Anti-cool

I met a friend this evening at Flannery’s bar on West 14th Street.

Manhattan, where people define themselves by where they go, is full of incredibly cool night spots. Our little borough is rife with fancy restaurants, bars, dance clubs, coffee shops and book stores — places where people go to see and to be seen.

But Flannery’s is different. It’s become one of my favorite places because people here simply don’t care. The bartender serves cheap beer, people hang out and order a side of fries while cheering their football team on the TV, and old guys spend all evening in the back room playing darts.

There is absolutely nothing cool about any of it — and that’s what makes it such a cool place. I think it might very well be my favorite place to go.

God, I hope somebody sees me here…