30 to Midnight

30toMidnight is the entertainment source for everyone over-30

We tell you Where to go, Who you'll find there (How old they are), What they say to us, and When to leave. Plus, we tell a good story whenever possible. Check out our Glossary to understand our parlance, and read More About Us to get to know your guides.

NYC Ranks in Top 10 Best Cities For Under-35ers

From 10 Great Cities For Young Adults (Under 35, they say, which does seem high for "young" huh? And includes more than Gen Y. And somehow Hoboken is in NYC) By Caitlin Dewey, Kiplinger.com

Metro population: 19,069,796 (includes Long Island and Northern New Jersey)
Cost-of-living index: 218 (Manhattan), 179 (Brooklyn), 158 (Queens)
Median monthly rent: $1,025 (average is $819) Hmm.
Average annual wage: $50,784
Unemployment rate: 9.4%
Percentage of Gen Y residents: 21.9%

Shake Shack in Miami Beach

Shake Shack Miami
1111 Lincoln Road (Lenox Ave), South Beach
11:30am toMidnight Sun to Thurs; to 1am Fri and Sat

Apparently Shake Shack is now everywhere and so are we. Well, NYC and Miami. And we're only temporarily in Miami.

Lincoln Road, if you don't know, is a long pedestrian mall a few blocks from the beach. It has all the regular Main Street USA stuff, and some lesser knowns as well (we mean that in a good way of course). And now it has Shake Shack.

So...Shake Shack Shake Shack. This new location is the best one to visit if you don't like 50+ person lines. A status that will likely change after the sweltery summer (NYers and tourists heart Fla). But is this the best burger in South Beach? Well, if we rated food we'd give that accolade to Burger & Beer Joint (1766 Bay Road, Miami Beach). That place rocks. They have 99 bottles of beer on menu, plus some on tap. Go there. And good luck finding it if you're driving yourself and you're not a local.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

We have a number of questions about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which we've seen people reading on the subway, on airplanes, on beaches, and in bars and restaurants. Namely: how did this book become so popular? And: Why is it not called The Girl With The Wasp Tattoo?

NYC Age-Appropriate Bar iPhone App

A number people have suggested an iPhone app for 30toMidnight (which is to say - a number of people who are not developers think we have the ability and time to make magic). We know it's a good idea so are putting it out to you, our readers - who wants to help us create such a thing?

Not sure what we're talking about? Check out this new app for World Cup Soccer bars+spectators.

Klimat, East Village

Sunday, 6pm

Klimat
77 East 7th St. (First Ave.), Manhattan

There's something truly enjoyable about empty summer Sunday afternoon-evening seats in the East Village. Leave the chaos of 47-people-to-a-room to the Age InAppropriate and revel in the summertime City (as far away from Times Square as possible - the disneyfication of that part of town means it's crazy there even on summer weekends. Eek).

Rockaway Taco

Craigslist Used Car Sales

Let's say you're tired of arguing with rental car agency employees and your day-trips are frequent in summer. Then let's say you look to Craigslist to see what's out there. Here's what you might get in response when you contact the sellers of used vehicles:

Bungalow Bar, Rockaway Beach

Sunday, 6pm

Bungalow Restaurant & Bar
327 Beach 92nd St., Far Rockaway, Queens

First night (for us) of the season (summer, we mean) at Bungalow Bar so we're reposting for 2010. A bit windy for the loverly deck, and the enclosed outdoor area was a bit smokey, but the main bar was hopping, and baseball was on the tv's. If that's not summer we don't know what is. We can't wait to get back to the beach.

From 2009 but still true: Sundays are the night to hit Bungalow, another Jamaica Bay-side restaurant and bar (think: music, drinking, sunned AA's). But if you're looking for a post-beach beverage, or want to watch a sunset, any afternoon-evening here will do, and you'll be among peers, wondering how to get yourself a bungalow in this New York City beach 'hood. Bungalow Bar, btw, is not just a summer location. In the winter, Sunday Funday (their name) is all about football. And $2 drafts. And music.

More about the Rockaways.

Marriott Marquis, Times Square

Sunday post-matinee

Broadway Lounge
New York Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway (8th Ave.), Manhattan

Since childhood Sara has loved the glass elevators at the Marriott Marquis. But there's much more to see here. The Broadway Lounge doesn't rotate, but you can still get a seat overlooking Broadway, which is the best way to be near that uber-busy avenue. True it's more tourist-appropriate than age-appropriate but it's always appropriate to take a minute to remember how gorgeous are the lights and movements of the City.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, even if you're not a mother. Yesterday a store clerk wished Sara a HMD. Happened last year too. Translation: you don't look young and why don't you have any kids? Sara's response: You too. As in, guess Mother's Day is a universal holiday like Thanksgiving.

Age Appropriate Self Advertising; Brilliant

City Hall Park, Manhattan

Monday, 11:30am

City Hall Park
Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street, Manhattan

You know we love love this City, even though we (well, Sara) recently lost an entire toenail which has completely changed her perspective on everything. Lost meaning there is no longer a nail on the toe. Well, there is a freaky baby nail. Eew. Why doesn't her toe hurt now, but it did hurt in January? It's so confusing.

What's not confusing is this - New York City is the greatest place in the world, even if we (well, Sara) recently had $980 stolen from her checking account in some sort of ATM fraud. Stolen meaning someone followed her $20 transaction (needed a little something for the OTB for the Derby) with 2 balance checks,  a $800 withdrawal (luckily for them the day prior was payday), a $100 withdrawal, and 2 $40 withdrawals. Eew. Why not take it all at once? Who even knew you could get $800 from an ATM?

What's not confusing is this: if we could marry the City, flaws and all, at City Hall, in the newly redesigned muni court chapel, we would, even with the rampant number of InAppropriates. And another thing, we apologize for being too busy to post daily. If you're angry with us, consider the toe, and the fact that the $980 is still out of the aforementioned account, pending investigation.

Alice's Tea Cup

Alice's Tea Cup
156 East 64th St. (Lexington Ave.), Manhattan

Not including the children (literal children, as in young offspring of relatively young adults) peppering the tables, Alice's Tea Cup is an Age Appropriate venue, and an unexpectedly good place for a happy hour - alcoholic or otherwise, though we don't recommended ODing on tea so late in the day, but that's your own risk. Caffeine + AA = Dangerous.

Whiskey Rebel, Murray Hill

Friday, 12am

Whiskey Rebel
129 Lexington Ave. (29th St.), Manhattan

Somebunny turned even more Age Appropriate while stuffing herself with delicious bar popcorn and swilling some light beer at Whiskey Rebel, a perfectly reasonable AI bar.

Stone Street Tavern, Lower Manhattan

Thursday, 7:15pm

Stone Street Tavern
52 Stone St., Manhattan

This bar could really be appealing if it wasn't in the middle of all these other bars. We get how that's appealing too, for some (read: AI), but we're just not feeling the 'quad' thing anymore. Gosh we're downers. Well, stay tuned, things are about to turn up.

Vintry Wine & Whiskey, Stone Street

Thursday, 6:30pm

Vintry Wine & Whiskey
57 Stone Street, Manhattan

You know what this picture means: Sara breaking her no liquor rule. Well, it was worth it. We had a Whiskey Sour and a Grapefruit Bellini and seats at the window seat. 

Inside this Stone Street bar the crowd is Age Appropriate and lively. We enjoyed observing the near-chaos of outside, but would have preferred bar seating; more social. As you would hope, this Wine & Whiskey venue has numerous wines by the glass, numerous whiskeys, plus small plates of beautiful-looking food. We did not eat. We have plans to go back. Waitress tells us weekends are as lively as happy hour. We'll have to see about that. She also says Stone Street becomes unwalkable as the weather warms. Eek. Stay inside if you're AA. 

Stone Street, Vintry Wine & Whiskey, Across From Ulysses'

These guys (above) were drinking and smoking when we sat at our window seats. This couple (below) replaced them. All Age Appropriate, as you can see, some local, some tourist. The table where they're seated is part of Vintry Wine & Whiskey (57 Stone Street, Manhattan). You can reserve them (212-480-9800). We have more to say about the bar itself, which we very much liked (AA). Stone Street itself is a bit overwhelming (AI and AI-tendencies). Is it a weekday thing? We need to do a weekend trip to compare.

As you likely already know, Ulysses' (58 Stone Street and/or 95 Pearl Street, Manhattan) attracts AI's with its beer buckets.

Blue Bar, One Hanover Square at Stone Street, To Open This Week

An elegant new meeting place for fine cocktails and conversation, in the Harry's building.

Adrienne's Pizza Bar, Stone Street

Thursday, 5:50pm

Adrienne's Pizza Bar
54 Stone Street, Manhattan

Open toMidnight, Adrienne's had one of the oldest crowds on Stone Street, which we attribute to the presence of food. Inside, at the bar, there were people actually born in the 60's. Ha. It's funny when we make it sound like that's old. There were some 50's-born too. Well, maybe two.