White Horse Tavern

This creaky old tavern was built in the 18th Century. It has a lot of history... from its days as a rough-and-tumble sailors' hang, to being a speakeasy and gathering place for the bohemians of Greenwich Village's heyday. Bonus points: Steve McQueen supposedly tended bar here, Bob Dylan was a regular in the '60s, and poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death on the premises. His last words were supposedly, "I've had 19 straight whiskies. I believe that's the record." He died later that night in the hospital. The White Horse has a room dedicated to him, complete with portraits. Plus: Great cheeseburgers, cheap. Minus: On the weekends it's crowded to the rafters with people you wouldn't want to drink with. Otherwise, very laid back and freak-friendly.

Commentary by Mikaela Pearson, Thursday, February 5, 1998.