Living in New York City is not cheap. Neither is drinking in it.
We're blessed with some of the best bars and restaurants in the world, yet most of us who live here can't afford to drink or eat there because of the astronomical prices.
Luckily for us, this city also has some really excellent happy hour deals that have, until now, flown under the radar.
And because we really can't tell our landlord that we spent all of our rent money on luxurious foods, there's this.
Take notes; here are 6 of the best happy hour bars in NYC. Now drink up-- without putting a dent in your wallet, that is.
1. BKB (321 East 73rd Street)
Where else in the city can you nosh on $1 oysters and sip $10 rose from tap? We'll let you in on a secret: no where else.
You can at BKB during their happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Their order of six oysters for $16 is a bit too much of a luxury for us, but we can definitely afford to pay $16 for six oysters and a glass of wine.
2. Union Bar & Kitchen (300 Spring Street)
On Mondays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., you can have $1.50 oysters, $1 clams on the half shell, $2 fried clams, or $3 pork belly sliders. And that's just for food.
Union Bar & Kitchen also offers $5 select draft beer and $6 glasses of select wines.
At a place where appetizers typically cost more than $14.70, we're excited to have the opportunity to try some of their excellent food at a reasonable price.
3. Cibar (56 Irving Place)
If you're looking for an upscale happy hour, Cibar is definitely the place to hit first.
Their happy hour is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Their "Beer of the Day" is priced at $5, where their "Wine of the Day" is $7.
Their cocktails are reduced from $14 to $9, so it's not an extreme steal, but the cocktails are pretty fancy.
We're loving the "Blood Orange Collins," which is made with Ford's gin, fresh blood orange juice, and prosecco.
,4. Flatiron Lounge (37 West 19th Street)
katharine.k 'Devil Went Down to Georgia' ..hands down, one of the best cocktails I've ever had, ingredients: #bourbon #whiskey #lemon #peach #tabasco #flatironlounge
Every Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Originally priced at $14, their happy hour cocktails cost $10.
For a "Maple Leaf" cocktail made with rye whiskey, maple syrup, grapefruit, and lemon, we'd say that's a pretty decent deal.
They also have $6 draught beers and reduced prices on select wines.
5. Sweet Revenge (62 Carmine Street)
sweetrevengenyc Celebrate your long weekend with #cupcakes, #wine & #beer pairings! Bring on the sugar & booze! Hellyeah! #dessert #winebar #worldsgreatest #nyc #laborday #foodporn #yummy #sweets #nomnom
This happy hour is unique. If you want snacks, go somewhere else, but if you want sweets, you're in the right place.
From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, you can have a $6 glass of select wines, or $5 select beers, or a carafe of sangria for $15.
If you want a glass of Gato Negro's Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, or a glass of sangria accompanied with a a cupcake, it's only $10.
6. Agave (140 7th Avenue South)
Flavored margaritas can get very expensive in this city...well, what we mean is that they go down so easy that you can quickly lose count how many you've ingested.
If you're looking for some excellent margaritas for a steal, check Agave from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. any day of the week.
You can have $6 margaritas frozen or on the rocks in the choices of: prickly pear, strawberry, mango OR $7 for blood orange or pomegranate.
You can also have $4 draft beers, $6 glasses of wine, or $6 liquor.
So yeah, you know where to find us after work. Where you headed first?
Check out 8 Bars You Must Drink in This Fall (That Aren’t in Manhattan).
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]