Bar None is a collegiate gem, as is The Heights, but Manhattan is not the only drinker’s market in New York City for you (of age) university students. From campy bars in Brooklyn to live electric blues in Hoboken, our third college guide will point the way to crazy drink specials and cozy new nightlife spots—with some foodie places thrown in for good measure—to help you experience the best of NYC. (Don’t fret, your favorite local hangouts will still be there when you get back.)
Brooklyn: Park Slope
Nearest subway: R train to 9th Street; F/G train to 9th Street-4th Avenue; F train to Seventh Avenue
Bar4 (closed)
444 Seventh Avenue | 718.832.9800 | bar4brooklyn.com
Hours: 6pm to 4am daily
Known for hosting musical talent and open mic nights, Bar4 is a casual but more sophisticated alternative to some of Brooklyn’s other live music venues. Inside, the feeling is local but not lazy. The couches and floor lamps set against exposed brick give the impression of listening in on a living room performance, but with a better drink menu.
Brooklyn: Carroll Gardens
Nearest subway: F/G train to Bergen Street
Smith Street may be nicknamed Restaurant Row, but it is also a trendy hotspot for novel nightlife.
Camp
179 Smith Street | 718.852.8086
Hours: 5pm to 3am daily
Feeling nostalgic for the simpler days of summer sleep away? This camp-inspired bar is campy in both senses of the word, from its over-the-top log cabin décor (mounted deer heads abound) to its marshmallow-capped cocktails. However, the buck stops there. Camp attracts a cool hipster clientele with its cozy interior and laid-back vibe.
The Clover Club
210 Smith Street | 718.855.7939 | cloverclubny.com
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 5pm-2am; Friday, 5pm-4am; Saturday, 2:30pm-4am; Sunday, 2:30pm-midnight
This modern cocktail bar serves classic drinks from an extensive menu that includes a variety of Sours, Punches, and Highballs. The different liquors are masterfully mixed with bitters, fruits, sugar, and the occasional egg white. For a light, frothy drink with a complex taste, order the Glorious 12th.
New Jersey: Hoboken
By bus: NJ Transit from New York Port Authority;
By train: PATH train available from various stations in Manhattan;
By ferry: Hoboken Ferry – NY Waterway
Foodies may flock to Hoboken for Carlo’s Bakery, the setting of TLC’s reality series Cake Boss, but the mini city across the river may be better known for holding the Guinness Record for the most bars per square mile than any other city in the world. Check out The Dubliner, an Irish pub with great electric blues jams and awesome happy hour deals, and City Bistro, a classy split-level bar and restaurant offering 12 beers on tap, weekly half off specials, a rooftop bar, and a $19.95 prix-fixe brunch featuring complimentary mimosas, bellinis, and bloody mary’s.
If you are interested in live music, take a look at oM’s mini-roundup of Hoboken’s best bars.
Carlo’s Bakery
95 Washington Street | 201.659.3671 | carlosbakery.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7am-7:30pm; Sunday 7am-5:30pm
The Dubliner
96 River Street | 201.656.7731 | thedublinerhoboken.com
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 4pm-2am; Friday 11.30am-3am; Saturday 11am-3am; Sunday 11am-2am
City Bistro
56 14th Street | 201.963.8200 | citybistrohobokennj.com
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:30am-1:30am; Friday, 11:30am-2:30am; Saturday, 11:00am-2:30am; Sunday, 11:00am-1:30am
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram