundation of nerdom. For those of you out of the know on ‘Whovians’, we are fans of the British space/time-traveling TV series Doctor Who. That’s the quick layman’s version.
The main draw for fans is the fact that this place has a life size TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). This is the actual device of said space/time travel for the Doctor. The TARDIS also serves as the restroom facility, and is actually ‘bigger on the inside’. That’s just a little Who joke. There’s great detail in there that I can’t even describe because it needs to be a surprise. But I can tell you the 11th Doctor and his companion did visit the lavatory.
There’s a full list of drinks that are related to the show, just ask for the Who menu. I’d recommend a Sonic Screwdriver for beginners. I ordered the 11th Doctor, twice actually. It was quite delicious but the price is a bit steep at 9 bucks a pop. If you are looking to save a bit make sure you drink on Monday nights, this is $4 pint night all night long. I tried a really great pumpkin beer that is currently on tap.
The seating is really quaint and quite comfy. The layout is homey and the decorations are spectacular. You want to get there early: A) to get a good seat if you are there for the on goings of the evening and B) to really be able to look at everything on the walls around the bar. Once it gets dark they turn the lights down and you can’t really see anything hanging. Trust me you want to see the awesome array of Who and Steampunk items placed all other. Seriously, take your time and look up and down. You don’t want to miss a thing.
Around 8pm they start live music, which on this night was a girl playing the ukulele. It wasn’t particularly my cup of tea but if you take a look at their calendar they have plenty of other live music throughout the week to suite different kinds. Actually, The Way Station has all sorts of events each month ranging from burlesque to comedians to beer tastings and even movies. They also have nerd karaoke one Sunday a month. Plus, many Who related happenings.
You absolutely do not have to be a fan of Doctor Who to enjoy The Way Station’s nuances or charm; it has plenty to offer all tastes. If you are looking for someplace a bit low key and you are feeling adventurous give it a try.
They open at 4pm every day and for more info on events visit their site at Waystationbk.blogspot.com.
The Way Station
Mon-Wed, Sun 4 pm – 2 am
Thu-Sat 4 pm – 4 am
683 Washington Ave
(between Prospect Pl & St Marks Ave)
[Prospect Heights]
Photo Credit: Waystationbk.blogspot.com