30 to Midnight

The Stag's Head, Midtown East

Thursday, 10:15pm

The Stag's Head
252 E 51st St. (2nd Ave.), Manhattan

Surprisingly AA post-happy hour and into the 11's at The Stag's Head. Bartender says that's usual, and also tells us they're "in transition to gastropub" which, apparently, means they'll be upgrading their sliders from USDA Select to Prime (that's a beef grade joke we're using to poke fun at the subtle difference between "bar with food" and "gastropub", especially in this case). Warning: Stay away from the open window if secondhand smoke isn't your thing. 

The Manchester Pub, Midtown East

Thursday, 8:45pm

The Manchester Pub
920 Second Ave. (49th St.), Manhattan

The Manchester tricked us. We peeked in pre-dinner and were excited by what we saw: a bar full of AA's not-all-suits. We decided to come back later so we could linger and enjoy. But, yes, things went awry (as they oft do when making plans in this risky hood). When we returned, barely two hours later, the place was easily 15 years younger. We ordered anyway, and watched in disbelief as if drinking with Dorian Gray. Within an hour the Manchester was so AI we were suffocating. We finished our tasty beers and skedaddled (so unfair).

Best Places to Find Age Appropriates

We always thought only women liked lists, but it's our male fans who keep asking for them. This first one is for you, gentleman. You're welcome. 

Best Places to Find Age Appropriates:

Wine Bars - Great place to find AA women, though maybe they're more interested in talking to each other than to you. 8th Street Wine Cellar is a favorite.

Hotel Bars - We're not sure why (proximity to offices handing out sizable paychecks?) but venues like Cellar Bar are generally full of AA's, women and men. Our friend Tony says it's because men think "life" is easier when close to a bed.

Restaurant Bars - Any restaurant with a legitimate bar is bound to have AA's sitting there drinking and dining (think: Gramercy Tavern). AA's like to eat; people who eat at bars are social, and they're happy because they're satiated (plus, slightly buzzed means considerably receptive).

Your Local - Once you reach a certain age you realize it's better to establish a relationship with a bartender and your neighbors. AA's aren't tricked into thinking New = Better. 30toMidnight plans to find at least one AA bar in each neighborhood. That way every AA has a comfortable home away from home. 

Come back for more 30toMidnight Cheat Sheets.

Zarela, Midtown East

Thursday, 7pm

Zarela
953 Second Ave. (50th St.), Manhattan

You know you're Age InAppropriate if you were born after Zarela Martinez opened her still-bustling namesake restaurant (1987). And you know you're Age Appropriate when the thought of people born in 1987 sitting near you makes you shudder. Thankfully that's not really the case here, though the rest of the neighborhood is freakishly AI after Happy Hour (obviously a much scarier scene than Age Inappropriate After Midnight).

Sit at Zarela's bar or take a table. Either way, order the day's chile relleno (they're superb) and enjoy your shelter from the outside AI storm.

Warren 77, Tribeca

Wednesday, 11pm

Warren 77
77 Warren St. (W. Broadway), Manhattan

"The men here are not in tights, if you know what I mean," said a 27-year-old who told us her name was Jesse yet answered to Anna when her companion called. We don't know that means but we do know we liked Warren 77's post-game vibe, which smelled deliciously like someone getting high (in an open window seat) and garlic (dinners still on tables). And we dig the giant green banquettes with their semi-private flat-screens. We'll be back for sports. Bartender says the crowd is consistently 20's and 30's, many Beatrice Inn-ers. That said, we don't feel old, but we will leave by midnight.

Note: Warren 77 closes at 1am.

Live Bait, Madison Square

Friday, 5:45pm

Live Bait
East 23rd St. (Madison Ave.), Manhattan

It wasn't our first Happy Hour at Live Bait, yet we'd forgotten how Credit Suissey the crowd, not including the small group of Marge Simpson blue-haired, tattooed women at the front. Everyone else seemed to be on camp trip: thirteen summer interns for every 27ish chaperone. Bartender says the age range is more mixed than we realize. Maybe so. We're willing to give it another chance since it actually is a bar and not some contrived tourist-moron trap.

Note: We have never eaten here, but we're told the food isn't terrible, and we have reports on a recent Saturday evening: completely AA, mostly guys, and two couples watching baseball.

Church Lounge, Tribeca Grand, Tribeca

Wednesday, 10pm

Tribeca Grand
2 Avenue of the Americas (aka 6th Ave. at Church St.), Manhattan

We didn't know anyone went to the Church Lounge anymore but the giant room was comfortably full of non-tourist Age Appropriates when we arrived with dashing reporter Brian (oh, too late to sway the story?). Bartender says weekends can still be too-loud-too-smushy, but weeknights are mellow. If the furniture didn't look like it was stolen from an airport lounge, we'd say this was your living room away from home. Perfect for drinking + conversing = perfectly AA.

30-something Days of Rain in June

Between drinking and dodging downpours we made time to start a Glossary, and re-categorize every bar we've visited, resulting in a new designation: Age Appropriate Before Midnight.

That's right; we're busy blowing our curfew big time with out-of-towners so you can sit back and enjoy a beverage with peers.

The Swig, Upper East Side

Thursday, 9:30pm

The Swig
1629 Second Ave. (85th St.), Manhattan

What started out as Age Appropriate deteriorated into pre-college-style crying in the women's room. We see that a lot, the scale balancing age and time of night, and we think it's because AA's like sleep. In fact, we know it. We value it. Here's another difference between Age Appropriate and Age InAppropriate: the former laments lost time in bed; the latter brags about it. 

O'Lunney's, Midtown West

Tuesday, 6pm

O'Lunney's
145 W. 45th St. (6th Ave.), Manhattan

Times Square is a place we like to visit as infrequently as possible, unless we're going to a show, and it's not a Wednesday. But we'll go anywhere when someone is willing to humor us and talk business development/marketing. Because even when she's so tired her stomach hurts and her eyes are hardly open, Sara has energy for Guinness and shop talk. Thanks to friends of ours for offering some advice. That's the longest intro possible to tell you that O'Lunney's has an Age Appropriate happy hour, and extremely high ceilings, which you know we love.