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Take Me to the City
Monday Jan 22, 2007.
By Erin Brereton
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 photo: Erin Brereton
And, during my recent trip, it was also a blur of also in-town friends and 74-degree weather. In January. (Global warming…perhaps we have been overly unkind to you.)
What New York was not, however, was thrifty. Every time I go to New York (which isn't enough to be considered chic but is enough to stay on good terms with my friends that live there) I have found that, with the exception of manicures, New York is kinda esspensive.
And I am kind of poor. Thus, in budgeting in the weeks before and after the trip, I found myself in another Manhattan—that of the Loop variety. That would be Manhattan's close to the downtown district and several L lines.
I have walked by Manhattan's approximately 6,412 times in the past year, but I never stopped in. And that's partially because from the outside, it looks a bit suspect. The windows are dark and there are a lot of signs attempting to lure you in; at least from the outside, it has the look and feel of a bar that opened in the '80s, somehow survived and changed little since. I would have gone in, but the awkwardness of making small talk with Emilio Estevez while he mixed my martini would have just been too much.
I was being silly, and as everyone knows, that's fine for clowns, but for everyone else, silliness gets you nowhere. Case in point: When I finally ventured into Manhattan's, looking for a deal, I was pleasantly surprised. The decor? There really isn't a theme. The food? The bar serves some sort of pizza, but no one seemed to be eating it at the time. But the drinks? Cheap as the day is long. And by the time happy hour rolls around, you know how long that can feel.
Manhattan's, presumably named after its neighboring Manhattan building and not the Big Snapple, has daily specials ranging from $3 Coronas to various pitcher deals. Tuesday night, the night I stopped in, is Ladies' Night. Good news, as I am a lady! But bad news, as I had brought a guy friend with me, and sadly, only unescorted ladies can get a free drink out of the deal.
Before you go feelin' bad for me, know that I still drank cheaply. We both ordered Schlitz along with glasses of white wine, each of which were just a few dollars—we struggled to make the credit card minimum after several. Manhattan's biggest draw might actually be the crowd, however. It was an interesting mix of local happy hour-goers, older folks, college kids from the nearby universities and one very loud, very intoxicated family who seemed to be guarding the entrance.
But who cares because I didn't want to leave! A dive bar in the Loop? Plenty of seats for everyone? Sounds better than my damn living room. Let New Yorkers have their fancy cupcakes. I'll take a dive bar, any day.
Want to check out Chicago's Manhattan? It's at 415 S. Dearborn St., (312) 957-0460.
Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of a Cheap Thrill, do clue her in.
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