Lakeside Lounge

162 Avenue B between 10th and 11th Streets (212) 529 - 8463. Subway: L to First Avenue; 6 to Astor Place. 4:00am - 4:00pm. Average drink $4.00. AmEx, MC, V.

Avenue B may be increasingly populated by fancy bars and bistros, but Lakeside Lounge remains proudly unpolished. Besides the cheap beers - Negra Modelo to Milwaukee's Best - the real draw here is the jukebox and the live roots rock: Thanks to co-owners Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, a record producer and guitarist in Steve Earle's band, and Jim "the Hound" Marshall, a former WFMU DL, the venue has hosted local heros like Freddy Johnston and Steve Wynn. The Juke? It's simply the best in town.
www.lakesidelounge.com


The Living Room

84 Stanton Street at Allen Street (212) 533-7235. Subway: F to Lower East Side - Second Avenue. Monday - Friday 6:00pm - 3:00am; Saturday, Sunday noon - 3:00am. Average drink $5.00. MC, V.

The aptly named Living Room is furnished with scroll-back kitchen chairs and macrame plant hangers - think Regal Beagle, only with finger food. Crowds regularly pack the comfortably lit space to watch the troubadours of the local acoustic music scene in action. Although the stage is a no-frills plywood affair, the sound system is clear and clean as a bell, thanks to Steve Rosenthal who's better half Jennifer expertly runs the Living Room. Sometimes there's a cover and sometimes there ain't, but the music is always fun and the staff just as nice as can be. Check out the new CD that features some of the best acts that have played this vibrant venue.
www.livingroomny.com





Moe's

80 Lafayette Avenue at South Portland Avenue, Fort Green, Brooklyn (718) 797-9536. Subway: G to Clinton - Washington Avenues; M, N, R, Q to Dekalb Avenue. Monday - Sunday 6:00pm - 3:30am. Average drink $6.00. Cash only.

Moe's owners - Chelsea Altman, a theater actor, and Rudy Lawrence, producer-star of public access's Thrush TV - created a split level space that mixes retro (drawing from the beauty school that used to occupy the building in the late 70's) and contemporary (a sexy, curving bar and a snaking light box inlaid with Japanese rice paper). As for the modest name: "We wanted something that wasn't pretentious," says Lawrence. Simpsons fans would approve.





McSorley's Old Ale House

15 East 7th Street between Second and Third Avenues (212) 473-9148. Subway: F to Lower East Side - Second Avenue. Monday - Saturday 11:00am - 1:00am; Sunday 1:00pm - 1:00am. Average drink $1.75. Cash only.

Established in 1854, McSorley's lays claim to being the city's longest running pub in a single location. Bring a powerful thirst and your reading glasses to this living drinking museum - it would take days to read the newspaper clippings on the walls, Irish waiters in grey coats part the sea of drinkers, carrying bouquets of beer. "Eight and eight is all I carry," yells veteran waiter Richie as he fills a table with McSorley's Dark Ale and McSorley's Light Ale - the former is sweet and smooth, the latter smooth with a bite. Sawdust on the floors and a chandelier that's never been dusted lend legendary-bar cred. Order the cheese platter, basic American and cheddar slathered with eye-watering hot Irish mustard. Bring a copy of bartender-poet Geoffrey Bartholemew's recently published The McSorley Poems for maximum reverie.