I'm from Texas and will be traveling to the city in November for a weekend trip with girlfriends. We are staying at The Barclay Hotel Intercontinental on Park Ave...in Midtown. Is there anyone out there familiar with this area and can you give us some great places to eat and hang out? We love little dive bars with great jukeboxes!! Please help us Texas girls have fun in the city! Thanks!!!

You said: "We love little dive bars with great jukeboxes!!", and immediately, I thought of one of my favorite old dives. I don't remember the name of the place, but, it was on the south side of Houston Street, somewhere between, say..... 1st Ave. and The Bowery. I can't swear to it, but it mighta had an Irish name. It was just a tiny little joint with a tiny little bar and maybe two or three beat up two-person tables, but it had a juke box that could make a person weak in the knees, it was sooo good, and there was always this GIANT*SS, TOTally mellow, long-haired cat, either curled up right on one end of the bar, or on one of the table tops - if that was the only table with no one sittin' at it, - tough! He wasn't movin', but he did generally allow as how one might be allowed to rest a glass or two down next to him.
...sigh! I LOVED that place - if you don't find that one, well, maybe you'll find an even better one - if you do, please be sure and let us all know about it - have a great trip!

What a wonderful new voice at AANYer. Lucia you rock!

Sounds like a great place Lucia. My favourite dive bar is The Limerick on W23rd Street, north east of 6th Ave and it has a jukebox. I'm looking forward to going there when I move back to NY in November.

Aw, shucks, Mod, thanks! I LOVE this joint! And, Maura - lucky you! Movin' back....mmmmmmmmmmmmImissitsooooooomuch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll def hafta look up the Limerick when I make it back - another old fave was McHale's on eighth ave. (though I have sadly heard that it has closed). Back when I usta work in the old McGraw Hill building on w.42nd, my boss kidnapped me and one of my favorite co-workers and intro'd. us to the joy that was McHales - didn't they usta have those cool little table-top juke boxes in there?