Sip Bar

A bit of a tight squeeze, but mellower and more appealing than your basic Upper West Side bar.

998 Amsterdam Ave. between 109th and 110th Sts.

212-316-2747

Ding Dong Lounge

Ignore the name. It’s dark, it’s noisy, and sometimes the Columbia-undergrand quotient skews high. But a good dive bar in an area that needs one.

929 Columbus Ave. between 105th and 106th Sts.

212-663-2600