New Haven-style pizza joint by day, rocking bar at night.
(Credit: David Paulsen)
Crown Street is a convenient walk from Yale University, the train station and several restaurants open late to satisfy your post-bar hunger (did someone say A One Pizzeria on Broadway?).
With so many great bars and clubs in one stretch, it can be hard making a decision about where to go.
If you migrate westward from Union Station, the first notable club on Crown Street is Gotham Citi. Originally opened as an upscale gay nightclub in 1996 in the basement of its current building, Gotham Citi now has three floors, as well as a restaurant, Tuscano Ristorante. The first floor has the largest bar, with lounge seating and drinks served in big glasses. The White Russian tastes more of vodka than Kaluha—as it should—and comes garnished with a cherry.
The second floor has a small bar and a dance floor. But, it doesn’t open until the first floor is almost full, usually around 11:30 p.m. Thursday a guest DJ from Connecticut’s Hot 93.7 spins hip hop.
Down the street, the Black Bear Saloon caters to a different crowd with its 22 TVs always broadcasting sports. Unlike Gotham Citi, the Black Bear starts to fill up around 9:30 p.m., especially if the Red Sox are playing. The crowd can be three deep around the bar during a game, making it difficult to get a drink. But the stiff cocktails are totally worth the wait.
The Black Bear never has a cover, making it a very popular option among thrifty drinkers. Although the no cover policy is similar to Pig’s Eye Pub in Hartford, the bars are vastly different. Pig’s Eye has pool tables, fewer TVs and prides itself on its large drinks and cheap beer. The Black Bear has the latter, but instead of pool tables, half of the space has restaurant seating. The food, like the alcohol, is available until close.
The next block of Crown Street is home to Hula Hank’s. The name aptly describes the atmosphere inside—an indoor tiki bar with enough surfboards, grass thatch and palm trees to make you think Jimmy Buffet might walk through the door any minute. But that won’t happen. You are in Connecticut, remember?
For you students out there, Hula Hank’s has drink specials just for you on Thursday. But make sure you bring two forms of identification, which are required for anyone on any night.
At the corner of Crown and College streets is Alchemy, the largest bar on the street. The outside of Alchemy appears nondescript in comparison to the surrounding places. Inside, appearances prove to be deceiving. The huge dance floor, visible from the sidewalk, draws in people wanting to shake their booties. The smaller lounge serves as a welcome respite for those not into the dancing. Both rooms have bars, which makes getting a drink a tad more convenient then some of the other spots.
College students with an ID card get in with a reduced cover on Thursday.
The final destination on Crown Street is BAR. This place has two personalities—a delicious New Haven-style pizza joint by day and a rocking bar and nightclub at night. The music varies depending on the day, and there’s often live entertainment on Sunday.
Like the Black Bear Saloon, the crowd is large and eclectic. But instead of looking for sports, most come, first, for the pizza and, second, for the club experience.
Because BAR is essentially a nightclub that serves very good food—don’t expect $.25 wings and cheap pitchers of beer—expect a cover, but nothing over $10.
