Parkside Lounge
Categories: Lounges, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Lower East Side317 E Houston St
(between Attorney St & Avenue B)
New York, NY 10002 (212) 673-6270
- Nearest Transit:
Delancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Best Nights: Wed, Thu, Fri
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
20 Reviews for Parkside Lounge
I love the Parkside. Very chill during the week. There is live music just about every night, but thankfully there is a back room for those sorts of shenanigans. Reasonably priced drinks especially during happy hour where you can "parksize" your beer for only dollar... love the bartenders here
ps.. foosball...
I've never been able to put my finger on what it is about this place that throws me off.
It's kind of a divey bar, but without the grittiness of a true dive like Yogi's or Grassroots Tavern. The bartenders are slow, and they run out of a lot of stuff on tap, but not in that charming I'm-already-trashed-so-screw-it-let' s-just -laugh-and-scream-a-lot kind of way. There's room to move around, but it seems to get crowded in less of a proportion to the number of people who are there.
It's not exactly bad ... I mean, I enjoy hanging out there from time to time. But due to its location, I've gotta actually be meaning to go there. It's not like I'm going to drop in.
The room in the back is fantastic, though, if you're looking for a small concert or a small gathering of hot, sweaty hockey-playing hellions. We've had hockey league meetings here and anytime you get that much testosterone, estrogen, sweat and beer flowing, good times are bound to happen.
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Parkside is definitely good times. I appreciate the fact that they have pitchers, due to the fact that the place is good for groups. They have about a dozen beers on tap, but have a tendency to sell out of them from time to time, and are slow to get a replacement online.
Service can be a little slow sometimes, and their TVs seem kind of like an afterthought, but these issues are small. The place has a good vibe and is worth checking out if you're in the area.
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The bouncer is on a complete power trip and is disrespectful to patrons who approach him with reasonable inquiries. Before I stepped foot in the establishment I watched him argue with a group of customers for a good 20 minutes before he even acknowledged our party at which point we did not wish to enter a bar with such a negative environment. Judging by previous reviews, perhaps it is not always like this but my first impression was an absolutely awful one.
This place was a pretty sweet bar in NYC. I live in LA so I was treated to this place by a friend while I was in NYC. I'm heading back to NYC tomorrow from Miami where I've been working, but my show has been put on hiatus so I'm gonna go back to NYC and probably hang out at this bar again! CHEAP beer for NYC and for that matter LA too! $3 PBR drafts! The only place I know of with comperable prices in LA is the Coach and Horses on Sunset that has $5 24 ounce PBR cans every night of the week. Parkside has a good vibe and I hear they have cool live music in here quite often. They got pool tables and it's just a chill place to hang out. It's right on Houston St which to anyone outside of New York would call it Houston like the city in TX, but like a bunch of ignorant illiterate yankees they call it House-ton...like as in a House. Of course all of America knows that this is mispronounced, but tell that to a New Yorker and they'll go ballistic. I never said they were very smart in NYC though. That being said. Parkside is a cool place despite it being on a street that nobody in that fair city can pronounce correctly. I won't hold it against them though...I'll just keep correcting them every time they say it wrong. But itf you're in the Village and want a cool place with cheap drinks that you can hang out at. This is your place for sure! I'd go back in a heartbeat. Best bar I've been to in NYC so far!
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It's everything a bar should be.
-Great, funny bartenders: Treat 'em right and they'll buy you one back.
-Cheap drinks (for NYC): $3 PBR on tap, if you can swing an extra dollar or two, there are several quality brews; $5 well drinks; good happy hour specials.
-Games: Pool is the main reason I come in here. $1 games on a decent table. I love the graphite cues, most of which have a good tip on them...and there's almost always some good competition. Friday nights especially. Sadly, since it's right by my apartment, I tend to stop by as I'm stumbling home drunk, and I don't play so well.* They've also got Ms. Pacman, Space Invaders, and foosball.
-Good jukebox: surprising variety, a lot of classic staples, and sometimes the crowd goes on a salsa kick.
-Live music: I actually came in here a couple times before realizing that there's a pretty big room in the back with live acts almost every night. I saw a "band", I believe named Lady Ga-Ga, that consisted of two girls in lingerie, one of whom was very talented on the piano and had a beautiful voice. It appeared that the other girl's only purpose was to dance around in lingerie (no small contribution); at one point she turned on the record player and played "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead, and danced around some more. When the piano player/singer announced their last song, she confessed that they had planned at least 4 more, but they were too drunk to continue. If you don't think that's a great act...get some new taste.
There's just a great vibe at Parkside. Sounds cliched, but you're going to run into all sorts of characters, of all different ages. Don't be scurred. Say hi, make a few new friends...no one's going to give you a hard time. If you want to come in by yourself and get shitcanned, that's not a problem either.
*Yes, I am inserting this disclaimer so if you happen to beat me, I can still claim to be better than you.
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It's like a perfect slice of heaven. One part dive bar, one part cute burlesque show back room.
Any back room with tinsel is a friend of mine.
The drinks are reasonable and the bar tenders are lovely. Plus they got a foosball table.
Any bar with a foosball table...
You get the idea.
Only draw back is this bar is pretty far from civilization. As an N rider it's a hike, but you east siders and Brooklynites who take the F - it's a breeze.
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The parkside is a solid regular non-fancy bar. Its not quite a dive, but it ain't posh.
The bartenders are so damn slow i am convinced they must smoke 8-10 joints before beginning their shifts. Nonetheless, the drinks are cheap. We love that. (This should make it appealing for boys to buy girls drinks, a tradition that i feel is more "classic" than "sexist")
There are some bonuses to the Parkside: a room for shows in the back room (occasionally salsa dancing, so that really mixes up the crowd in the regular part of the bar), no mirrors in the potty (lets not waste time gazing with only one toilet, you know?), FOOSBALL!, Ms Pacman (of questionable working condition) and usually a chill crowd, heavy on the straight boys. AND ITS ALMOST NEVER PACKED!
Go here.
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Reasonably priced drinks, and nightly performances in their cozy back room make Park Lounge a casual and unassuming Lower East Side standby. I imagine this is one of those places where the crowd might differ based on the band playing, but this night the bar was chock full of hipsters and young attractive people, and also a certain Mike Meyers. The coolest thing about that is the bar has such a cool vibe that he was at a table in the middle of the room, and while many noticed his presence, no one approached him or made him feel uncomfortable.
The beer selection is a decent mix of premium and not-so-premium beers, at moderate prices. While $4 isn't a steal for Miller High Life, it does the trick and seemed to be the cerveca de la noche. Definitely recommend checking the band schedule and checking this place out one night.
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JukeBox Bars with good prices and a chill decor is where I want to be!
This place reminds me of a smaller HiFi with the same good prices.
I especially love here because a friend lives less than a block away so if there is something I cant do at the bar I have the apartment.
Nice bar, the kind of place you go to see a band play and then want to stick around in afterwards, which is NOT AT ALL always the case.
Bartenders are friendly, the beer is an average price and cold, what more could you ask for?
Oh yeah, I think there might be a sign outside that says bar "and grill" -- there is no grill, but they will microwave you a frozen whitecastle burger. So stick to the liquid refreshment, kids.
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This dive has everything -- cheap drinks, pool and pac man and foosball. Also a well-appointed backroom with a stage and a steady, diverse calender of live music and comedy. Fun and friendly crowd, from coeds to cougars, the cosmopolitan to the crass. Can get a bit crowded, but always a good, good time.
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Parkside Lounge, probably because it's a few blocks east of some of the Lower East Side's more popular hotspots, is one of the few bars on Houston Street that features a friendly crowd and inexpensive drinks. I've seen numerous music and comedy shows here (no cover!!!) and the space and sound are both very favorable. Plus, Parkside has trivia machines, which I LOVE.
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As the guys at Vice Magazine wrote, "One of those bars where you go, "Why don't I come here more often?" When everywhere else is packed it's a great place to get some room."
Couldn't have been said any better. And it's on houston street - no getting lost down Rivington or Stanton or Ludlow. It's right there! And if you feel like you're not dressed right, excuse yourself and walk down to American Apparel to reappear with something sexy. Et Viola. And they have great bands in the back room.
Love, love, love this place! It maintains that old E. Village feel despite the de-villagification (yeah that's right...I made up a word) of the area. You feel like you could turn around with your beer and shot and run smack into Lou Reed...this place is East Villagerific (yeah that makes two made up words..I'm on a roll). I like the less crowded weeknights when you can actually play pool and grab a table but there is something fun about the energy here when it is crowded as well. Don't get me wrong, the spirit of this city is change but call me a romantic- I am glad that the Parkside is always the same. Anybody thirsty?
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the Parkside has FOOSBALL!!!!! why doesn't everyone enjoy this game as much as i do?
the parkside has other things going for it: I really enjoy the friendly vibe, reasonably priced drinks, and lack of pretentious scenesters. I like to park myself there for the evening, invite all my friends to swing by, and see who shows up.
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I had one of my favorite drunken nights ever hanging out here after a show at Sin-e a few years ago. It holds a dear spot in my heart ever since. I've been back several times, when it was consistently empty. My last visit a couple of weeks ago was totally different - albeit on a weekend night -and it was totally crowded! who are these people! i guess it's no longer my secret spot and i have to be able to share it. sigh. i guess i'll have to stick to weeknights where i can drink my whiskey in peace and revel in my fond memories.
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Nice little dive bar -- tons of events to check out! I came here for some stand-up comedy, and this place attracts very good performers. The front has a pool table and some video games; the back room has a stage area and tables and chairs. Nothing fancy, but a fun spot anyway!
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Good back room for shows. Decent dive bar, though it can get pretty packed. The crowd isn't too bad- a little older, so not that crowded frat feel. Too east to be anything but a dive :)
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Kinda like this place, it is cool, inexpensive, and it's a short walk from Sin-e, so great to meet up with people before a show.
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