RSSWhere DO librarians hang out?
Jan 29
Uncategorized Librarians, TimeOut New York 19 Comments
So, TimeOut New York has given us a little shout out in this item about librarians.
While we were a little nervous about being “fetish”ized, we think the piece is pretty tasteful (although I would like to state on the record that “sensible flats” are not part of any wardrobe I would call my own), and we love any article that references The Desk Set and Ghostbusters on the same page.
However… we’re less than thrilled with the places TONY suggests its readers might find librarians. First, they gave no love to the Queens Public Library, suggesting perhaps that nobody lives (or reads) there. Then, we think, they kind of missed the mark with the night-time librarian haunts. They did include one of our favorite bars, Huckleberry, and Apotheke, recommended by Sherri Liberman, does sound pretty cool. But Public? Delicious, absolutely, and we love the vintage card catalog in their lobby, but what librarian can afford to eat there?
So we would like to share some of our favorite places to eat, drink and read. Places where we frequently run into other bookish types, and places that have been awesomely supportive of us. We want to hear from you too! Please leave us a comment mentioning your favorite spots in the city.
Enid’s in Greenpoint and Daddy’s in Williamsburg have hosted us countless times, and always with grace and style. The bartenders are super sweet, the drinks are affordable, and you are almost guaranteed to run into a librarian, archivist or writer every time you set foot into either joint, whether they are serving your drink, spinning the tunes, or reading at the bar.
Black Rabbit on Greenpoint Ave hosted our Library and Literature Trivia night last September, and we’re betting you might spot a librarian or two at their Smiths Speed Dating event tonight! That’s right: speed dating accompanied solely by Smiths songs.
On the other side of the river, the Great Jones Cafe has been known to employ librarians and library students, and they have incredible food, delicious drinks, and the greatest juke box in the city, no doubt.
Urban Librarians Unite, a group of New York City Public Librarians meet up frequently at the Creek in Long Island City – the neighborhood that’s close(ish) to every other neighborhood – to talk shop and have a few beers.
I happen to know that librarians and MLS students can often be found at Harefield Road in Williamsburg, especially on Thursdays.
And Pacific Standard in Park Slope is so dedicated to writers and readers, they have their own in-house Bar Librarian. (barbrarian?) (And the Desk Set is planning an event for readers and writers to mingle and swap books there on March 30th).
So what are we missing? Your favorite place to read a book and get a meal? To go for drinks after your branch closes? To spot a famous writer? To play trivia or scrabble or other wonderfully nerdy games? Spill it!
Jan 29, 2009 @ 15:14:07
The Library on Avenue A on the lower East side will give you a free shot with your library staff id. I’m more likely to be around the corner at Cake Shop on Ludlow but they share an owner so I don’t feel bad visiting either place. If a BPL librarian DJs or plays in a rock band, she’s probably been spotted at Cake Shop. Neither is a good place to read or see authors (rockers maybe) but they haven’t kicked me out for breaking out the book light either.
Jan 29, 2009 @ 18:32:31
The librarians who work at Central Library in Brooklyn can sometimes be spotted after work at Bar Sepia on Underhill Street, or Great Bar Harry on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. At lunchtime we’re often eating sandwiches or grabbing coffee at the awesome “global soul” cafe Cheryl’s, also on Underhill across from the library.
Jan 29, 2009 @ 18:42:34
We used to hang out at Mike’s Place in Middle Island or Phil’s in Wading River, but now we usually go to other librarians places to play poker, eat pot luck, etc…I am a member of an all librarian dining club (called the Dinarians). We go out once a month for exotic and ethnic dining adventures.
Jan 29, 2009 @ 22:30:00
I dare speak for the entire staff of NYPL’s Mulberry St. Branch in saying Botanica is our watering hole of choice and a fine one at that. It’s a wonderful dive on Houston (bet. Mulberry and Mott) that you have to physically dive into–seriously, watch your head on the way in. Good cheap happy hour, friendly vibe, tunes for everyone (often 80s/90s throwbacks), and as my colleague Kerri can attest there’s nothing better than hearing the Scottish bartender grandly announce “The Librarians!” on your way in.
Jan 30, 2009 @ 07:24:33
If you end up in San Francisco, check out the Anti-Saloon speak-easy, Bourbon & Branch; you need to use the password, “books” to gain entry to the library!
Jan 30, 2009 @ 07:24:57
Friendly, quiet, ambience,good books and clean rest rooms!
Jan 30, 2009 @ 07:31:42
Woops, part of message deleted. Housing Works Used Book Cafe
126 Crosby St
Great ambience, books and rest rooms!
Vivian E.
Jan 30, 2009 @ 08:45:21
Despite the generally awful service, the $2 happy hour pints at Maggie Brown provide an affordable indulgence on a librarian’s salary. The french fries and chipotle mayo are nothing to sneeze at, either.
Jan 30, 2009 @ 08:48:23
I work with Andie, so I second her designation of Botanica as the Mulberry Street Library’s after work bar of choice. I also used to go to Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg on Wednesday nights to play trivia with some librarian friends and I know there’s a group that meets some place on the Upper West Side for trivia these days. I always enjoy Desk Set events too (of course!).
Jan 30, 2009 @ 10:50:33
A whole great swath of librarians seem to live on Claremont Avenue right by Columbia University. I ascribe this in part to the librarian tendency to marry people in the film departments there. In terms of hanging out The Library Bar on top of The Library Hotel is a great place to meet up (particularly if you’ve a taste for their Gin and the Giant Peach). We’re also quite fond of Sweet & Vicious in Soho and Faces & Names in the Midtown area.
Jan 30, 2009 @ 11:56:22
I (and other BPLers) am quite fond of the venerable Tip-Top Bar & Grille on Franklin Ave. in Bed-Stuy. Sweet Revenge is another increasingly popular spot in that Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border area. And if you are one of those rare nerdy young librarians who also happens to be obsessed with sports, McCormick’s on 5th Ave. in Park Slope is an awesome place to watch a Mets or Rangers game and knock back some cheap drinks. For coffee, tea, vegan treats and radical books and political events, I like Bluestockings on Allen Street in the LES.
Jan 30, 2009 @ 11:58:52
Hold on a second here. It’s not McCormick’s, it’s O’Connor’s. Duh. Apologies to all Irish people for mixing that up. You don’t all look the same to me.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 10:22:10
I’ve been to Pete’s Waterfront Ale House (on Atlantic Ave, not far from BPL’s Brooklyn Heights branch) several times with librarian friends.
Right next to Pacific Standard (mentioned above) is the NYC AIDS Housing Network, which hosts Books Through Bars, a group that sends books to prisoners and numbers several librarians and library school students in its ranks. (No, not a dining or drinking establishment, but we often have bodega beer and takeout noodles fueling our packing sessions.)
And, of course, ABC No Rio (the arts/activism community center on Rivington St, LES) is where you can almost always find a bunch of librarians on the third Friday night of the month at NYC Radical Reference meetings. We usually get a drink and nosh afterwards, too, most recently at Kate’s on Ave B.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 14:52:01
If this TONY fellow can’t think as far away as Queens, he really might not be interested in my two cents. But YOU are.
In the steel city known as PITTSBURGH (likely known for some time as “recent Superbowl-winning” after tomorrow night, woo!) there are some pretty neat-o bars and restaurants known to attract a fetisher or two. And his bookish …prey. Eesh, I made that creepy.
First and foremost:
The Library! Yes, we have beautiful Andrew Carnegie funded book-filled libraries. But I’m talking about food and booze here, and there’s no better place for fans of le Desk Set than, The Library. The current website is weirdly under construction, so read this:
(http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_513546.html)
While there are books everywhere, decor and …spirit-wise, my favorite is having donated used books serve as menus. And not just, hollowed out books. These are BOOKS. So, on an immediately bad date, you can choose your menu item on the first page, and then have the sweet, sweet escape of learning all about birds indigenous to South America, until it arrives. Also the dessert menu is the library check-out card!!! It’s so freaking charming I can barely write about it.
The food and drinks are fantastic. And it’s reasonably priced for the quality of food that it is. And I assume drinks are 200% cheaper than any in NYC.
I’ll throw in a runner-up favorite of a self-described “bookish” type in the ‘Burgh: Brillobox. (http://www.brillobox.net/) The sign is designed with typewriter letters for god’s sake. They have deliciously pretentious trivia on Wednesday nights. There’s not a single person in there without plastic square frame glasses. The menu is all vegetarian at this point I think, half vegan. The bartenders are foxy, but usually too busy to wait on the server-less tables.
Any friend of the Desk Set is a friend of Pittsburgh–someone wanting a more complete list for a visit here should make his/her request known. And it shall be done!
Feb 02, 2009 @ 12:48:13
I enjoy Black and White on 10th Street between 3rd and 4th Ave in the city. Wednesday happy hour is the best because it’s not too crowded and they have good deals!
Feb 02, 2009 @ 14:16:38
Beer – The Diamond, Barcade and The Burp Castle
Beer + Food – Mug’s Ale House, Habitat & The Chip Chop
Beer + Bocce – Floyd’s and Union Hall
Coffee + Reading – Champion, Brooklyn Label & Verb
But honestly I never meet any bookish people. My head is always buried in a book and everyone else seems to be blogging on their laptops. Several of my friends I suspect of being illiterate. I see them constantly sounding out words. Deep in concentration their mouths move silently/slowly, their brows furrow, their forheads sweat–It’s sad, really.
Feb 24, 2009 @ 11:57:22
see, now if i told you then my bars would be full of librarians and not old dude’s getting into fistfights, and i wouldn’t be the only librarian in them.
Feb 05, 2010 @ 00:21:13
Hello
I am in Perth, Western Australia and, together with a group of former and current colleagues, we have formed a group of small bar appreciating Library workers. I have, unfortunately, been charged with coming up with a snazzy and witty name for our new group (comprised of Librarians, Library Technicians, Library Service Officers and E-Librarians) and I am stumped. I am wondering if anyone out there could offer a clever little name?
Please help?