1/7/2009:

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People still get drunk

We all know that the economy has taken a hit the past few months. Residents, whether hit with a property tax increase, rising costs of food and other necessities (although gas is super cheap now), and job market fear - have been noticeably cutting back on some of the luxuries in life. You presume that includes eating out, drinking at a costly bar and so on.

Regardless, one bar in town has always had super cheap draft beer specials. That’s Green Rock on Hudson Street down by the PATH. $1 drafts of cheap domestic beer (I think the mugs are 10oz.) lure the younger crowd there all the time. When most other bars in the area are typically 1/2 empty - Green Rock always seems to have a line. The true “meat market” bar of Hoboken.

However, their $1 drafts are nothing new, and weren’t spurned by the flailing economy. But since folks are looking to cut back, this hookup joint in the Mile Square got noticed recently by the Newark Examiner, where “NY Budget Nightlife Examiner” columnist Jennifer Rosenbaum chronicled her drunken night of cheap beer and greasy bar food for $15 (who knows how many guys bought her drinks, too.)

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But does it work everywhere?

Green Rock’s main draw - and the reason for their success, is the young crowd of looking to socialize on the cheap, and has always been that way. But what about other bars in Hoboken?

The other day, Hoboken411 reader bmacqueens noticed that Mile Square (one of the bars listed on the “doomed radar” yesterday), had $3 draft specials of Samuel Adams - a beer that isn’t typically on those lists - and wondered if that was considered a “recession special.” Specials (both food and drink) are popping up at almost every local bar (such as Helmers’) - but what does it mean?

But there’s one thing for sure - a recent Hoboken411 poll indicated that most local residents are NOT motivated by drink specials. 75% of the residents either go to their favorite bar or are not motivated by “what’s on special.” Additionally, 70% of the readers found that they’re drinking more often at home or at a party (or BYOB place). So it appears that these specials the bars are offering might only help the “out of town” crowd that comes into Hoboken during the weekends. Because, yeah, us local Hoboken residents pretty much know where we’re going no matter what.

I did notice one website designed to help boozers drink free (or on the cheap) - called www.MyOpenBar.com. Launched in New York, Chicago and other big cities - it’s a site that shows where the freebie drink specials are. It didn’t seem to have much traffic, but could be a sign of things to come.

User Poll:

So with the economy slowing things down both in and out of Hoboken - will these bar specials help some businesses survive, or is it just delaying the inevitable?

Will the cheap drinks save the bars?
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