Haze Hayes: November 2007

I've been pretty good lately so I thought I'd tell you a bit about the evening walk route I take with dad in the late evening.

We are in Woodside, NY a small community of about 20 blocks in the NYC borough of Queens. It's a diverse area of NYC with cultural groups of Irish, Filopinos, Hispanics and various cultures from the Middle East. Dad and Mom like this neighborhood for its diversity and for its quiet tree-lined streets. Here we are next to our house where dad is giving me one of my favorite treats: SNAUSAGES!

We continue walking up Woodside Avenue until we get to 57th Street where we turn slightly to the right and find Donovan's Pub directly across the street from St. Sebastian's parish. Donovan's is a nice family pub which boasts of the best hamburger in NYC. I haven't had the pleasure but dad has and he agrees wholeheartedly.

We walk down Roosevelt Avenue to The Starting Gate Sports Bar, which is kind of a Cheers-like pub with a focus on the working class Irish community that lives in the area. Often posted are the times for Rugby and World Cup Soccer and even the occasional Hurling match. We often see cool and friendly people grabbing a smoke outside (like the woman who called me a choo-choo from a few posts back).

We head up to a younger and hotter night spot called Sean Og's. This seems to be a summer "pick up bar" that seems somewhat sleazy at times but looks so classy on the inside. Occasionally a good band is roaring cover tunes out the front door.

Up further on Woodside Avenue is The Cuckoo's Nest which is always packed especially on Sunday nights and they often have great music. The crowd there seems like regulars until a great band shows up and then the crowd spills out into the street. People usually are friendly while hanging out front and I sometimes get asked if I can come close to be petted by someone here.

Walking down 61st Street we can see the shadows of the 7 train's elevated platform and we also pass The Dugout, a raucous, rowdy crowd with lots of young people looking for a good time. I often get stopped by young people who think I'm cool here.

Making a left back down Roosevelt Ave we find Saints and Sinners where Dad spoke at a Theology on Tap Lecture once. They have fairly good pub grub and excellent selections of beer. The wait staff is slightly gruff but efficient and there are cool outcoves for more private discussions. Patrons are fairly friendly and their bouncer is first rate and always says hi to me when we walk by.

Finally, our last stop is KC Moore's which seems to be an "Old Man Bar" during the week and a college like crowd on weekends.

Hope that you find my brief reviews useful and that you make Woodside a place to stop by for a brew on your way to or from a Met game at Shea or to the U.S. Open or just for a brief visit. If you see me, come on out and say "Arf."