Three bar crawls near parks
Spend a day in the sun at either Central Park, Prospect Park or Astoria Park, then hit up three drinking holes nearby.
Mon Mar 21 2011
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20 best beer gardens
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Best garden bars
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Rooftop bar guide
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Three bar crawls near parks
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Bars where you can barbecue
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Tiki and beachy bars
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Cool wine haunts
Outdoor bar guide
Prospect Park
Franklin Park
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
This converted auto garage boasts the charm (and the square footage) of a basement rec room, complete with Skee-Ball, sports on a projector TV and vintage family photos on the walls. The sprawling front beer garden is perfect for knocking back a Franklin Lemonade (vodka, Campari, simple syrup, fresh lime, seltzer; $9) and a hallway in back leads to the six-month-old Dutch Boy Burger, where you can grab postpark treats including bourbon-spiked milk shakes ($6) and stout floats ($7) made with Blue Marble Ice Cream.
- 618 St. John’s Pl between Classon and Franklin Aves, Crown Heights, Brooklyn (718-975-0196)
Washington Commons
- Price band: 1/4
This corner bar may not have Franklin Park’s spaciousness, but it does have 16 craft brews on tap, knowledgeable bartenders who are happy to offer a recommendation or a sample of the suds, and some of the most entertaining bathroom graffiti around (look at the ceiling and you’ll be advised to “pay attention”). Grab a bright, hoppy Captain Lawrence Rye Ale ($6) and head out back to the multicolored picnic tables where you can rub elbows with an eclectic mix of locals (and their dogs).
- 748 Washington Ave at Park Pl, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-230-3666)
Weather Up
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
Beyond the unmarked, white-tiled facade of this cocktail den you’ll find a sultry space and artfully mixed renditions of classic drinks (and why not, with several Sasha Petraske–trained mixologists behind the bar). Sip on a Monk Buck (cognac, fresh lime, ginger syrup and Yellow Chartreuse; $11) or a Revolver (bourbon, coffee liqueur and orange bitters; $14) while catching the last of the afternoon rays on the sizable back deck.
- 589 Vanderbilt Ave between Bergen and Dean Sts, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (no phone)
