07/27/08

Best place in the City!

by drummerboy1984

Since I am in New York about once a month, I decided to go out and find a good neighborhood bar. After a quick search I found it. The place is something that reminds you of Cheers and has it's regular patrons. After a brief conversation, I was amerced into a fun loving atmosphere. This place does not care how you are dressed or where you come from. They do however, take care of people and look down on people who have bad attitudes. Billy went outside and smoked with my cousin and I on the street and we talked about everything from Corvettes to horse racing (the Kentucky Derby). Man, are these guys knowledgeable. I will be back each and every time I am in the city.

• Pros: All things
• Cons: They don't accept credit cards.

06/11/08

Best dive bar in MYC

by johnjohn10017

Don't expect models or snobbery, but if you want to listen to the jukebox, watch sports or shoot pool with real New Yorkers, go hang out with Billy or Mark - they're in there every night....Highly recommended

01/18/08

Worst bar in the city. DO NOT GO HERE! Someone will fight you....

by tellad123

This could be the rudest most unfriendly bar i the city. The owners are the bartenders and they won't pay any attention to you, but then when you don't have a drink they yell at you to either drink or leave. If you talk back they'll send one of their mentally challenged goons over to try and scare you. If this happens just drop them a simple mathematical addition question to really confuse them while you run for the door. Seriously, I don't recommend going here. You're only asking for trouble from one of the owners or their half-wit friends...

• Pros: There are none
• Cons: You name it. Sure to get into a fight even if you keep to yourself...

04/26/07

Best place to meet a friend!! and get a really good drink!

by kennedy2

I had an internship in NY for a few months, and, though i knew almost noone, the guys at Billymarks' took me in and introduced me to everyone and I met a ton of people! Billymarks is the PERFECT dive bar! I LOVE the bartenders and the regulars (ESPECIALLY RALPHIE!! and CURLY JOE and those other guys who are AWESOME!!) and they are a true familiy to anyone who left their actual family at home to pursure their dreams in NY... Billy and Mark and the regulars are one of a kind and deserve the award for the best dive bar in the city, hands down!!! I just hope they remember me affer all these months (but even if they don't i'll be back to remind them, because they always say their children don't leave for good, they always come back, and don't worry... I'LL BE BACK!!... and they better still have my picture on the wall!!!) Long story short... GO TO BILLYMARKS!!!

12/22/05

Truly a gem

by aribeast

On a solo weekend visit through the city for work, I decided on my off night to hoof it through the streets, determined to stop at the first place that seemed welcoming to the wayward stranger. After walking for two hours all the way from 50th down to 14th and to various points east and west, I had rolled snakeyes.

Then, after seeing a person stumble out of the bar and hearing loud (loud) music, I knew that Billymark's was my place. It is all everyone prior has described, and after poking your head in the various scenester bars located throughout the area, it becomes much more enticing. Along with 119, it is on my must-do list for every trip hereafter.

09/01/05

All Walks of Life

by edsword

In this bar you will find all walks of life from all over the world.

You will find regulars such as Jimmy Queen, Gay Al, Bye Billy and English Charlie (this cool guy actuall painted the bar throughout for them in their time of need)

A home from home.

08/16/05

REAL New York bar with a late 70's feel!

by wc3player

BillyMark's is one of the last bars in New York where you can truly engage in interesting conversation without worrying if you're wearing the "right clothes" or know the "right people". Walk in and you're instantly transported to the New York of the late 70's/ early 80's; you might even believe that Ed Koch is still mayor! You can tell that Billy truly loves bartending and making everyone who walks in feel like they're part of the party. Part of the charm lies in its location, next to the back entrance of the Port Authority bus terminal on 9th Ave. Relatively safe in the daytime, although I wouldn't recommend women walking alone around there at night. Instead, get some of your other girlfriends, forget the stupid trendy lounges, come into BillyMark's, speak with some INTERESTING people, and have a GREAT time!

• Pros: interesting people, great dive bar
• Cons: bad neighborhood

10/28/04

The perfect neighborhood dive bar.

by Contributor

Even when it's bright and sunny outdoors, Billymark's West has a hazy, dark feeling inside. The jukebox pours out steady servings of anthem rock and R&B classics, the drinks are cheap and the doors open early enough to catch both returning night-shift workers and the day-shift types who want to get a round or two in before they punch the clock. Refreshingly unpretentious in a city full of over-done, over-hyped watering holes, this bar gets its atmosphere wholly from its customers and staff. And even though everyone seems to know each other already, hammy co-owner Mark Penza and the bartenders are incredibly generous to newcomers.

07/17/03

What a New York always was.

by boyonboat

New York, at least my New York, was always represented by the neighborhood bar. The emphasis is on neighborhood. We fantasized about it from TV with Cheers!, or cop dramas that visited the venerable watering hole in Kojak or The Equalizer.

Billy Mark West is the last hold out to what a true New York bar is. From out of towners who have no idea why they drop in who in turn leave with a true feel of New York and its denizens to the neighborhood who wanders in and always know they are welcome.

No attitude, no airs, no boring wall streeters who have nothing else to talk about but their work day, no wannabes, no euro trash just the proper mix of what makes this city truley the greatest city in the world.

Billy Marks West is the holdover to what makes this city great.

• Pros: Service, Characters, not too crowded

07/09/03

Great local bar

by schatze

It's almost too clean to be called a dive bar, but everything elese fits. It's a great homey kinda place. EVERYONE is ALWAYS made to feel welcome. Variety of cleintele. Cheap (dive bar definition) drinks/beer, great pours. It doesn't get any better as a place to drop in for a regular drink.