New York City Williamsburg And Greenpoint

Williamsburg's nightlife has been at the center of its renaissance over the past 15 years. The mostly underground music scene that took advantage of the neighborhood's abandoned industrial spaces has been tamed, but a wide roster of now-established concert spaces still encourages developing talent. And beer can still be had for cheap.

Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St. (www.petescandystore.com), Williamsburg is packed with bars and nightclubs proudly announcing their humorous/bizarre/random former lives with preserved signs and names. Pete's Candy Store is probably the best. The former sweets and soda dispenser has been transformed into a multi-room bar and performance space (picture an empty but fancy railway car) that hosts an incredibly varied array of events on any given night. Live music is a mainstay: two to three bands play on weekdays, four on weekends, the genres shifting from indie rock to country to folk and back again. Music usually starts at 8pm or 9pm. On Sunday afternoons at 4pm you can worship at Revolutionary Church with the much-pierced and much-tattooed Jay Bakker, son of the immortal Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker. Open mike nights Sundays 5-8pm, quiz-offs Wednesdays 7:30pm, Nora's Court cases (Judge Judy except funnier) first Tuesday of every month, and scattered readings, spelling bees, and stand-up acts throughout the month. Check on Beer $4-5. Mixed drinks $10. Open M-W 5pm-2am, Th 5pm-4am, F 4pm-4am, Su 3:30pm-2am. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Union Pool, 484 Union Ave. (www.myspace.com/unionpool), Next up in the funny conversions sweepstakes: the Union Pool, nestled in a blank, nightmare-suburbia-looking former pool supply store beneath the Brooklyn-Queens expressway. The bar and concert space retain the store's ugly walls, but paintings, mirrors, chandeliers, and an old-school photo booth liven things up. Night crowds spill into the backyard, complete with a small fountain and a “taco truck” on summer afternoons and evenings. There's live music almost every night; Monday nights are devoted to country, the rest of the week to rock and indie. Nightly DJs in the bar cater to those sick of standing or sitting. Things get crowded during the wee hours, so go early if you want that courtyard all to yourself. Cover for performances $5-10. Beer $4-5. Mixed drinks $9-11. Wine $7-9. Open M-F 5pm-4am, Sa-Su 1pm-4am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Brooklyn Ale House, 103 Berry St. (www.brooklynalehouse.com), The Ale House was around long before the young newcomers drifted into town, and there's something refreshing in its simplicity. In the back, a dart board and pool table. In the front, a well-stocked bar frequented by aging townies and fresh-faced pretty young things alike. Around the edges, maybe a few dogs—this is, after all, one of NYC's most dog-friendly bars, and if you stay long enough you'll probably see the owners. Dogs welcome. Beer $4-6. Wines $7-9. Open M-Th and Su noon-3am, F-Sa noon-4am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave. (www.bk.knittingfactory.com), Founded in the East Village in the late '80s, the Knitting Factory has since threaded its way all the way to Los Angeles. Their Brooklyn branch is a popular bar and concert space whose crowds spill out onto Metropolitan on a nightly basis. The spacious bar in front has plenty of breathing room, but your chances of survival in the back concert room, visible from the bar but muffled and separated by a glass barrier, decrease considerably. Check website for complete calendar of events. Performance tickets $8-15. Beer $3-6. Mixed drinks $6-9. Open M-F 5pm-2am, Sa-Su noon-2am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Public Assembly, 70 North 6th St. (www.publicassemblynyc.com), This former mayonnaise factory has been transformed into a state-of-the-art performance space whose industrial legacy lives on in its cavernous stone walls. Back and front rooms host nightly shows with larger helpings of hip-hop than usual in Williamsburg. There's also Monday Night Burlesque, which kicks off weekly at 8pm or 9pm. Check website for event details. Performance cover $7-15. Beer $5-6. Mixed drinks $6-9. Open M-Th and Su 7pm-2am, F-Sa 7pm-4am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Charleston Bar and Grill, 174 Bedford Ave. (www.thecharlestonbar.com), The Charleston has been around since 1933 and looks appropriately battered. The bar looks like it's been around since the Great Depression, the bathroom probably began collecting graffiti around the same time, and the clientele tends to be a bit older and more grizzled than the usual fresh faces. In short, it's irresistible. We haven't even mentioned the equally tantalizing offer of free pizza with every drink over $4. There's a concert space downstairs where crowds mosh to live music on weekend nights starting at around 10pm. Free pizza with with every drink over $4. Beer $4-5. Mixed drinks $4-9. Open daily noon-4am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.