Being in Times Square is every New Yorker's nightmare.
Whether you're trying to get tickets to a Broadway show, meeting relatives from out of town, or fighting off a Cloverfield monster, being in Times Square is the f*cking worst.
Luckily, you're not far from some amazing places to grab a cocktail!
So fight your way through those designated activity zones and get to boozin'!"
Here are some of the top places in Times Square to get your drink on.
1. Reunion Surf Bar (357 West 44th Street)
You'll know Reunion Surf Bar by the yellow surf board out front. Walk down stairs and after one look at this chilled-out space, you'll be re-enacting Beach Blanket Bingo.
[anad]
Reunion reminds you of being on vacation in Hawaii or Malibu, though you've only travelled to 9th Avenue. Summer happy hour currently runs until 10 p.m., and you cannot miss their frozen drinks such as The Mermaid or The Dark Blizzard (Mojito & Dark & Stormy!).
2. Beer Culture (328 West 45th Street)
This is the place to take the brew nerd in your life. Perhaps that nerd is you! Even if you're not in Times Square, Beer Culture has an amazing, rotating selection of craft beers and there is truly something for every palette.
The bartenders are super friendly and make helpful suggestions - you might even get a Hall & Oates singalong, WHO KNOWS. And they of course serve wine for those who don't care for beer but...it's Beer Culture! C'mon!
3. Lantern's Keep (49 West 44th Street)
There's nothing like a good hotel bar. An air of romance, a meeting with a mysterious stranger, charging all your drinks to that mysterious stranger's hotel bill and then booking it onto the A train...
Lantern's Keep is nestled in the back of the Iroquois Hotel, and hosts a smaller number of guests each night due to it's more intimate setting. And your experience is made all the better for it.
Lantern's Keep makes for a great date spot or a cute place to take the parents that says "I'm a fancy New Yorker, just like those ones you see on the TV!".
4. Rudy's Bar & Grill (627 9th Avenue)
Rudy's is not exactly in Times Square, but it's going in here anyways because: free hot dogs. In a city as expensive as NYC, if someone gives you a free hot dog, you take that free hot dog! Rudy's is also a fun dive-tastic bar that has been around since prohibition days.
Face it kids: sometimes you need a good dive bar. Rudy's has your back and comes bearing all the free hot dogs you can handle.
5. Jimmy's Corner (140 West 44th Street)
Professional boxing trainer Jimmy Glenn opened this Times Square area dive as a shrine to his beloved sport and keeps the drink prices low and the tunes pumping.
You don't find too many bars in Times Square that have a devoted fan base, but people come from all over town to have a drink with Jimmy and have enough cash left over to buy another round. See for yourself and while you're at it―ask Jimmy about that pic of him and Muhammed Ali.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]