I visited Paddy's once nearly a year ago (!) before I moved here--I liked it, although it was a little bright. I drove past fairly recently, and it appeared to still be open. I've heard that it is an institution.

You may be happy to hear that even though Anthony's is now Skinner's, the same people are there and food & booze have not gone "upscale." I haven't been late at night, but from the outside it seems relatively mellow, albeit 3 deep at least, for a young'uns bar.

So few "neighborhood bars" left. It's really amazing. Even in on the West Side of NYC, we had more.

Anthiony's, Paddy's, Charlies, Sassafras (to an extent), the bar area at Serrano, and Plough (at times) are the only ones that I still know.

St. Jacks has some of that feel, at least in the downstairs.

I've not been to Eulogy - it opened after I left - but at least that is a good bar, from what I understand.

I really don't need much more than a comfortable stool, a few good people, and a cheap glass or bottle of Yuengling. I needs are few!

And Brownies - how could I forget Brownies.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

I think that, in general, when people approach 30, the appeal of ultra-intense boozing and carousing wears thinner- people have to get up in the morning and do things, and the body isn't quite as resilient against hangovers as it used to be. The most lucrative market for bars and clubs is the college/post college crowd, and I don't see any such business being too eager to cut out this segment of the population from its clientele. That said, it would be nice if those people would stop pissing on my house and would shut the **** up when they're on the streets at 2am.

Anthony's is gone- it's now "Skinner's," and it's clearly trying to break away from the old-men-sitting-around-with-shots-of-whiskey vibe that was Anthony's. I'd count the Race Street Cafe (formerly Einstein's) as a neighborhood bar- it's far enough north of Market, and small enough, that it will never become a destination for groups of out-of-towners, I usually see people that I know from the neighborhood there- and they have a great beer selection- about 15 rotating on tap, always good micros and imports.

I always forget that place because it is so far up. And I can never remember what name it is going by today - Einsteins, John Patrick's, Race Street.

And to get to it, I needed to pass Paddy's - and I seldom made it.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

I don't know how...it made a distinct impression on me the first time I went there.

It was during happy hour, and a blue-collar type guy that I would say was in his mid-50's was sitting at the bar having a couple of after-work beers. The guy was saying something to a couple of very drunk girls (20-somethings) at the table behind him about how he was a Giants fan. I'd only lived in the area for maybe a month, but I already knew that this was a risky thing to say in a bar here. So...one of the girls got up from her chair, climbed up onto the bar, sat in front of the guy and put him in a tight headlock with her legs. She demanded that he take it back and say he was an Eagles fan. Poor guy was kind of embarrassed, but he didn't give in. Turns out the girl was the bartender's girlfriend, but he decided it would be wiser not to get involved.

I'd only been to Race Street Cafe once before for lunch, so I didn't count it as a real visit. I finally made the desolate trek to check out the nighttime scene--What a great place! Comfortable, low key, good beers on tap, great art on the walls (a friend of mine has a piece there). Crowd was overall young-ish, but they were cool and mixed in with a few older people. I wish it was closer to where I live...

If you're wondering where the Jersey crowd goes aside from Delaware Ave., I'd point to McFadden's, Tiki Bob's, and Finnegan's Wake, all up 3rd St. Easier parking, I guess. Although, I think you underestimate their numbers on 2nd St.