30 to Midnight

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.

This Year's Ringling Elephant Walk Through The Midtown Tunnel

The elephants are coming! The elephants are coming! According to Gothamist, a site you can trust, and not just for asking questions like: Do 20-Somethings Know Who Alan Alda Is?, though that is a good reason to trust them...
Uh, what were we saying?
Oh, yes, while we wait to hear back from the Ringling press people (you already know we're the research/fact-checking type), we're using Gothamist's info to tell you the Ringling elephants will walk through the Midtown Tunnel (34th? 36th? 37th St and 2nd Ave.) this year on March 24th.

This is one of those only-in-NYC events. Some of these events we endeavor to avoid. But this one, though it's at the Midnight hour, is worth staying up for, we think. And if we make it there this year, we will replace this Daily News photo with one of our own.

Note: The Walk Will be Monday March 22nd.

Patrick Kavanagh's, Murray Hill

Saturday, 10:15pm

Patrick Kavanagh's
497 3rd Ave. (33rd St.), Manhattan

The decision to enter Patrick Kavanagh's happened after Karina noticed the two seats at the end of the bar while Sara noticed the balding heads. Later, Paul noticed that we were the oldest girls in the bar so he sauntered over and offered to buy us a drink. We accepted, primarily because Sara initially thought he was the guy who'd been unapologetically leaning over her to obtain Miller Lites. She was willing to accept half a pint of Guinness and an Absolut Pear an apology. Instead, it turned out, she accepted the drinks as a pick up line.

"Order your drinks," Paul said, smiling and somewhat swaying. "I'm going to make room for mine and I'll be back."
Since euphemisms delight us, we immediately liked him. He's 36 and seeking same-age entertainment, so we gave him our card (matches out of range of current operating budget).
"There's nothing on this!" he said. "What is this?!"
"You don't think it looks like the card of a stripper?" we asked in self-deprecation.
"It looks like the card of a weird 60-year-old man."
"There was a disconnect between online font size and actual font size."
That, as far as he was concerned, was not the main problem, but we moved on to discussions of Mormonism and meeting women while the bar's median age decreased.

The important facts: If soccer (that other football) or playoffs (the actual football) or any sort of professional sports are on the tele, the crowd will be of mixed ages. If the bar is actually a drinking establishment, the crowd will be AI.

One more thing: The bar is named for an Irish poet who said, among other things, these words: Actors are loved because they are unoriginal. Actors stick to their script. The unoriginal man is loved by the mediocrity because this kind of ''artistic'' expression is something to which the merest five-eighth can climb.

Mercury Bar, Murray Hill

Saturday, 9:40pm

Mercury Bar
493 Third Ave. (33rd St.), Manhattan

Remember when we went to The Half King and met that guy who guessed the City's Most InAppropriate Neighborhood was "Third Avenue in the Thirties"? Well, he wasn't wrong. We knew he wasn't wrong which is why we've mostly avoided this area we're referring to as Murray Hill though, technically, south of 34th Street is still Gramercy. Huh. Clearly that's what realtors want to to think. We'll argue maps and boundaries with you later. Now we'll simply say: As expected, the majority of bars on Third Avenue in the 30's are AI. You can risk it Before Midnight, but you're likely not going to like it. Case in point: Merc Bar before 10pm. A good place to be if you're 23. 

Wine Bar at Pizza 33, Murray Hill

Saturday, 9:30pm

Pizza 33
489 Third Ave. (33rd St.), Manhattan

Pizza 33 is a mini chain with better than average 'za. It is Not a Wine Bar. We're intrigued by the sign, which is only on the side awning, above the service entry, but not on the front awning. Why? Because they thought they'd have a bar when they opened, years ago, but it never came to be.

So, stop in for a sobering slice (the bright lights help in that arena too) but not for a glass of vino. Your dining companions will be whatever age the time warrants.

Vino 313, Murray Hill

Saturday 8:15pm

Vino 313
201 E. 31st St. (3rd Ave.), Manhattan

3-13 is Karina's birthday. We're planning something special, and we might invite you. Stay tuned. 31-3 is the location of a restaurant/wine bar that, as bartender Michela says, unprompted, is Age Appropriate until midnight (AABM). Michela also introduced us to the Moscow Mule (pictured: copper mug, ice, vodka, ginger beer) but Sara was still stuck on prosecco so unwisely opted for the mini bottle (also pictured), which was quickly replaced with a Presidente (what a DR beer is doing in a joint like this, we don't know, but it was far superior to the sparkling wine).

We met a boy here, a 32 who says Vino 313 is a great date place, great for dinner, and great for just hanging out at the bar. Then he ditched us to Not go on a date with a girl in Williamsburg. If he finds 30toMidnight's card in his pocket, we'll help him hype his charity event (benefit for NYC's working poor). Or we may just see him back at the bar, or at the bistro tables full of couples and girls whose age decreased as the night progressed. 

Proseccheria at Pasticcio, Murray Hill

Saturday, 8pm

Proseccheria at Pasticcio
477 Third Ave. (31st St.), Manhattan

Via Text:
Sara (on street): You are going to love this place.
Karina (in cab): Is George Clooney there?
Sara: Something like that.

The interior of Proseccheria looks like a Season 5 Rescue Me set (read: Denis Leary's character drunkenly busts up the bar). We're sorry to see this place close, mostly because we never saw it open, and it's such an appealing idea (wine bar that's a prosecco bar). Someone else should open a prosecco bar. Think of this closure as a hole you can fill. And then let us know.

Red Sky, Murray Hill

Friday, 8pm

Red Sky
47 East 29th St. (Park Ave.), Manhattan

Something about this place makes us think Rubyfruit Jungle. Not the Rita Mae Brown novel (yes we minored in Women's Studies) but the bar that was once on Hudson Street (yes we've hung out in lesbian bars). And that something is the pink Christmas lights zig-zagging the ceiling in flickering celebration of New Year's Eve. The intention was Red, btw. The order said Red, the box said Red (says the bartender), but the bulbs themselves scream pink. Anyhoo, if you can see through the lights, which is not difficult, you'll notice a mounted sailfish (it's a little sailfish, right?) and a number of sports-showing TV's, and a UConn banner, and some Age Appropriate customers eating and drinking and chilling out.  We rather like this place. Sorry for the sideways picture. We were struggling with a friend's phone.

Vig 27, Murray Hill

Vig 27
119 East 27 St. (Lexington Ave.), Manhattan

What was this bar before it was this bar? You know, like 10 years ago when it was a desirable, chill place to be? Maybe it was a wine bar? When it wasn't so black?  When it wasn't trying to be a lounge? The last time we entered this space was more than five years ago and we do remember low lighting and lower seating but we don't remember it to be so blah. Bartender says it gets packed with Age InAppropriates. Disappointing all around. And a little sad too.

Cavatappo, Murray Hill

Wednesday, 9:30pm

Cavatappo Wine Bar
347 Third Ave. (26th St.), Manhattan

We finally made it down to the Murray Hill outpost of one of our favorite places on the Upper East Side. What a great addition to a part of an Avenue generally overrun by Age InAppropriates. That's their thing, huh? Cavatappo is an Age Appropriate oasis. Nice. Thank you. Next they'll be opening on the Lower East Side (that's a joke).