Amidst the bustling streets of Manhattan lies a beer oasis of sorts, a place to go when you’re sick of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers on the street and would prefer sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers drinking good beer. If you happen to find yourself in Greenwich Village, the Blind Tiger provides such an escape.

After meandering the streets of SoHo, we decided to take a much-needed break from the crowds. Well, as much of a break as we could muster anyway. Blind TigerInside, the Tiger offers the feel of almost any other American corner bar with a great beer selection, which was why it was so inviting compared to its environs.

Things started picking up just after we arrived, during Happy Hour. But I just didn’t want to vacate the place, at least not without another glass of Leipziger Gose. Originally I had started out with an Elysian Dragon’s Tooth Stout, and was amazed and delighted to find that brewery on the East Coast. We struck up a conversation with a couple of natives, both interesting yet sincere characters.

In fact, we met several nice people while staying there, and that surprised me. Normally you think of New Yorkers as being too busy or cool-guyed-out to give you the time of day. This was a welcome abolishment of that stereotype. Both the Blind Tiger, and its patrons helped put a more human face on the steel-gray image that out of towners often think of when New York City comes to mind.

If you find yourself wandering the avenues of New York, becoming sick of the ungodly numbers of people swirling around you, duck into the Blind Tiger. You won’t regret it. And you may not want to leave.

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