New York City Union Square, Flatiron District, And Murray Hill

The area around Union Square fosters many after-work spots and fancier establishments catering to the jet set. Look deeper and you'll find some more affordable and livelier options. Third Avenue is lined with bars, leftovers of the elevated-train days or newbies geared toward recently arrived young professionals.

Pete's Tavern, 129 E. 18th St. (www.petestavern.com), Pouring brews since 1864, Pete's is the oldest continually operating bar in New York. You can appreciate the history via the place's own 1864 ale at a huge, ornate bar that looks like a remnant of the Civil War-era itself (and take a look at that ceiling). Dark wood prevails, though on sunlit days the tavern is open to the outdoors and brightened. There's much more space beyond the bar, with rows of tables in brick-walled rooms to the back where you can try some hefty American-style dishes like burgers, pastas, and chicken parmesan. Beer $5-8. Mixed drinks $6-10. Entrees $12-24. Open M-W 11:30am-2am, Th 11:30am-3am, F-Sa 11:30am-4am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
The Hairy Monk, 337 3rd Ave. (www.thehairymonknyc.com), Take a final, furtive look around, grab the ring handle on the wooden door, and enter enemy territory behind the purple-and-yellow exterior. The Hairy Monk is an Irish pub packed with Boston sports fans and Boston sports memorabilia—Yankees fans beware. Things can get rowdy and crowded during a Red Sox, Patriots, or Celtics game, or on weekend nights when the Irish music is at full tilt. It can all be enjoyed better with a pint of Guinness, one of the Monk's specialties, and maybe a plate of its Irish food as well. Happy hour daily 11am-7pm; $2.50 bottles, $4.20 drafts, $1 off entire bar. Beer $3-6. Entrees $12-20. Open daily 11am-4am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
119, 119 E. 15th St. (www.119bar.com), 119 is a true dark horse in a land of lofts and landmarks: a dark, down-and-dirty dive bar that hasn't been scrubbed up for the grandparents. You enter by way of the pool room, where the table is surrounded by couches. The bar sells its cheap drinks in another room to the right. There's not much to the place, but why should there be? It's all about the basics and scruffy charm here. Beer $3-7. Mixed drinks $6-10. Open M-F 4pm-4am, Sa-Su 6pm-4am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
Molly's, 87 3rd Ave. (www.mollysshebeen.com), Countless Irish pubs used to line Third Ave. beneath its famous elevated train, and Molly's is one of the survivors. This is as true green as it gets, right down to the distinctive wooden door opening up to a darkened interior full of locals and regulars. The floor is covered in sawdust, the white walls decorated with rusty farm equipment, and the decor capped off with a fireplace. Then there are the Irish bartenders dishing out standards like Guinness to a very appreciative crowd. It's all homey, neighborhoodly, and lovably insular. Pints $4-7. Entrees $10-25. Open M-Sa 11:30am-4am, Su noon-4am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.