This year I decided to report on 3 major St. Paddy’s day events: McPattysfest at McFadden’s, the night of St. Patrick’s Day (3/17) and the Erin Express in Hoboken, NJ.
Hoboken, NJ
Weekend of 3/6/2010
Hoboken, NJ is right across the river from NYC, and has been know for public drunkenness and other “lewd acts”. A group of friends and I spent most of the day at the Irish Bar McSwiggan’s. It was an average size bar that had DJ and a decent crowd. We met people from all over including Boston, NYC and from as far as Alabama and Omaha. The police were on a mission this year and 555 summonses were issued. A friend of mine received a ticket for “jay walking” (he was only one of 85 people who received this type of ticket).
The Good:
Hoboken seems to draw people from all over. The people were friendly and everyone was out to have a good time.
The Bad:
Most bars in Hoboken charge a $40+ cover charge and there are no drink specials. My buddy recommended everyone should pre-game before entering a bar so you can tolerate the environment, the $6 beers and $10+ Irish car bombs. Bars are small and only let one person in at a time (after someone from inside the bar left). Lastly, the police were a bit aggressive: Jay walking? come on…
Weekend Before St. Paddy’s Day – Philadelphia, PA
Weekend of 3/13/2010
The 4th Annual McPaddysfest at McFadden’s on 3rd Street included live performances by Lost In Paris and Mr. Greengenes. The bands rocked out and had the crowd going all night while the reasonable drink prices made it affordable for patrons to drink all day long. There may have been hurricane like conditions outside but under the big tent (that covered the entire parking lot) was an all night celebration. $10 tickets (pre-sale) felt like a steal after the previous weekend’s $40 cover charge in Hoboken.
The Good:
The live bands, drink specials and a good crowd for an all day drinking event.
The Bad:
The short wait outside in the rain to get into the bar and the coat check mix up at the end of the night.
Actual St. Paddy’s Day Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday 3/17/2010
People were drinking all day on St. Paddy’s Day. We met up with some friends after work and visited a few small local bars down town then went to The Irish Pub which was somewhat crowded but not too crazy. We we then decided to go back to McFadden’s to meet up with some friends. McFadden’s specials that night included $5 Irish car bombs, $4 Guiness, $3 Coors Lights, (much better than Hoboken prices).
The Good:
Cheap drink specials and the fact everyone seemed to be having a great time on a Wednesday night.
The Bad:
$5 car bombs sound like a good idea, but I saw a few people that went a little overboard.
The Results
Philly is obviously the clear winner.
