Friday, November 18, 2005

Happenin' Hoboken

I headed over to Hoboken to meet my friend and visit a few places. Got off to a bit of a later start than I had anticipated so only got to stop in a couple.

946) Liberty



Quite a walk from the Path, let me tell you. I picked a place to meet my friend that is just around the corner from here and had forgotten the street numbering system. I knew The Madison Bar & Grill was by the water and mistakenly assumed it must also be by the Path and the ferry. Wrong. I was off by about a mile. Oh well, I needed the exercise.

This place had a nicely worn oval wooden bar open at one end and with a brass rail running around it. The bar chairs were wood with green patterned fabric seats. There was a silver T shaped bar station on each side of the bar and each had 6 spigots. Neat cone shaped blue lights hung over the bar. The serving station in the center was oval shaped as well with shelves for bottles and glasses and tiered shelves of liquor on top.

On one wall was an interesting mural of people lounging next to what must be the Hudson River and Lady Liberty taking a refreshing dip. The opposite wall alternates brick sections with yellow plaster and is lined with low oxblood colored banquettes and little tables. There are also several small tables with chairs in the area between the front windows and the bar. Lots of televisions around the place and screens for projections televisions at each end of the space. Strings of little orange lights were wrapped around two small black metal beams towards the fronts between the bar and the tables up front by the windows. There are a few small mirrors and sports photos on the wall towards the back. A large neon Liberty Bar sign, courtesy of Bud Light, hangs high above the bar.

I had a Dewar’s and Soda

947) The Madison Bar & Grill



A classy restaurant with the major dining area in a room separate from the bar. The bar is quite long with a white marble top with just a small section at right angles at the end by the door that has a wood top. There is a brass rail and wooden bar chairs with brown vinyl seats. Two bar stools with the same type of seats sit in front of the wood topped section. Orange inverted dome shaped glass lights hang over the bar.

The place was almost empty when I got here but by the time my friend, who asked that I refer to her as the Mysterious Black Woman, got here the place was packed, and I mean packed. Not just the large front area by the bar but the fairly large dining room as well. Everyone seemed to show up for the two-for-one Happy Hour.

Bar Man And The Mysterious Black Woman


The bar back is fairly elaborate with old looking wooden shelves, cabinets, and drawers down below a ledge and tiered shelves of liquor. The drawers and most of the cabinets have wooden fronts but a couple of coolers have glass doors and there is also some open shelving that holds more liquor. There are mirrors behind the liquor on top and on a ledge above the mirrors are several televisions and smaller wood framed mirrors with drink specials written on them in white.

Windows wrap around two sides of the place with the bottom halves frosted. The long side is lined with tables with white tablecloths and candles. There are a couple of overhead fans with orange domed lights below and a large light fixture with a couple dozen small lights with orange shades. The outside is ringed with what looks like old-fashioned streetlights that are also orange. This place would be great on Halloween. There is a large American flag mounted on the back wall and small black and white photos of what look to be old time jazz musicians.

I had a Dewar’s and soda at the bar before heading to the dining room.

Not a bad day, two bars hit bringing the total to 947 for the year and leaving 53 more to go. I wish I had gotten here a bit earlier so the pictures came out better, but what can you do.

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