| Meet Manayunk, Again |
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| Written by Lauren, a good friend of KTY | ||||||||||||||||||||
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This was a banner week for me and my Manayunk experience. I was beginning to feel a bit disconnected with this big little town; a sort of MYK traitor if you will. Here's the thing I've got to admit: sometimes, in the winter, Manayunk loses its appeal to me. The bar scene sometimes seems a little same-old same old, the restaurants lose their flair, and the people watching just isn't as fun when its 14 degrees out with a windchill of 5. So, sitting in Bucks County Coffee with my multi-grain bagel and skim-milk latte last Sunday, I decided to pretend I was a brand new resident of Manayunk, and reclaim the excitement that originally attracted me to Main Street. I was going to plan a weekful of social events..all MYK-based. Now, normally my friday nights consist of happy hour with the girls at the Bayou, then off to somewhere a little more scene-y, like, say the Brew Pub or Bourbon Blue. So this week, when I decided to take a step back and try some of the lesser-tried nightlife spots, I was pleasantly re-suprised. On Wednesday night my date and I went for dinner at Chabaa Thai. Now, I've eaten at Chabaa, in the summertime, out on the sidewalk, with my BYO bottle and thoroughly enjoyed my pineapple and shrimp dish while watching couples and the other 20-somethings stroll on by. But on this particular night, the night of the lunar eclipse, actually, my date and I dined indoors. And although it was freezing outside, the atmosphere inside was both refreshing and warm at the same time. Not to mention, my company was certainly refreshing, but the ambience was something completely unexperienced. We ate as the restaurant was closing, and Ross, our waiter was pleasantly un-snotty and not at all intrusive. Check, and...check. The food was fabulous, of course, but the one thing I realized is that atmosphere definitely needs to accompany cuisine in order to make the place a "10". Well, mission accomplished. Good work, Chabaa. As we ventured down Main Street after dinner to grab a drink at the US Hotel, the charm of the MYK came out, as we had to dodge some of the waitstaff at Derek's who were gazing up into the night sky checking out the final moments of the eclipse while unabashedly commenting on the spectacle. That wouldn't happen downtown...its just not cool to be interested in astronomy. But somehow, the quirkiness of Main Street doesn't judge, and so there they were, standing, arms folded on the sidewalk looking up towards la luna. Wednesday night, Flatrock was on the agenda. Flatrock is one of those Main Street bars that fits into a clearly different genre of bar in Manayunk. Not your typical messy, drunk clientele...definitely more the "we appreciate the bar for the beers and chill vibe" type of crowd. Something which sometimes you can only find downtown in the underground, artsy bars and eateries. Another reason to enjoy Flatrock....the live entertainment Thursday through Saturday. You'd never guess it, but Flatrock actually gets shoulder to shoulder on those nights. It morphs into one of those bars you can't move around in, but you're perfectly content because of the aura of the place. Thomas's, however, is one of my favorite bars on Main Street. There's always something cool on the radio, there's always some interesting character at the bar, and there's always Hoegaarden on tap (if they don't run out...). Again, the perfect date bar...not too loud for conversation but not too quiet for those awkward moments of that same conversation when it does lull. One thing about Main Street that remains a classic...dining at LeBus. No matter what the mood or the situation, whether it be dinner with a girlfriend in my case this Thursday, or brunch on Saturday morning, LeBus has that home-y feeling that we 20-somethings always crave. There's just something about the banana-walnut pancakes and a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ that'll not only cure any hangover, but immediately make you forget you're officially moved out of your parent's house and aren't being properly fed 3 times a day anymore. LeBus can do that...and that's why Winnie's always has a line around the block, no matter what the time or what the season. So, now that I'm back at Bucks County, on the couch, chilling with my latte and some good conversation, I can look back at the week and be glad that I live in Manayunk. Yeah, I'm getting older, or at least everyone there can sometimes seem to be getting younger, but on that same note, this town keeps you young at heart. Its in the city but not quite "in" the city...It's trendy but still has a unique vibe, and it'll probably always be a great place to call home, even though its not. Its one of the only places where you can feel completely 100% comfortable walking down the street alone, or, where I'm 95% sure I'll run into someone I know, no matter where I venture on Main Street. It's where the beer flows like wine...(ok so what if Dumb and Dumber was just on, its true!) and where...well, you get my point...you live here! Basically, to sum things up, Manayunk is a gem, and I sort of feel sometimes it needs to be re-bonded with. Sometimes the MYK spirit can almost die out during this dead of winter...and we all but give-up the enthusiasm we once had when the weather was warmer and spirits maybe a bit higher. So in the next few chilly weeks, be sure to look at Manayunk for all of its simple yet not smarmy attributes the next time you're deciding where to venture...And if I can be cheesy for a moment, I'd like to remind you that it's not just where we go to drink..its where we go to live the life we love...
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