Westchester bar reviews!

Me: It's weird going out in Westchester. Like, I know this is just a temporary social life to me, so it's sort of interesting. But I couldn't imagine if this was my life. The people I saw out last night, this is their life. Forever.
My mom: I know. Isn't that sad?


Now that I'm starting to adjust to my new life, and not be an old lady (or more accurately an upper middle-aged woman, probably an empty-nester, who works all the time but has no kids or responsibilities yet likes living in the "country" so commutes to the city from Westchester) I've actually been having fun! And most of that fun has been in nyc, since that's where the party's at, but by virtue of being a "boomerang kid" (though ONLY temporarily) I'm discovering the joys of Mid-Westchester nightlife.

Discounting a couple trips to a bar in Pleasantville when I was a camp counselor in high school (where I thought I was soooooocoool to sneak into Michael's without an id) I've never gone out in Westchester. Until now. And let me tell you, it's quite an experience.Because or inspite of the face that we are a mere 40 miles from Manhattan, the Westchester scene might as well be Iowa. When you google "Westchester bar reviews" (and duh, I did) nothing comes up. lohud.com attempts to have a "bar crawl" but it does not work. So I will attempt to chronicle my experience:

Last week Tuesday Anne, Caitlin and I went to Lucy's, a cocktail bar in Pleasantville that is really trying to be cool. While the cocktails are adequate, they were also expensive ($8.50) and the crowd of nine other people was mid-30s townies. We left at 11, and made plans to go to EB the next night and not be old ladies as per usual.
Grade: B-. It tried.

Then Wednesday, after I returned from Lake Placid, the three of us attempted drinking at South of the Border (SOB) in good old Ossining. I'd been here for dinner, but never drinks, though Anne assured us it was hopping on a Saturday night recently. While the thunderstorm probably didn't help our cause, our waiter not-so-subtly hinted we should leave shortly after I finished my Sangria. We were the last people in the restaurant. At 10:30.
Grade: C-. It could have gone up a grade if it didn't kick us out.

I had then planned to join Marissa, Laurel and others for karaoke at Torchia's, a family-Italian restaurant in Briarcliff. However, when I called Marissa at 10:30, they were already on their way out after been skeezed out by karaoke surrounded by 50-something drunks. Grade: N/A

Last night, for Michelle's last night in town before leaving for Boston, I joined many of my fellow Ossining High School grads in Tarrytown at Sunset Cove, or more accurately, The Washington Irving Boat Club. This place was bumping! We were carded to get in, and by the time Laurel, Ayanna, Ava and I got there at 9:30, the rest of OHS Class of 2003 and 2004 (or about 15 of them) had been drinking for two hours and were apologetic that there were not enough seats. I am thankfully at the point in my life where I don't feel the need to make smalltalk with people I don't care about, so had a lovely time chatting with those friends I just happen to not see that much, and didn't waste my time talking to those I choose not to see ever. It was a beautiful place, right along the Hudson River, but as Ayanna (who is not from Westchester, even) said. "We are not denying it is beautiful. Of course it's nice, it's on the river. We're just saying we don't want to hang out with fratboys." I would argue that not all of the crowd was fratty. To be fratty implies one must have gone to college. And if police want to earn their month's work of DUI violations, just park outside Sunset Cove at midnight WHEN THE BAR CLOSES. Some people went out afterwards, but I was tired, since time moves differently in Westchester. But still, had fun drinking beer and catching up with people. Grade: B+:--westchester standards.