Whether you’re a bookie who needs a scotch and soda after a five-hour cram session, a frat boy trying to get his beer pong on, or party girl looking for a night of shots, a place to hang with her girls, and maybe a few boys, we’ve got a list of the top college bars in NYC for your personal rendezvous-ing pleasure. These local watering holes are the perfect places for you to meet up, get down or get drunk on a weeknight, weekend or as soon your class ends.
Best College Bar in NYC: The Village Pourhouse
64 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
The perfect bar for the unsuspecting college female to get checked out like a library book by all of the frat guys haunting this spot. There’s always a game on and over 100 different kinds of beer on rotation. While it’s known as a sports Mecca, Thursday through Saturday nights it turns to dancehall oblivion with a DJ delving out all the top 40 hits you could ask for on a narrow dance floor. If your down for your keg, sit in the booth dubbed “The Dugout” to just chill and watch the scene or hit up the “Vegas Room” for red leather banquettes and a private staff if your parents gave you a little extra cash to burn this month.
Best College Bar in NYC: Bar None
98 Third Avenue
New York, NY, 10003
This place is the total college bar package. Fully equipped with boys and girls of every variety, it’s your perfect beer and sports go-to, your game is always on and your cups always runneth over. Bar None caters to the cowboy in all of us, especially the college cowboy, because frat boys and sorority babes come to congregate around the four beer pong tables and large booths in the back room where huge groups can get loud n’ rowdy. With “the longest running happy hour in the city” from 12 p.m.-8 p.m. every day you can get a $3 Bud or a $4 mixed well drink. The highlight for both gals and guys? Thursday is trivia night and Wednesday is ladies night where you can get $3 Bud and $4 well drinks, perfect for the college pocket.
Best College Bar in NYC: Whiskey River
575 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Nothing says college bar more than $10 buckets of Natty Ice and Pabst Blue Ribbon! With a classy atmosphere (for the college crowd at least) think an outdoor patio in the summer and a fireplace in the winter for you to cozy up with the co-ed of your choosing. Celebrate a barely passing exam grade or the monthly check from your parents arriving in the mail with a game of beer pong or enter a flip-cup tournament. And for the hunter in every man and woman, the bar has Buck Hunter for your virtual-violence pleasure. Bring your friends for happy hour from 3-8 p.m., with $4 mixed drinks you’ll have enough left over for groceries.
Best College Bar in NYC: 1020 Bar
1020 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10025
So you’re a Columbia kid, are you? Come here to get that college vibe without the fratty feeling. Play a round of darts, or join the league on Monday nights. The huge flat screen on the back wall is great to catch the game and grab a beer. It can be hard to find seating in the diner-style booths on the weekend because they’re usually packed, but that’s what you want at a place like this- a non-stuffy crowd and a relaxed atmosphere. Grab a $3 Yuengling, hit the pool table and be prepared for a chill night with your study buddy.
Best College Bar in NYC: Blind Tiger Ale House
281 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
Perfect for the NYU socialites, this bar brings all of your classmates to one spot for a little socialization at this microbrewery decked out in wood used from a 19th-century farmhouse. Yes, this slightly-swankier version of a pub makes it a brainy-yet-sexy pick-up place for a little student-to-student action. Chalk-boards tell you about the rotating list of 31-draft beers and the quirky appetizer and entrée list of specials like the Bloody Beast Mini Burgers. The Blind Tiger Ale House is definitely not your typical college hang-out but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the diverse crowd and upbeat scene this place has.
Best College Bar in NYC: The Gin Mill
442 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024
If you’re looking for a dressed-down night but are definitely in the mood for a frat party scene, hit up this place where tons of Fordham graduates go for a good time. It’s your typical brick wall bar so you can get away with jeans and a tee shirt while you melt into total football oblivion as you focus on any or all of their 17 TV’s. Turn your mind to true college after-hours mush with a game of beer pong while you pig out on nachos, Sloppy Joes and other traditional greasy bar-food. Meet the co-ed of your dreams and run off to draft beer and drink special heaven because alcohol is truly inexpensive in this jaunty joint.