I play a decent amount of pool and have been compiling a list, with the help of the guys on my league team of spots in NYC. Feel free to lmk if there is a good spot on the list I missed!
I've been doing this tour of NYC pool bars of finding a place to shoot after whatever plans I have on the weekends. Its a good way to meet a variety of people.
Recent Spots I've played at:
Ocean's 8
Windjammer
Bushwick Ice House
Twins Lounge
Anchored Inn
Abe's Pagoda
May 28, 2025
Related Recs
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Manyyyy good recs have been made already, but here are a few that I feel strongly about:
Coffee:
-SEY Coffee is the best in the city by far. Incredible pour overs and espresso. I used to go there every day when I lived in Bushwick.
-For a true old school cup, Porto Rico is great. The one on Bleecker has been there since 1958 and is great. No place to sit inside however.
Pool:
-Amsterdam Billards is the stand-by billiard hall! a little pricey but I like it
Dayspa:
- (Cheap) Wall Street Bath & Spa
- (Not-Cheap) Bathhouse in Williamsburg
Parks + Cemeteries (besides the glorious Central Park):
-Madison Square Park is great for a classic NY-feel. Go to S&P Lunch for sandwiches and eat in the park on a nicer day.
-In Brooklyn both McCarren Park and McGolrick Park are great - Ray's and Twins Lounge are nearby for drinks as well.
-Green-wood Cemetery is sprawling and scenic.
-Avoid Maria Hernandez Park at all costs.
Apr 11, 2024
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Manhattan (Mostly LES + some extras)
- Dim Sum GoGo
- my gf‘s friend‘s new bar Sake Bar Asoko
- Forget Me Not for a chill dimes square fries and a martini asshole meal
- live music at Heaven Can Wait, Arlene’s, Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Bowery Ballroom
- drunk karaoke at Winnie’s
- Roxy Cinema for a movie night
- Bk Bridge park at night for a view and ice cream if you’re a tourist or just nostalgic
- The Whitney museum and a walk by the water / more gallery hopping
- Lovers of Today bar for a date or late night move
- Orchard Express Tailor for your tailoring needs
- The Met & Central Park is a trek but worth doing on a nice late spring day
Brooklyn (I live in crow heights)
- Bk museum and Botanic Garden day (i did a whole post on this)
- Super Power or Bearded Lady (sister tiki bars) to get wasted
- live music at Baby’s All Right, Gold Sounds, Alphaville, Trans-Pecos
- a chic dinner & incredible food at Olea, Aita, Saraghina Cafe, Colonia Verde, LaRina, Sisters, Bunna Cafe
- Turtles All The Way Down or Do or Dive for dive bars
- Fan Fan Doughnuts
- Greenberg Bagels or Lula Bagels
- Island Pops ice cream
- Nana Ramen, Ichiran Ramen
- bars for dates: The Narrows, Doris, Hartley‘s, Bar Laika, Bar Velo, Pokito, Lunatico
- Fort Greene Park on a nice day
- Drive to Highland Park for nature & to feel like you are not in the city
- Red Hook day (wineries, breweries, + Steve’s Key Lime Pie)
- Rockaway beach
- dirty chai ($$$$) from Cotton Bean or Marcy & Myrtle
that’s all for now
Sep 16, 2024
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i've transcribed our conversation for your reading pleasure.
parks:
- Rockefeller park
- Central Park, but not if you don't like crowds and are looking for a peaceful walk (you can also rent a bike nearby and ride it through the park)
- not necessarily a park, but the Highline. used to be a railway, is now a place for gardening and walking. beautiful views, lovely walk.
- Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, river views, great for picnic
- Battery Park, very zen place to be, suggest you go at dusk to see the sun set over the city skyline. you can also see the statue of liberty from there
brunch:
- Gee Whiz Diner, dope pancakes, bomb eggs benedict
- Sarabeth's, stunning pancakes
- Pick A Bagel, you can get any kind of bagel to go/to stay, absolutely delicious
lunch/dinner:
- Shake Shack, great burgers, best attraction is the fries, can't go wrong with fast food
- Gee Whiz Diner, again, incredible grilled cheeses
- Golden Unicorn, stunning Chinese cuisine, godly dumplings
- Lombardi's, historic pizza place
- Benihana, Japanese food, you get the chef cooking in front of you experience
activities:
- Museum of Natural History, if you are a fan of archeology/paleontology/or just science in general
- South Street Seaport, occasionally there are seafood stands, but otherwise its a nice walk and a historic location
- Pier 25, great minigolf, can also play volleyball here
- If you like sports, Chelsea Piers, its also right by the Highline so you can kill two birds with one stone
- if you have money and want to do some shopping, check out Williamsburg
- take the ferry to Ellis Island, it stops at Liberty Island so you can still see the statute of liberty up close but you don't have to get off if you don't want to deal with the crowds. Plus Ellis Island is also pretty cool, you can search up if your relatives came through Ellis Island
Apr 16, 2024
Top Recs from @buck_mcgraw
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Just because I see a window to get across the street doesn’t mean you don’t have to look both ways. I’ve been on the other side of that though…
May 11, 2025
I met Erin (@RIOTGRRRL) and Jake (@SLOWDAZZLE) last year after I started using PI.FYI—we organized a meetup before a Jonathan Richman show and immediately clicked over our shared taste in music and similar sensibilities. We started hanging out a lot and had some great times together. I’ve also gotten to know many of their friends, who are all really cool. Erin and Jake started dating a couple of months after the three of us became friends, but our group chat still pops off. Their friendship has meant a lot to me, especially since moving to NYC in 2023, and I really appreciate having them in my life.
May 16, 2025
Come hang with some PI.FYI folks at Franklin Park in Crown Heights in Brooklyn on 7/19 @ 6:30. riotgrrrl and slowdazzle will be there too! Link is the Partiful invited!
Jun 22, 2024