Carlow East — A Girl's Guide to Drinking Alone

1254 Lexington Ave btw 84th and 85th Sts, Upper East Side

The Place: An Irish pub I’ve probably walked by a zillion times during my childhood.

The Time: Saturday October 29, 5pm. I’m on my way to my mom’s, who still lives in the same apartment I grew up in on the Upper East Side, when I decide to stop in for a beer first. (This makes it sound like I need to drink before seeing my mom, which is not the case, I swear. Love you, Mom.) On the walk from the 86th Street subway station, I tell myself I’ll go into the first bar I see, because why not.

The Vibe: That bar happens to be Carlow East, a nondescript pubby-looking spot with both Irish and American flags hanging outside, plus an abundance of neon beer signs. The interior matches this energy exactly: plenty of TVs, pool tables in the back, a big wooden bar, old-timey mosaic lamps hanging from the ceiling. There’s a hazy glow from all the different screens and lights. The bar itself is populated by a somewhat older crowd, while the college kids and recent grads are huddled by the pool tables, watching whatever NCAA football game is on. I sit toward the middle of the bar; to my right is a solo guy, who manages to have wordless exchanges with the bartender for another beer and the check. On my left is the only other woman here alone, wearing a baseball cap and flannel shirt, drinking a gin and tonic. There’s a world where I am her, 25 years from now, and I’m okay with that. The music is loud country-pop (e.g. “Life is a Highway,” anything by Keith Urban) and the man next to me whistles along to all of it, then mutters to himself “good song” at the end of every song. It’s not lost on me that it is, in fact, Halloween weekend, though everyone here seems in it for the sports in one way or another–no costumes in sight. I love when bars decorate for Halloween. It’s like, has that skeleton been in the corner all these years or do they just drag him out of his hiding place for October?

The Bartender: A man who pours my beer and eventually takes my money. And that’s all I need right now, to be honest.

The Drank: A Kona Golden Ale for $8. It’s on tap right in front of me and I know I like it. Sometimes I have to remember that things don’t always need to be complicated.

Was I Hit On?: Uh, yeah. One of the guys from the back comes over to the bar WITH A POOL CUE (like, doesn’t someone need that?). He looks me up and down, says hey, gets his beer, then asks if I want to play pool. That is the absolute last thing I want to do right now so I decline. He shrugs then returns to his buds.

Should You Drink Here Alone?: Yeah you could. I’ve said before that Irish bars, or bars like Irish bars, aren’t really my comfort zone. But Carlow East is chill and except for that invitation to play pool, no one bothered me. It’s a bar that’s clearly a neighborhood staple; a corner pocket of the Upper East Side, if you will.