Professor Thom's
I was in NYC on the weekend and decided to go to PT's to watch the game rather than sit in my hotel room to do the same. All I can say is WOW! This is an experience that every Michigan fan should have once in their lives.
I got there way early - around 6:00 and watched the place fill up to Great-White-in-Rhode-Island proportions. I'm pretty sure the fire marshall would've shut it down had he/she stopped by. The place is HARDCORE maize and blue. Michigan stuff all over the walls, Michigan trivia on some of the TV's pre-game, barkeep and serving maidens all wearing the colors. There were plenty of playings of The Victors and the Let's Go Blue cheer. Even Cowbell Guy was there. It was glorious. The fact that I was the oldest guy in there by 20 years didn't even bother me (at least not too much).
I didn't even mind the pop music during commercials - a whole bar full of mostly drunken patrons slurring their way through Call Me Maybe was pretty damn funny.
Yeah, the game sucked but the energy in there was unbelievable. I can't imagine what it would have been like had we won. All in all a fantastic experience - one of the most memorable in my 40 or so years of Michigan fandom. Highly recommended for anyone visiting NYC.
September 24th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
Glad you had a great time... i though, have to watch the game at home, as Prof Thom's is too crowded for my taste, but sometimes I make it out when enough friends are going. Otherwise, i like having full control to rewind, get emotional, and I have a couple of TVs and laptops going for multiple games.
I took some Georgia fans there once, and they loved it too. They were surprised how "game-like" the experience was.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:01 PM ^
That sounds a lot like Lodos in Denver. I was there for the game on Saturday and it's the closest I've felt like being in the Big House without being there. For a lot of the patrons it is more social event than sporting event which I suppose makes it even more like being in the stadium than one would think. The libations were flowing and the roar of the bar gave me chills when Taylor intercepted Golson early on. The rest of the game didn't follow along that path but it helped to be in a place where others were just as despondent as I was.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^
Sounds alot more fun than swatting away the fruit flies that were sworming my head and beer at Scorekeepers.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^
I never did get to go to PT while my wife was living in the city. She was up in Morningside Heights so we went to Blondie's, which was pretty good but relatively quiet. Sorry I missed it now.
For the ND game two years ago, I was in DC and we went to Buffalo Billiards. There must have been 500 people there. It was standing room only, deafeningly loud, cowbells, cheers, you name it. That was out of control. I don't remember any other time there being quite so intense, but also highly recommended.
September 24th, 2012 at 9:41 PM ^
September 24th, 2012 at 4:21 PM ^
I went to PTs once a few years ago, and I and the other 5 UM fans with me thought it was absolutely horrible and we will never return. Yes lots of UM energy but everything else and especially the food was awful.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^
I'm with the OP on this one. My avatar and I were in NYC for a play opening and just happened to be during round one of the NCAA tourny last year. So, thanks to a couple of brother posters from NYC, we were steered to PT and had an absolute blast (game results notwithstanding).
Couldnt tell you about their food but the beer was cold, the selection of it on tap was fantastic and the owner basically created a spot at the end of the bar for my wife to sit during the game once he heard it was our first trip to the city.
Put me on the big PT supporter list.
September 24th, 2012 at 7:40 PM ^
September 24th, 2012 at 4:36 PM ^
of going to all 3 NYC Michigan bars last Saturday.
1st was Brother Jimmy's - I got there around 7:30. It was way too crowded in the bar area and impossible to get beers, so I walked over to Ainsworth, supposedly the new hot sports bar in Grammercy / Union Sq.
2nd Ainsworth - Unfortunately they had velvet ropes and a guy wearing a suit rejecting anyone that wasn't on a reservation list - even if you just wanted to hang out at the bar (WTF?).
3rd Prof Thoms. So I made a mad dash over to Professor Thom's and crammed my way in near the entrance. It was incredibly crowded, though fortunately was able to get beers due to my lucky position near the bar. I left just before halftime and went back to Brooklyn to watch the second half at my local bar.
So I understand that Bro Jimmy's and Prof Thoms are going to be crowded drunk-fests like Duffy's et al - but WTF with Ainsworth? Reservations only? And what happened to the Brooklyn bar? I know Pub One closed, but i'm sure there's more out there that would accomodate us? Argh, maybe i'm just getting too old for this....Also, get off my lawn.
September 24th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
The average age at these places is, to me, repellant. I'd rather go to a laid-back neighborhood bar. The Forum's all right sometimes.
September 24th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^
I'm curious to go to Thom's but it's also a Red Sox bar so.....yeah I'm conflicted. Had my bday party at Forum a few years ago. Was nice but we claimed a booth early. Then when it got busy they moved us to another booth and in order to keep that one we had to start off by buying a $200 bottle of vodka.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^
What's the average age there? I'm in school on Long Island now, wouldn't mind going into the city on a weekend for a game
September 24th, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^
September 24th, 2012 at 5:24 PM ^
If you consider 24 "late 20's" then you are correct. Its the kind of place you go to your first year or two out of college.
September 24th, 2012 at 5:29 PM ^
That was my sense as well.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^
I can tell you that if you are in your 20s, you should be good. IIRC, the bar is also sponsored by the NY Alumni Association, but the patrons on game day are predominately former grads and fellow UM supporters in their 20s. Out of the many NYC Michigan bars I've gone to (and yes, there are many bars that become UM bars on gameday), no bar can compete with the atmosphere of PTs (if you are looking for the "I really miss college and want to drink and scream my love for Michigan with 1000s of other people" atmosphere).
September 24th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^
App State. First day of Big Ten network...Obviously, I'll never go back.
September 24th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
September 24th, 2012 at 5:18 PM ^
Went to PT's a couple of years ago when Brian was making his tour of the alumni clubs. Nice place; a bit of a schlep for people like me in an outer burough, but a nice atmosphere. Struck me as a bit bro-ish during gametime, but nothing to deter anyone. Unfortunately, as a 30+ year old married guy, I feel like my time trolling the bars is over.
September 24th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^
but it was a good one
September 24th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^
September 24th, 2012 at 7:43 PM ^
I'm 37 and Prof Thom's definitely has more of the frat scene vibe (fine if that's your thing) than I'm up for on gameday. That, and it's ridiculously packed. I watched the ND game (and numerous others) at Brother Jimmy's and they've got a lot of space even if there are a lot of people there. The downstairs is much less packed. And upstairs you *can* actually make it to the bar. On the downside, it seemed like lots of people started to not really care about the game after the first half - everyone was definitely rocking Michigan paraphernalia, so maybe just a case of Denard Turnover Machine vs. Talking To Ladies.