* Boulevard Tavern
579 Meeker Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
between N. Henry St. and Monitor Ave.
PHONE: 718.389.3252
HOURS: Daily, 3:30pm-4am
CARDS: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: pool
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G to Nassau Ave.
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/boulevardtavern
NY MAG SAYS: Despite the fresh paint and free wi-fi, this pub is in truth a Greenpoint relic. Opened in 1928, the bar weathered most of the last century as J & D's before giving up the ghosts (more than one owner has died on the premises) just after the new millennium. A few years later, the owners of East Village bohemian bar Raven pried off the boards to find a diamond in the rough: To the original high tin ceilings and extra-long, dark wood bar, they've added high-backed wooden booths, a pool table, a jukebox and a majestic 12-beer tap that makes it clear that—neon signs and reasonable prices notwithstanding—this is not a dive. When rock bands aren't throwing after-parties, bemused retirees who still call the joint by its former name make neighborly conversation with the latest 24-year-old graphic designer who thinks he knows better. The bar's owner, Harold David Kramer, is himself a slice of NYC history, since he's the grandson of the owners of the Thunderbolt, the beloved, vine-covered Coney Island rollercoaster that was torn down in 2000.
