Bridge and Tunnel

Back in late April I was the best man in the wedding of my two photographer friends Aris Economopoulos and Julia Xanthos. It was a big commitment for me. I planned a bachelor party, rented a tuxedo, gave a speech, the works. It was a great time, and an honor to be a part of it all. With some time to kill on the way to the rehearsal dinner, in Long Island, we stopped at a great Irish Pub called Trá Fada. It's in Oceanside, NY. Above is a picture of Beka Economopoulos taking aim at a shot while talking to her husband, Jason. In the background is Aris, with his usual Guinness in hand. Considering it just now took me a half hour to remember/look up the name of the place, I'll have to make sure I stop in next time I'm in the area.

Across the Hudson River, there is perhaps the only non-Manhattan bar at which I could be considered a regular. It's the Journal Square Pub, over in Jersey City, NJ. I've been there countless times with Aris (breaking, below), who lives five minutes away. The Pub has an interesting vibe. Largely a blue-collar sports bar, it also attracts a slightly seedy element. I've seen the main bartender, John, jump over the bar with a baseball bat to break up a fight. No matter, because upstairs at the Pub they have a loft area with a serviceable pool table that plays pretty well. Even though the felt is covered with layers of cigarette smoke soot and the balls are pretty grimed up, it's the perfect antidote to Manhattan's weekend crush. Aris and I always make a "gentleman's bet" and play for a dollar a game. We've even played dollar-a-man doubles with strangers. Assuming I'm breaking even on the pool, combined with the absurdly low price of $1.75 per pint, I'm in excellent shape if I can get from door to door and back for around twenty bucks.