Macri Park

This used to be our favorite place to go. Like the Inn at the End of the World, it was somewhere that accepted everyone. A magical grab bag, you never knew what you were getting any time you went, but it was always a guaranteed good time, a chance to meet interesting people and just a place to feel safe and drink on the cheap. I felt it never identified as either gay or straight, but it was somewhere were ANYONE could go.
That was until they mistreated all of their staff. Now it’s just another shitty bar indicative of other changes in the neighborhood. I honestly had no issues with any of the sister bars before (Metropolitan, Lulu’s, etc), but now I won’t give any of them my business. It makes me sad, but I’ll stick to places who treat their staff and patrons better.

Apparently, this bar has been converted into a gay bar with the addition of a rainbow flag.
Loud music that makes conversations difficult, though there are tables to sit and talk.
Early Friday night — it was still pretty empty.

5 stars prior to August 2015, when Macri Park used to be a blessed haven for anyone who didn’t fit into that neat little monetization box. One buzz-​kill of a late Wednesday night this past March I was fed up with hauling arse to yet another Williamsburg bar «lesbian night» only to be bored out of my mind by the same old same old Kanye/​Beyoncé/​Taylor Swift Spotify DJ & girls more interested in looking cool & aloof and letting their boobs & booties hang out.
Ran like hell to Macri Park and it was like coming home. The soundtrack to «Ghost World» was playing along with a black and white B movie. I planted my butt out back with a coldie and met Moses, the then-​owner of the bar. We had a loverly chat and then I wandered over to the now-​defunct Trash Bar where I shot pool & did a birthday shot over the sounds of Marilyn Manson & NIN with the co-​owner of B.A.D. Burger.
It seems those days have gone. Trash Bar has shuttered their doors, and Macri Park is a now a run-​of-​the-​mill gay bar (trust me, I’ve been to all of them). I’m gay. But I’m also anti-​establishment. Aside from having to head all the way from the butt-​end of Brooklyn up to Bushwick to get my fix, there’s barely a handful of punk institutions in the East Village and those few and far between are rapidly getting swallowed up in the monotony of the populist mass craft beer joints.
I will probably hit Macri Park again, to whet my whistle before/​after spending my pocketful of quarters at Barcade (another place that’s birthing hipster chain bars all over NYC), and yes, I have met some beautiful friendly drag queens… so Macri Park isn’t all that bad.
It’s just not Macri Park anymore. They need to rename it – it’s like keeping CBGB’s but turning it into a trendy nightclub with table service. It’s a blatant insult to The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Descendants — all the people who ever needed a space to feed their creativity and vision — and everything that movement stood for. What does this generation stand for? Anything? Blockbuster movies, indistinguishable pop music, tweets, selfies, resurrecting 80s nostalgia… yep, I guess punk IS dead.
So…please call Macri Park something different, at least. How about Macaroni? Or Testosteroni? The owners sold out and gave us same-​same-​no-​different (than every place in Billyburg). In the name of capitalism. 2 stars.

A bar that’s trying to be Metropolitan but didn’t really do a great job. It’s an unusual setting… like you’re being held captive in a backyard shed.
The drinks took 10 minutes from order-​delivery, and the bartender took his sweet time as he chatted up his friends, then forgot our order.
Only a few people there on a Thursday evening. No one was dancing, or mingling, just kind of sitting there. If not for the music and the rainbow flag it’d just be a sad straight person bar.
With slow service and not much of a scene I’m not sure why you’d come here over the hundred other options in the area, or better yet, not leaving your home.

This wasn’t a straight bar or a gay bar… a white, black, yellow, or purple bar. This was a bar that was inclusive and welcoming of all. I met friends and freaks from all walks of life here and then watched as the staff who created this safe space were unceremoniously fired because they didn’t fit into a label. It’s staggering to see something this blatant, unprofessional, and discriminatory happen at a locale known for being a positive environment. The inclusive bar closed early in the morning on August 21, 2015. In this case it isn’t just business, it’s personal.
Best of luck to the ex-​bartenders of Macri. You have always been hardworking and any venue will be lucky to have you.
New Macri, enjoy your tumbleweeds…

This honestly used to be my favorite Bar of all time but it’s changed. The entire staff has changed over night and completely changed the atmosphere. I don’t understand why this happened but it is definitely no longer my favorite place I will never be returning.

Okay so imagine having the dopest significant other ever, and then one day going home to find that this perfect partner of yours packed up their belongings and left you a brief note saying so long. That’s exactly how I felt when I visited Macri Park this past Saturday and heard the news of management change and the firing of all the staff. I felt like I was unfairly dumped. Macri Park was an absolute gem just the way it was. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY would you need to change a thing about that place? The friendliest bartenders I have ever ordered drinks from in my life. No pretense, no attitude, no shade. Only professionalism and smiles. Victoria bought me a drink on New Years when she wasn’t even on the clock. If you were a regular and ever came to the bar and sat alone, one of the bartenders may have introduced you to another patron who was next to you and also solo. That was just the kind of place Macri was. Gay, straight, trans, black, hispanic, white, Asian, EVERYONE from different backgrounds enjoyed this bar and was welcomed. The place was almost empty on Saturday and I hope it stays that way and they continue to lose a ton of business until they restore the bar back to the way it was and offer every bartender and other staff members their jobs back. I won’t spend another dime there until that happens.

I LOVED Macri Park Bar up until all the mostly straight staff were fired without notice after providing a safe atmosphere for gay and straight alike. As far as I know, the one gay staff member was kept on.
I have never been to a cooler bar that felt like family. It was like the last episode of Cheers when they shut down on Thursday, August 20^th, 2015. From what I’ve read on Gothamist and Next, the owners let go of their staff without any severance or notice, not even offering positions at other bars that they own.
Who would want to patronize an establishment that treats their employees like lightbulbs? The loyal regular following was HUGE.
This isn’t a gay v. straight issue. It’s about respecting the people who pour in the money, the community they serve, and vibe that made Macri more than a «tolerant» place: people were loved, «lives happened», people met and got married, got hired; real human connections were made.
There used to be events like drink and draw Tuesdays, drag night «bitchy bingo» on Monday night, stand up Sunday, karaōke night once a month on Wednesday, trivia night. Great DJs spun. Neighborhood people and even next door neighbors and I myself would bring food to share with bartenders and strangers alike.
Any suspicion that theft was afoot is absolutely absurd… security and most of all solidarity between bartenders and patrons, and the bouncers was TIGHT. Most altercations were handled smoothly and without violence. I suppose an owner who wants to clean house so s/​he can open a gay bar, (which is absurd, because patrons determine that, not owners) will fire perfectly good workers to cater to the gaybourhood. Gay people came here regardless of what day it was. Some gay friends of mine are outraged, because the staff were friends, and now they are jobless.
Overall, it was what a real pub is: a public house, a den, or living room for the neighborhood. I rode back and forth from my house in Fresh Meadows to Macri Park Bar about 4 – 7 nights a week until they closed. That’s 20 miles round trip, not including my daily ride to service my clients, landlords, and leads, (I’m a licensed real estate salesperson). I’d go after work until closing time at least half the time. I made SO many friends, met some real sweethearts, followed business leads, found clients from my network of Macri friends… Macri Alumni was huge!
*****Don’t give your money to businesses that treat their employees like trash! Don’t be fooled that just because it’s self-​proclaimed gay bar that they are ethical business persons! Real neighborhoods are made up of neighbors, straight or gay, and we hang in bars that feel like family.*****
We’ve taken the Macri Alumni to Lady Jaye, Redd’s, and are considering others, especially if they have an open space in the back, or space up front to puff and drink while people watching/​ogling/​gawking on the street. That was the best part, besides there being 3 bathrooms.
Wow, what a great time it WAS, over at Macri Park Bar. It was a place where everybody knew your name, where you could dance, even if it wasn’t a DJ night, where they played awesomely bad B-​movies on Netflix and great shows as well. All the bartenders had such a distinct style and eclectic taste in music. Closing time was a ritual for those who were close to the bartender… few were allowed to chill for a bit and it was great being the selected «cool» few.
Yes, it was a dive, but it was one that had a lot of Love, and that’s so goddamn rare these days… the search for the next incarnation of Macri begins!!! :-)

Anyone in New York that cares about workers rights or job security should never support this bar or any of the other bars under its umbrella.
FYI — the gay community didn’t ask for this ally-​friendly space to be turned into a gay bar. What you did was remove a neutral safe space and turned it into a hostile environment by terminating the straight ally people who worked there, who have historically supported gay, lesbian, trans, and queer customers for years before said re-​branding. Deleting mentions of this on social media and blocking people from posting to your Facebook page because you couldn’t articulate a logical response isn’t helping your image either.
I refuse to support a business that endorses the mistreatment of its staff in such a flippant manner.
**Metropolitan Bar, Alligator Lounge, Lulus, Macri Park** which other bars am I forgetting to include that I will no longer patron or sponsor the events of?

OWNERS DO NOT CARE ABOUT CUSTOMERS OR STAFF. Fired entire staff for not being gay because they wanted to open as a «gay bar» strictly as a business ploy. They do not care about the LGBT community. Do yourself a favor and support businesses with owners who care about their property, customers, and employees.

This space is really appealing somehow. It has a good glow and is cave like. The backyard is nice. No fake gimmicky décor. Prices are fair.

Who doesn’t love a good dive bar with outdoor seating? Drinks are cheap, crowd is mixed, and outdoor area is bigger than most in this area. There was even a drag show here when I was here on a Friday. Fun place, would definitely return!

We found this place after the que at union pool was way to long! It was cute and the drinks were ok. The place had decent prices but not really any drinking specials which sucked. The bartender was not very great at customer service! The dj played some great 90’s music but his mixes were confusing! He’d play a good song and then mix it with a song nobody knew. He didn’t really play to the crowd. I think we would have had more fun if it wasn’t raining and we could enjoy the outside area.

just stopped by after a long shift at work. this place definitely did it for me. the bartender were very polite with great conversation and everything was perfect. i had the bartender with the long hair 0 he was cool
will be returning. btw, the décor and space itself was awesome. it looks like they are good for groups and intimiate date also xoxo

This place clearly had a few «regulars» which is always a good sign. Friendly bartenders. Casual good vibe. Not a standout.

Stumbled across the spot on the way to Union pool. Glad I stopped by. Its a great place to sit down and have a drink before facing the debauchery that is Union Pool. The staff was incredibly courteous and they were playing some decent music. Most importantly, it alternated between genres, which I find pretty rare for evening venues.
The backyard part looked great, but unfortunately it was too cold to visit out there.
Really just a nice little dive bar, more of a 3.5 but didn’t want to bump it down :)
Major points for playing Donnie Darko during Halloween.

Love love looooovvvveeee this bar! Georgina and Victoria are my favorite bartenders at this bar! They’re the absolute best! Unfortunately Georgina left the country but thank god I still have Victoria!!! Seriously the friendliest bartenders ever, more like friends now but still! And the bouncers here are always super nice!

Some of the reviews about Macri Park are pretty harsh. Those Unilocal-​ers definitely seemed to have some bad experiences, which made me question whether to give this place a go.
After going, I’m happy that I did. My experience was pleasant and I didn’t get the dirty glasses, shit attitudes, or other things people had complained about.
I’ve always walked by Macri Park and its welcoming storefront and have been wanting to give it a chance for a while. It was Wednesday evening around 6PM and the place had 4 – 5 people in it. Couple of bikes propped up in the back, guessing those people were the messenger crowd.
The bar itself is dark, with embossed velvet red walls. There are two tvs which at the time were playing some horror movie. The bartender was a cute blond girl who had an easy-​going demeanor, chatting with the guys at the bar.
Drink specials for happy hour was $ 4 drafts/​wells. Think they have a beer shot special too. Didn’t get that. However, did have some tullamore dew which was priced around 7 – 8 bucks. The bartender made it a good pour both times so cheers to that.
The backyard patio is nice and quiet. Several picnic benches in the back. Potted plants on each table. Smoking and non-​smoking areas (not sure how well that will work as the place isnt that big and smoke is smoke; it kinda does that floating, wafting thing).
Decent prices. Would like to note that Macri Park is NOT-​a-​dive. Its as another reviewer put it, a local neighborhood bar. Just a dark one (which I have no problem with). Good place for an after work drink. Liked that it wasn’t crowded or full of a-​holes. The people there all seemed to be friendly enough.
Overall had a nice experience. Thanks Macri Park!

Any place that has a wifi password of Baconcheeseburger has already shown me their willingness and dedication to be an excellent establishment.
I like this place a lot. I like beer and shot combos. Usually though it’s a beer you’re not to fond of or one you’re indifferent towards. Here they had the combo with not just presidente but presidente light as well. (It’s the only light beer I’ll drink by choice, I see you judging me) Next I like the open front, great way to attract people. They have a nice patio out back. Inside décor is cool. Christmas lights, nice looking mirrors and a beautiful seating. Walls look real nice. They have a top notch selection of beers on tap. I really enjoyed myself here.
I’ll be sure to swing thru again.

I’m a very big fan of any reasonably priced bar that has an outdoor patio, Macri Park fits this criteria. It’s a cozy bar that’s literally right off the Metropolitan G stop. The back patio is a decent size with a bunch of picnic tables and a leather couch, inside there are three semi circular booths in addition to the bar. They even have a covered front entrance outside with a couple couches (mostly for smokers from what I can tell). Happy goes until 8pm where all drafts are $ 4 (mostly $ 6 after). In addition to the drink specials they also have weekly events here like Bingo on Tuesdays and something called «Drink and Draw» on Sundays where you bring your own art supplies and they provide a model. I’ll make sure to come back for both those events and check back in.
UPDATE: I’ve been back for Bingo on Tuesday. It was free, fun, and I won a beer. There aren’t a ton of people who show up for it and you can come in at any time. They only give you a single Bingo board so it’s easy to continue having a conversation while playing.