79TH STREET BOAT BASIN

West 79th Street (Riverside Park)

212/496-5542

79th Street Boat Basin Website

ANITA'S REVIEW: Paradise under the West Side. Located at 79th street under the west side highway this St. Tropez-esq bar is a perfect venue for after work drinks to catch up with friends (and a 100 strangers) and watch the sunset over Jersey (ahh Jersey). While this place can turn into a bit of a meat market, the atmosphere is altogether nice.

Nestled in the old stone walls of riverside park, the 79th Street Boat Basin's weekday scene features great views of the Hudson river and overachieving runner/bikers cruising by to get a few good miles in before dark. On weekends, it becomes a true retreat from the city (but still with a crowd). If your lucky to get a table outside, you can relax in the sun with a bucket of ice cold beers or a pitcher of frozen electric lemonade and watch the boats sail in.

The food is sub par consisting of burgers, hot dogs, salads, and nachos that taste like they are straight from your high school's concession stand, but you manage to eat it because you are too busy enjoying the view. All in all its a pretty good place to visit this summer, especially when your friends have left you for their homes in Fire Island and the Hamptons.