We all know the New York tourist trap New Year's Eve: Times Square, freezing your pants off, waiting for the ball to drop. If, however you are a) sane and b) a New Yorker, there's no way you'll be trying to get anywhere midtown on December 31st.
But where to go? A house party? Eh. A random bar? Maybe. However, if you, like me, are a geek and are just jonesing to go out, celebrate and indulge your inner nerd, there are few places where you can grab a drink and gab about the Christmas Special of Doctor Who while feeling like one of the people. Luckily, there plenty of geek watering holes in NYC. The following is a list of the Top 8 Geeky Places to celebrate New Year's Eve in New York.
What better way to ring in 2013 than Time Lord Style? If zooming off through space and arguing whether Rose or Donna was the best Companion, then The Way Station is your bar. Located in Prospect Heights, out of the way dive is a Whovian's dream. With Doctor Who-themed drinks like "The 10th Doctor" and "Captain Jack," there is an actual Tardis (a Tardis!) inside the bar. It's up to you to go and see if the ultimate question is true: is it really bigger on the inside?
Located at 683 Washington Ave, take the A to Washington, the 2/3 to the Brooklyn Museum, or the Q to 7th Ave.
2. KGB Bar
If you're fond of the written word, and want a place where you can spend the first wee hours of 2013 hotly debating whether Faulker or Hemingway is better, then try out KGB Bar. Founded by Denis Woychuk in 1993, this East Village watering hole is one of the best scenes for literary types in NYC. A regular host to readings, launch parties and more, the bar also has its own Literary Journal. That's right: beer and literary criticism. What more could an English B.A. want?
Located at 85 East 4th Street, take the 6 to Bleecker, the F to 2nd Ave, or the B,D,F,V to Broadway-Lafayette.
Perhaps you want to surf the latest selection of video games, or find that old version of Duck Hunt you loved from the '80s. If you want to grab and gab about Halo vs. Modern Warfare before trotting off to a place with a Jack and Red Bull, then head to Video Games New York. One of best stores for video games, it's open until 11 p.m. most nights, and 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. With one of the widest selection of games in the city (including hard to get Japanese imports) it's the place to get your gamer face on.
Located at 202 East 6th Street, take the 6 to Astor Place, the N, R to 8th Street.
4. Barcade
If, on the other hand you'd rather play video games while downing a nice, dark stout, then go no further than Barcade. This Brooklyn hipster hangout is popular, and no wonder: it's chock full of old school arcade games and American craft beer. The best part: games are only $0.25 per play. So grab a beer and spend NYE trying to beat the high score of Robotron: 2,084.
Located at 388 Union Avenue in Williamsburg, between Ainsile and Powers Streets. Take the L to Lorimer.
If you think nothing better in this world is better than leafing through the glossy pages of a comic book, then head to Gotham City Lounge to spend the waning hours of 2012 in the company of Green Lantern posters and Captain America's shield. Founded by Ray Torrellas, this small Bushwick hangout also features decent drink prices, video games, and pool. Comic nerds will enjoy the decor, and there are worse things in life than chasing the old year away in a place where the entrance is dominated by a Batman mural.
Located at 1293 Myrtle Ave between Central Ave and Cedar Street, take the M to Central Ave, the L to Dekalb Ave, or the J to Kosciusko Street.
Maybe your hero is Dylan Thomas. Or Jack Kerouac. Or Hunter S. Thompson. If New York's literary scene in the 1960s is pretty much the first place you'd visit with a time machine, then check out Kettle of Fish. Dive bar, literary hangout, and almost always crowded, this Greenwich Village neighborhood staple welcomes sports and Shelley fans alike. If you want an eclectic crowd, the feel of writerly genius oozing from the walls, and cheap drinks, than look no further for your New Year's Eve place to be.
Located at 59 Christopher St, take the 1 to Christopher Street, the A,C,E,B,D,F,V to West 4th Street.
You want to rhyme / All the time / You wish to eat / And have a seat / Drink a bit / And relish wit / Then travel on / To The Nuyorican / For beats, food, booze / And poetry too.
Located at 236 East 3rd Street, take the F to 2nd Ave.
If you want to spend your New Year's Eve on a soft couch, sipping from a decanter of finely aged scotch and reading the wisdom of the ages to prepare you for 2013, then get gussied up and hit The Library cocktail lounge. Located within the NoMad Hotel in the Flatiron District, the space features two floors of books (the second which you can reach with a spiral staircase). A bookworm's dream, it's the perfect place to indulge your love of fine wine and French philosophy at the year's end.
Located at 1170 Broadway, at 28th Street, take the 1 to its 28th Street stop, the N, R to their 28th Street stop, or the 6 to its 28th Street stop.