I'm sure for many here (especially us older dudes) having a drink/getting served was a right of passage to being an adult. The fear and anticipation of walking into an establishment and ordering. I penned a piece about the brand relationship with have with our favorite establishments. I have many from my Setonia days in South Orange - including the "pub" on campus, Shenanigans, Corcoran's, Bunny's. Feel free to share some memories - beats political chatter. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dive...oms-watering-holes-joints-us-bill-field-ukhie
Life "Firsts' - Your First Drink at a Bar
- Thread starter CT Pirate
- Start date
I can identify with this unfortunately I had my first drink in a bar when I was 19 and after numerous revisits got caught in an ABC raid.The night of the raid 19 of the 21 patrons were under age.The bar’s non carding approach caught up with them and they lost their license for 90 days.I had to go to court and fortunately the judge tossed the case So yeah I remember that night.
The dad of one of my best friends owned a bar in Carlstadt (Halfway Go-Go), and a few of us had our first legal drinks there. He also sponsored our team in the town rec basketball ball league….those jerseys would get cancelled today!
So many great (and whacky) stories of that place….bartender nicknamed “Lefty”….who only had a right arm. The Meadowlands Track had just opened and they stapled betting tickets over the entire wall. Fire hazard? My buddy used to drive the dancers home at night sometimes.
So many great (and whacky) stories of that place….bartender nicknamed “Lefty”….who only had a right arm. The Meadowlands Track had just opened and they stapled betting tickets over the entire wall. Fire hazard? My buddy used to drive the dancers home at night sometimes.
Great stories. The nickname is classic. Thanks for raising the "bar" on this essay. Exact reason I wrote it.
The drinking age in NJ was 18 back then for me too.
In those days, the place to go to was Dodd's in Orange, a great rock cover band club. My older brother was all set to take me there the day I turned 18. This was in the middle of January and, wouldn't you know it, we got hit with a decent ice storm. Instead we decided to stay closer to home and went to a local go-go bar, The Hillside Hello in, obviously, Hillside. Now mind you, when I was 18 I was really scrawny, skinny, and looked like I was 12 years old. I got in no problem, had all the proper identification and started to, ahem, enjoy the show and have a drink. A dancer came over and I tipped her. She then said to me "Does your mother know where you are?" As my mother actually did know where we went, I replied "Yes, does yours?"
In those days, the place to go to was Dodd's in Orange, a great rock cover band club. My older brother was all set to take me there the day I turned 18. This was in the middle of January and, wouldn't you know it, we got hit with a decent ice storm. Instead we decided to stay closer to home and went to a local go-go bar, The Hillside Hello in, obviously, Hillside. Now mind you, when I was 18 I was really scrawny, skinny, and looked like I was 12 years old. I got in no problem, had all the proper identification and started to, ahem, enjoy the show and have a drink. A dancer came over and I tipped her. She then said to me "Does your mother know where you are?" As my mother actually did know where we went, I replied "Yes, does yours?"
Spent many a weekend nights at Dodds in Orange. That was one of four places we would frequent along with Mothers in Wayne, Cuss From Ho in Paramus and another place in West Paterson right off of 46.
Always got a laugh from the trough urinal in the men’s room at Dodd’s. So much for privacy….lol
Classic story. Gotta love it. Being age contemporaries, it was a very different world in the 70's. Glad you enjoyed the piece. The inspiration was getting together with all my suite mate buddies at Kelly's in Neptune a couple of weeks ago. Seven hours of driving for me from CT but so worth it for a four hour lunch. Tough being a Setonia guy in CT. (too many Husky fans) Getting to be in Jersey and relive the Setonia years of 74-78.
Kelly’s still has one heck of a corned beef sandwich.
Did you hit up the Silverball Museum?
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Can't actually remember my first, but this is circa 1962/63.... drinking age was 21 in Nj and we used to go to Staten Island when we got our driver's licenses. I hadn't turned 18 yet, but could pass for older and had no problem getting served in the SI establishments whose names long ago left my memory bank.... I was even able to buy beer in some select places in NJ.........same in DC, drinking age for 3.2 beer was 18, where I spent a year of PG after high school at the now defunct Columbian Prep located next to embassy row in NW DC. Columbian's most famous student was Joe Bellino (USNA '60) of Navy football, ALL American / Heisman fame. Drinking age was 18 in DC and we all wasted no time in finding the local places to toss down many 3.2 beers. You could still get pretty looped on that swill. Not enough time to relate all stories about those Prep school days..... to impress the girls we would tell them we went to Columbia, slurring over the "n" and not mentioning the prep part...... we started a "fraternity"... rented a house for weekend parties. didn't last long, we were shut down by the police first party..... our battles with the local kids who would try to give us a hard time....... due to study halls and curfews at school we would sneak out of the dorms by clamoring down the fire escape that passed by the dorm proctor's living room. One of the non drinkers among us would open up a basement door to let us back in. Eventually found "the Tombs" near Georgetown that we frequented with great regularity. Let's just say that we took ample advantage of our first time away from home. Thinking back on it, "The Tombs" may have been where I had my first legal beer after turning 18. Had some great memories from those days and many of my prep school buddies became college buddies and I still count them as best friends after all these years.
I second SPK's mention of Dodd's in Orange!!! Loved that place.
I second SPK's mention of Dodd's in Orange!!! Loved that place.
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Great memories - no need for Prevagen for you. This old dude contemporary loves the walk back in time.
I grew up 2 blocks from Dodd's in Orange . About 63 or 64 ( I was 14 or 15 at the time ) my friends and I noticed the parking lot on Fridays and Saturdays was jammed and many cars had out of State license plates . I never went in Dodds even though Pat Dodd was friends with my brothers .
In the early 70s I became an Investigator in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and numerous fellow workers would tell me stories about the great times they had at Dodds . They coudn't believe I grew up a few blocks away and never frequented the establishment .
In the early 70s I became an Investigator in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and numerous fellow workers would tell me stories about the great times they had at Dodds . They coudn't believe I grew up a few blocks away and never frequented the establishment .
