Two men standing on a round platform, there is a colorful mural behind them, advertising Rockaway Brewing
New York,  The Latest,  The places we've been

The Ferry and The Pub Crawl

April 3, 2025 /

One perfect day this March, we met up with our favorite Scotsman. The N.Y.C. Half marathon behind him, Stephen was ready for some relaxation and maybe an adult beverage or two. Our friend, Martin, had just the thing. We’d take the ferry and do the Williamsburg to Long Island City pub crawl. If you like fun places and craft brews, hang with us because we’ve got a story for you!

The 10am Ferry…What a View!!

Our friend has lived in and around NYC for years now. And like us, he really enjoys getting out and taking in the sites. Back when he lived downtown, he would sometimes take the ferry home, instead of the subway. Why you might ask?

  • The cost to take the ferry is about the same as a subway ride.
  • You can stop at cafe and pick up a brew for the trip.
  • The view just can’t be beat!
Group of people in front of a window at the Ferry House Cafe
Quick stop at the cafe
Two men holding large cans in beer in brown paper bags.
Ready to ride!
The Brooklyn Bridge from the Ferry
What a view!

First Stop…Williamsburg

Two waitresses at a diner, standing by a booth, talking to a male customer.
Williamsburg to the uninitiated

As a Michigan gal, my only exposure to Williamsburg has been the comedy “Two Broke Girls”. Just like my exposure to Queens was mostly thanks to Kevin James and Leah Remini. I know, I know. I’m SO sophisticated! Even though the sit-com didn’t make the neighborhood look bad, I had NO IDEA how fun and artsy the area is.

Street corner with a multi story funeral corner on it. There is graffiti on it that reads “Woe”.
The funeral home of “Woe”
Interior storefront that is covered in colorful graffiti
The Little Brooklyn Market
Interior corridor at a mall. The floor is finished concrete and there is a rack of clothes to the right.
Strolling through the Mall
Shelves full of colorful gift bags with funny phrases like “Relax it’s not homemade” and “Well it’s not a puppy”.
Well it’s not a puppy
Wall of colorful, fun socks.
So many socks, so little time!

Surf’s Up at the Tiki Bar

You may wonder why our first stop on the pub crawl was a mall. Well, here’s the thing. We got to the Surf Bar about 20 minutes before they opened. Martin said they were worth the wait…so to the mall we went. And Martin was SO right. From the retro tiki bar vibes at the bar to the soft 70’s rock on the radio, this was BY FAR my favorite stop.

Round, green sign that reads”Surf Bar and Seafood Restaurant” with a skull in the center of it, with a sword and the skeleton of a fish underneath
The Surf Bar
Two men inside a colorful bar. Above their heads are surf board and below their feet is sand.
Hangin’ 10
Sand on the floor beneath a pair of sneakers
The sand beneath our feet
Bottle of Kona beer and glass full of ale on either side of a red votive candle
Not local but quite yummy
Surf boards hanging from the ceiling
Surf boards on the ceiling

Free Pizza? No, really?!?

Leaving the island vibes behind, we realized the next order of business should be food. Not even a two minute walk from the Surf Bar, we came across The Charleston. They offer free pizza with the order of a drink. Yes, FREE pizza. And it was good pizza too. Oh and it was happy hour. So 3 beer and 3 pizzas – $15. Could you JUST die??

Inside of an Irish bar - with dark wood, a tin ceiling and green lights hanging.
Inside the Charleston
Shelves of liquor behind the bar at the Charleston
So many bevvies, so little time!
Glass of beer on a wooden bar
A Beautiful Sight
A bucket behind the register that reads “You’re sexier when you tip”
You’re sexier when you tip
Beautiful wood fired pizza with pepperoni, next to a glass of beer
The Free Za

Next Up – Talea

From the cozy interior of The Charleston, we ventured to the open spaces of Talea. A woman founded brewery, Talea stands out for a few reasons:

  • families with children are totally welcome
  • they have excellent sour beer
  • they serve STILL WARM cookies
  • and they offer a kick-a$$ hot dog stand!
White brick wall with Talea written on it
Blue arch way leading to an open room, with white walls and cement flooring. A bar is off to right.
Giving strong “brunchy” vibes
Red glass of beer on a beige marble bar, in front of a multi-color round coaster that reads “Talea”
One lovely sour
Chocolate chip cookie, on a black square plate, next to a white napkin
The sweet reward
Two men happily holding hot dogs
SOOO happy for hot dogs

Some Amazing Sites Along the Way

On the way to Long Island City, we got to see some wonderful sites. The weather wasn’t all that warm. But it was nice enough for people to walk their dogs, play softball – and do a pub crawl!

Mural of a conductor, touching the heart on a sweatshirt, warn by a man listening to the music.
Is that a Banksy?
Mural on the side of a tall building, of a red haired woman who is wearing sun glasses and a green sweater. On her arm is a crow.
The Red Head and the Crow
Black brick wall with the words, “Long Island City” painted on it
Greetings from Long Island City
Front of an ornate red brick cathedral with white trim along all the windows, doors and corners
The imposing St. Anthony’s

And den…a Little Vietnamese Food at Cyclo

Even though we had free pizza, warm cookies, righteous hot dogs and infinite beer – we were hungry. (Weird right??) Thankfully we were near by a place that Martin highly recommended. It was my first first time having Pho and it was SOOO DELISH!

Round white sign with black writing that says Cyclo and what look likes it could be a rickshaw / bicycle
Cyclo, here we come!
Interior of Cyclo. Wooden tables with red chairs. The walls are painted dark green.
Mad cozy vibes
White bowl with broth, chicken, greenery and round, red onions
Sooo yum
White round dish with chicken, rice, and tomatoes
Curry rice with shrimp

Next Up – Fifth Hammer

Fully restored, or maybe more accurately, very full, we waddled over to Fifth Hammer. If I were a local, this would totally be my hang. The vibe is somewhere between and cozy and wide open. The place was full of folks from the neighborhood AND they allow DOGS. Oh and beer is really good too! We were unable to find the reason they’re called Fifth Hammer, so if you know, do tell!

Exterior of Fifth Hammer Brewing, a brick building with large, rolling glass doors
On the outside
Bar area of Fifth Hammer Brewing, with a long cement bar and overhead lights
On the inside
Four small glasses of beer, one is orange, one is dark, one is yellow and one is red
Ah, the Flight of Destiny

And Lastly – We were off to see Brownie

Our last stop of the day, was Martin’s fav, Rockaway Brewing. Rockaway also has great local brews and vibes. They invite four legged friends and they even have a house kitty named Brownie. However, Brownie was all “peopled out” and was well stashed under the bar.

Two men standing on a round platform, there is a colorful mural behind them, advertising Rockaway Brewing
The Brewery Lads
Interior of Rockaway Brewing. There is a small bar with people seated around it. Behind is a board with all the beer listed.
Local vibes
Man sitting on the floor, petting two small dogs in coats
So many dogs!
A cat on a bed beneath a bar
A Brownie Sighting

And Back to Reality

As much fun as it was, it was almost time to get to the airport. We did manage a few minutes to squeeze in a couple more scenic stops before hailing a ride. Peace out, Long Island City. We can’t wait to see you, and Martin, again!

Large, red, Pepsi Cola sign in front of a highrise
Pepsi Cola, Jill and Martin
A man holding a medal for the New York City Half. Behind him is the Manhattan skyline
Stephen and his medal
Man standing on a dock. Behind him are large freight loaders on which are painted “Long Island City”
Peace Out, Long Island City

Thanks for joining us on our 1,000,000 beer pub crawl. Did we really have a million beer, you may ask? Well, let’s just say, until I wrote this article, I didn’t remember we took any trains that day!!

Two men standing on a subway platform
The forgotten train

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