my favorite bar in NYC...Old Town

Without the sign, quite frankly, I was lost. [It was recently replaced after having been taken down for a while for repair].

There is nothing better on a summer Friday afternoon (in my mind anyway) than meeting a friend for a pint and some lunch at one of my favorite places in Manhattan - Old Town Bar. Now I know this place has been reviewed endlessly over the years and is a mainstay of various walkes of life, and that is what makes it such a great place. With a rich literary tradition and serving food and beverages for well over 100 years it continues to be a regular stop for me (thanks to Joe P. for introducing me to this joint!).

The location is perfect, just north of Union Square, and the staff is always friendly and polite. I've spent many hours enjoying a great lunch or laughing with friends over a few happy hour rounds. I also know it's a favorite locale for many publishing folk, like some of my good friends at St. Martin's in the nearby Flatiron building. It was also the place some of the good peeps at B&N took my friend Jeannine to wish her well as she left a while back for a new job in the UK.

The place simply has a wonderful sense of history and you feel it when seated in the worn wooden booths or at the ancient bar. So, as I waited for my friend Nancy today, seated at the end of the bar, scribbling notes on the printed page of a story I was working on...all felt right with the world.

Well, that sounds like a proper Friday blog post to me. Ok, I haven't been sticking to my self imposed schedule of updating every day. But that's alright, I'll get on when I can. And if it's to share a small piece of my little world with the three or four of your reading, well then mission accomplished.

Even though this has been a strange year for me, it's also been wonderful. I'm learning new things all the time professionally and at the same time getting the opportunity to spend lots of time with my lovely wife and good friends.

So, if you ever see this guy sitting at the bar, don't hesitate to come over and buy me a drink [lush]. Or as many of you know, if you want to meet up to talk shop, books or comics...I'm only a quick email away. Enjoy the weekend.