The Frying Pan, NYC

I don't like to feel like a tourist when I travel.  I love to visit friends in different cities and have them treat me like one of them.  I will skip the tourists traps and instead explore the food and dive bars off the main road streets.  I love experiencing that particular city through the local's point of view and discover  that there is so much more that the tourists pamphlets don't show.  So every time someone is visiting NYC and ask me of an interesting place to go I always recommend The Frying Pan.

The Frying Pan is a boat that had sunk on the Chesapeake Bay and was under water for three years.  After that it was sold to their current owner which decided to dock it with a  train car barge on the Chelsea Piers and turn it into the ultimate "dive" bar.  Because of its location it only opens seasonal from Spring to Fall which makes it more appealing for those who know that all the good stuff in NYC happens during this period of time.

It is one of my favorite spots because people lay very low wearing flip flops and shorts.  It's a good place to hit with a group of friends to enjoy beer and pitchers of sangria while watching the sunset on the Hudson River.  The barge has the kitchen with the dinning area which is exposed to the weather (I experienced storm while been there and it wasn't fun) and a 16 foot observation flank that lets you take in the city in the most spectacular way while also watching the helicopters land in the heliport next door.  The actual "Frying Pan" boat has sitting areas all over its deck and if you are lucky you might find it open to explore the antique insides.

The food is simple yet good since like I said it's not about the food but of an experience with friends.  Its about sitting there in a boat doing nothing but drink, laugh and joke, and forget about the hectic city since even though you are still in Chelsea it makes you feel like you have left it.  Depending on the time and day it can go from a chill to an overwhelming atmosphere so I recommend Sunday afternoons or weekday evening for a quieter time.

Next time you are around Chelsea Piers check out The Frying Pan (It is registered as an historic place believe it or not so you could include it in your "museum list").  Try their burger with cajun fries and a bucket of beers with friends.  The worst that can happen is that a sudden thunderstorm gets you wet but then again you are in a boat!