The Lounge & Bar Scene

Remember: Smoking is prohibited in bars but allowed in outdoor spaces.

Whiling Away the Happy Hours -- Many of the city's best bars suddenly become more affordable from 4 to 8pm or thereabouts, when it's definitely a happy hour if you can snag one of those signature cocktails ($10 martinis, anyone?) at half-price or two-for-one; or maybe there's some free bar food, or another value-saving offer. Happy hour is a great time to experience those pricey places you've heard so much about. For information on happy hour at many of the city's watering holes, check online at www.sheckys.com or Murph's NYC Bar Guide at www.murphguide.com, which is updated daily.

Neighborhoods

East Village & NoHo -- Don't forget to visit McSorley's Old Ale House.

Greenwich Village -- While in the West Village, visit the historic White Horse Tavern.

The Flatiron District, Union Square & Gramercy Park -- Two of the city's oldest bars are in the Flatiron District, Old Town Bar & Restaurant and Pete's Tavern.

Times Square & Midtown West -- Don't forget those dives -- you can find Jimmy's Corner and Rudy's Bar & Grill in the neighborhood.

Drinking with Ghosts

The ghosts are everywhere in New York. You might find them in the silent halls of some of the city's greatest structures. Or maybe wandering through narrow downtown streets. But for me, the best place to find the ghosts is in a few of the city's more aged drinking establishments.

Three of the oldest bars in town are a good place to start when seeking out the ghosts. Pete's Tavern (129 E. 18th St., at Irving Place; tel. 212/473-7676) claims to be the city's oldest continuing operating establishment. Warm up at Pete's on a cold winter night and after a few frothy Guinesses, you might think you see writer O. Henry, a regular at Pete's over a hundred years ago, sitting alone and unkempt in a booth, sipping his beer in between paragraphs of his famous 1906-written Christmas tale Gift of the Magi.

From Pete's you might want to venture to the West Village and the White Horse Tavern (567 Hudson St., at 11th St.; tel. 212/243-9260). At this 1880s pub, through the maze of frat boys chugging pints, you might see a desolate figure, head on table from snoring, empty shot glasses in front of him. Could that be the ghost of Dylan Thomas, author of A Child's Christmas in Wales and White Horse regular who took his last sip at the legendary tavern in 1953? Or is it just another drunken yuppie?

McSorley's Old Ale House (15 E. 7th St., between Second and Third aves.; tel. 212/474-9148) is over 140 years old and, while Pete's is the oldest tavern in New York, McSorley's claims to be the oldest "saloon." Could someone please explain the difference? Not that it matters to a ghost. Here, if you can avoid the busloads of Greeks (not from Greece) who come to pay respects to their shrine, and visit on, say, a quiet, hot afternoon, you might think you see a tall, well-dressed man sitting at the bar taking notes, nursing an 8-ounce mug of ale. Could that be the ghost of New Yorker magazine writer Joseph Mitchell, author of Joe Gould's Secret? And are those notes for his 1943 book, McSorley's Wonderful Saloon? Well go up and ask him -- before he disappears.

A bit farther uptown, just a few blocks north of Union Square, is the 1892-established Old Town Bar & Restaurant (45 E. 18th St., between Broadway and Park Ave. South; tel. 212/529-6732). You might recognize the tin ceiling from the Late Night with David Letterman opening; the Old Town has been the set for many movies and television shows, but it's never been gussied up for the cameras -- the Old Town is the real deal. There are no celebrity ghosts to speak of at the Old Town, but whenever I come here, I see one. This ghost is familiar only to me. He is cramped into a table with a group of friends, a pint and one of the Old Town's very good hamburgers in front of him. He is talking animatedly -- a young man with big dreams. He looks confident and happy -- as happy as a ghost could possibly look. But then I look in the mirror at my own reflection and the ghost disappears. He always does.

The New York Dive Experience

Not all of New York nightlife means bars and clubs with cover charges, expensive cocktails, elegant finger food, beautiful people, and velvet ropes to keep you waiting in the cold. There are places that you should be rewarded for braving; old dark places where the drinks are cheap and the characters colorful. These are the dive bars and they are just as New York as their hot, trendy counterparts. Here are some of my favorites; swing by one of them for a real New York experience.

Jimmy's Corner, 140 W. 44th St., between Broadway and Sixth Avenue (tel. 212/221-9510). Owned by a former boxing trainer, Jimmy's is a tough-guy's joint that has been around for more than 30 years and survived the Disneyfication of Times Square. Pictures of boxers adorn the walls, and the jukebox plays lots of R&B and '70's disco. In the pre-smoking ban days, the smoke would get so thick in Jimmy's you needed night goggles to see through the haze. Beer is cheap and drinks aren't fancy. Skip the theme bars and restaurants in the area and go for an after-theater pop at Jimmy's instead.

Rudy's Bar & Grill, 627 Ninth Ave., between 44th and 45th streets (tel. 212/974-9169). This Hell's Kitchen establishment is no secret; its happy hour is legendary, and the small place is usually packed with slackers sucking up cheap beer, including the house brand, Rudy's Red, a weak brew served in a huge plastic cup for $3. My advice is to get here before happy hour, grab a seat on one of the few broken banquettes, and keep your eyes open for the hot-dog guy who gives out free hot dogs. You'll need one to balance out a bucket of Rudy's Red. In the summer, Rudy's opens its cement garden for drinks alfresco.

Subway Inn, 143 E. 60th St., at Lexington Avenue (tel. 212/223-8929). My all-time favorite dive, the Subway has been around for over 60 years and I believe some of the regulars have been on their stools the entire time. The red neon sign beckons from outside while inside, no matter what time of day, it's midnight dark. The bartender is ancient and until recently served Schaefer on tap. The demise of Schaefer was troubling, but thankfully, not much else has changed. The booths are still wobbly and the models of Godzilla and E.T. along with assorted other dusty junk continue to decorate the shelves behind the bar. The last time I visited, I was barred from entering the men's room by police who were shaking down one of the regulars during a drug bust. You might find workers from the upscale stores in the neighborhood and writers searching for "material" slumming at the subway, but this joint remains the pinnacle of divedom.

Tap a Keg, 2731 Broadway, between 103rd and 104th streets (tel. 212/749-1734). This dog-friendly establishment earned itself permanent Hall-of-Fame dive status when, on a recent visit, one of man's best friend found the middle of the bar's floor as the perfect spot to leave a hearty mound of affection that remained untouched by both the dog's clueless owner and the bar's unconcerned bartender. Tap a Keg claims to be a "Hell of a Joint," and now there is no doubt of that. If allowing free reign to dogs doesn't bother you, then you'll certainly enjoy the 7-hour happy hour with pints for about $3 and the regular gathering of wizened, disheveled characters.

Checking into Hotel Bars

A hotel bar should provide comfort and hospitality to the out-of-town visitor. It should be the kind of place where you can unwind after a day of seeing the sights, have a leisurely drink before heading out to dinner or a show, or enjoy a quiet nightcap before retiring. When the bar becomes a nighttime destination unto itself, and hotel guests have to fight their way through a throng of locals just to get a drink, well, I'd say that hotel bar has defeated its purpose. Thankfully, New York has plenty of hotel bars that draw outsiders but keep their own guests happy, too. Here are my top picks:

Bemelmans Bar, in the Carlyle Hotel, 35 E. 76th St., at Madison Avenue (tel. 212/744-1600). This is my choice as New York's best hotel bar. It has everything you want in a hotel bar: white-coated service; lush seating with many dark romantic corners to sink into; a nice mix of locals and guests; and incredible cocktails, such as the Old Cuban, a mojito topped with champagne. The bar is named after children's-book illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans, who created the Madeline books after he painted the whimsical mural here.

Bull and Bear, in the Waldorf=Astoria, 301 Park Ave., between 49th and 50th streets (tel. 212/872-1275). The Bull and Bear is like a gentlemen's pub, with brass-studded red leather chairs, a waistcoated staff, and a grand troika-shaped mahogany bar polished to a high sheen at the center of the room. Still, it's plenty comfy for casual drinkers. Ask Oscar -- who's been here for more than 30 years -- or one of the other accomplished bartenders to blend you a classic cocktail such as The Bronx, a combination of gin, orange juice, and fresh pineapple juice. An ideal place to kick back after a hard day of sightseeing.

King Cole Bar, in the St. Regis, 2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Avenue (tel. 212/753-4500). The birthplace of the Bloody Mary, this theatrical spot may just be New York's most historic hotel bar. The Maxfield Parrish mural alone is worth the price of a classic cocktail (ask the bartender to tell you about the "hidden" meaning of the painting). The one drawback is the bar's small size; after-work hours and holiday times, the bar is jammed.

Oak Room at the Algonquin, in the Algonquin Hotel, 59 W. 44th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues (tel. 212/840-6800). The splendid oak-paneled lobby of this venerable literati-favored hotel is the comfiest and most welcoming in the city, made to linger over pre- or post-theater cocktails. You'll feel the spirit of Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table that pervades the room. Try the Matilda, a light, refreshing blend of orange juice, Absolut Mandarin, triple sec, and champagne, named after the Algonquin's legendary feline in residence.