August 16, 2011
I’ve decided to introduce a new feature here at MAD and I’m calling it, “Six Pack.” What this will be is me going to six different places and getting the same item at all of them while doing a little comparison of the product and places. I thought I’d do the inaugural “Six Pack” at Penn Station, because I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to go too far away tonight. And tonight’s “Six Pack” item is going to be beer. How fitting, huh? And I’m not going to go to my Fortress of Solitude, because it’s a sacred place and doesn’t belong in a stunt post like this. And also, I thought I’d give Al a break!
And here we are, Penn Station. A familiar sight here at MAD.
It's a crowded escalator but no one's walking or pushing on it tonight. A good sign!
I thought we'd stroll around the first level and see what we find.
Look at this, a delicatessen. I bet there's beer in here...
And bingo was his name!
There's a nice little seating area to watch the world go by as you drink your beer.
Gumby's all settled in.
Time to drink beer number one.
Don Pepi: A Deli of Distinction. Yes, it's all that...
And a bag of chips. Time for beer number two.
Must. Avoid. At. All. Costs.
Where there's pizza...
There's beer.
Beer number two is served in a Don Pepi bag. This guy sure gets around!
On to beer number three. What do you get when you cross this place with Donald Trump's bank account? Rich Cappuccinno. (There's about three people out there that are laughing now.)
They have bottled beer in here.
And a railing and chairs where you can sit.
The view's not much though, let's see what one of the lead stories is in the New York Times.
"Reality Show Ricochets Through Brighton Beach." God I hate this world.
Did I mention that i really hate this world? Oh, good.
Okay, let's check out the next level down.
Aaaahhh! There's no escape! (Plus, check out the ATM machine...look familiar?)
Okay, "Ice Cold Beer!" Now we're talking.
And there's a big selection to be had.
And there's a room in the back where you can drink it.
I got a Pilsner Urquel.
Kind of a lonely room back here.
But I did find a lucky penny on the floor, I need to get a Mega-Millions ticket tonight!
Okay, let's stroll down the concourse in search of beer number five.
And as if on queue, this gentlemen appears with a bottle of Heineken.
I'm going to boldly drink it here, outside of its bag.
Cheese it, it's the fuzz! Back into the bag the beer goes!
And the last stop of the evening, Tracks bar.
It's crowded in here with commuters, but I see a seat in the middle of the bar. Let's go snag it.
And tonight's six pack challenge is complete!
Kate was seated next to me and we had a nice conversation about New York, apartments and blogging. She was waiting for a train to Long Island...
And soon I was talking an escalator back into the Manhattan evening. Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
Further reading: Transit Guide, nyc.com, city-data.com and New York Beer Guide.
You Might Also Like: Running With Scissors, Swimming With Sharks and Walking With Dinosaurs.
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31 Comments
Reader Comments (31)
Good places to visit down there on your six pack quest but those people working below all night,,,stir crazy being below ground for a long time,,,,don't you think? I love basements and bars below,,,just that I need to get on the street level once an hour,,,lol. It's like Wo Hops in chinatown,, do you go downstairs to eat,,below street level or do you go up,,,,FYI,,,I hear the local New Yorkers go down to the basement, every time, they claim the upstairs is for tourists and the good stuff is down. How the hell did I get off subject here,,,,damn,,,sorry
Someone posted on Facebook that it was "Crazy Peoples Day".
I am so happy that I've found someone as crazy as me!
I know you think I'm crazier, but why do II laugh at the "shit" on your blog everyday!
You take mundane, ordinary events and make them hilarious!
By the way, is Pilsner Urquel related to Steve Urquel?
At this precise moment, I'm drinking a beer in honor of the funniest guy I know! Bob Zany!
But you come in a very close second!
By the way, again, I'm drinking a Michelob Ultra/Lime Cactus. It tastes like shit with soap mixed in! Why did I buy this crap?
MAD ........ which was your favourite place ?
I'd vote for the ICE COLD BEER place - because it looks like they got tall boys of Bud Light Lime ! .... yummy !
@Al: I've never heard the basement/locals and upper/ tourists theory before! Interesting. And I'll have to check out Wo Hops, I've never been there, do they have a bar?
@Danny Maness: I thought of Steve Urquel while I was drinking it too! Twisted minds think alike. "Michelob Ultra/Lime Cactus" I've never heard of that, but cheers, my friend!
@GENE: My vote goes to the ICE COLD BEER place too. They also have popcorn, I'll get some next time. But of course, nothing beats the Fortress of Solitude, I need to stop back in there soon!
@MAD, or should I say madman? Penn Station is a fascinating junction of people who don't want to be there. Unlike Grand Central Station, it's open 24-7. It's people cutting through the suburban commuters to get to the subway. People catching Amtrak, who more often then not, would rather be flying. People impatiently waiting to get back to the bucolic suburbs of New Jersey and Long Island. People who usually don't like their nocturnal underground jobs. People who wish they could stay in the city instead of returning to the dull suburbs. People zombiefied by commuting, people annoyed by commuting. Homeless people, sleepy people, annoyed people, drunk people, people hurrying up and waiting. Why you would chose this as your 6-pack venue escapes me. As a small dose people watching social experiment, it can't be beat. For a 6-pack tour, well, you're a better man then me Charlie Brown.
@csp: To each their own, but I think it was a great place to start the six pack mission. I love people watching even if it's angry, disturbed people. But there's different layers if you look hard enough. Not everyone is angry and some people do want to be there. I joked around with the Heineken man, checked out magazines and books, had a debate with a kook who said you can't take pictures in Penn Station and just enjoyed watching all the different people shuffling about, eating pizza, drinking beer and running to their trains. I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere and it made me feel lucky that I wasn't one of them. And meeting the fair Kate at the end was the icing on the cake.
"A text walker walked into you while you were text walking" - Penn Station Banner
"Did I mention that I REALLY hate this world?" - Marty Wombacher
"Yet suicide is painless...it brings on many changes...and I can take or leave it if I please..." - theme from M.A.S.H.
@ Gidget; Cardboard Box Man seems to be becoming more and more aggressive....
I like this new feature! And all that beer on ice is making my mouth water. Hey, did you notice Cardboard Box Man's happier cousin, Smiley Duct Tape Flyer Man on the door to Tracks?
The evening spent drinking six beers in Penn Station...I'm surprised you weren't sitting on the floor at the end!
Why in god's name would someone EAT on the floor of Penn Station?! I guess I could see if you had a long wait and there was no where to sit, or if you wanted to text and not run into anyone...but eat? Ack.
Besides that, I liked the feature. And random side note: today is Rum day, apparently, so everyone needs to have a Sip Ahoy moment tonight!
Marty--your tour is great. I try to get to Penn. Station about 20 minutes before train departure. Now that I have all these happy faces in my head--the wait will be much better. Did you see the Band that usually plays some nice music there?? They are another cool aspect for enduring the wait until the next train. Thanks again Marty.
@MAD: Whatever makes your track go click-clack. Cheers.
@Jaws: It's not that bad yet!
@Biff: Ha ha ha! I didn't see that! Thanks eagle-eyes!
@Goggla: I was tempted, but didn't want to suffer the wrath of The Grumbler!
@Britta: I agree and almost anyplace that sells food has seats, so why buy food and then eat it on the floor? Sip ahoy!
@Melanie: The band wasn't playing, but I know who you mean, I've taken photos of them. Glad you enjoyed the tour!
@csp: Agreed! Choo choo!
@ Britta; ...and a Sip Ahoy T-shirt!
www.printfection.com/jawsthecabbie
Marty! Loving this post! 6-pack is a great add-on! And what about your next stop for the 6-pack adventure? Try Long Island! Let's spot Kate again, she is cute! ;-)
and MAD keeps on morphin'...all for the better it seems...a fun little jaunt...
that was one scary link gidget...
britta...there appears to be sum sorta disagreement out there of when "rum day" is...sum say 16Aug...others say say time in Oct...and others still that say everyday
with rachel rayis rum day...guess i fall into the last group..."To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a 'support group.' Salvation in a can!"
~ Leo Durocher
rr
@Ruben Dutch: Ha! Good idea! Glad you liked the tour.
@rr: A fun jaunt it was and that's a great quote, my friend!
I got the rich cap joke.
Is there a prize???
@mikeo: Yes, we have a winner! Ding, ding, ding! The first prize is the honor of buying me a beer at my Fortress of Solitude in Penn Station. You lucky dog you!
I was under the impression that all Rich Cap prizes came in sandwich form.
I Like Grand Central Station Better !!! I've been on Track 100 in Grand Central !!!
I've Been on 18St. Path Train Station as as well , & had to go threw the tunnel to get there , also City Hall Station ( before it turned in to a Museum ) & had to jump off the Train to get there , oh the Good Old Dazes of NYC !!! I was high on mushrooms when I did all this & had some Crazy Experiences , took some photo's , but track 100 , I had Freaked out experience of Train coming at me , but it was only the Train noise on other side , which Fooled Me out !!!
@csp: Ha! Don't get me started on that!
@UMMO: Pretty wild tales from back in the day!
One small word in defense of the TGI Friday's inside Penn (and ONLY that particular one): you can stand in the window by the end of the bar and drink hard liquor while you watch the big board for your track assignment. Otherwise, I greatly miss Amtrak using Grand Central, which is still a real train station even though they're gentrifying the hell out of it.
Say hi to Rich Cappucino for me!
@dark1p: That is a true plus for the TGI Friday's. You know Happy Cappy?
hey marty if you ever do a sixpack in grand central -- do not go to campbell apartment unless you want to rub elbows with captains of industry!! did I say captains? I meant to say assholes of industry. seriously, you would hate every last second in there.
big pilsner urquells in penn station?? fandamntastic! i usually go for the big fosters, but might have to change my order.
@Spike: I've been to Campbell Apartment and I agree totally! A real asshole ambiance in there! And yes, big PU in Penn Station (pun intended.)
I can't think of one place here where you could go buy a beer and sit and drink it, outside of a bar of course. (not that we have many of those) Glad you have options :)
@kari: Nothing better than options!
I think Tracks is awesome. It's a little real bar ray of sunlight (or darkness) in the Penn Station wasteland. But I have to confess having spent some time at Friday's in a pinch.
Cheers.
@Fat Al: Try the Fortress of Solitude sometime! Cheers!