I live in the Northeast neighborhood of Concordia. It sucks for bars, insofar as there aren't actually any regular bar bars within walking distance of my house. Sure there is the array of North Face Fleece Vest family friendly establishments such as the Concordia Ale House, the Kennedy School, and the multitude of hiptrified restaurant/bars on Alberta, but there is no standard bar bar to just pull up a stool, drink cheap dirty whiskey, chain smoke, watch people by drinks with change, video crackeheads, bar whores, watch sports, and listen Hall and Oates on the jukebox.

Up on NE 42nd and Killingsworth you'll find Magoos and the Spare Room, which are good solid bars of greasy food and old people, but it's a no man's land between there and MLK, with the exception of Joe's Place on 16th and Alberta. However, that is hardly easy walking distance. By walking distance I mean ten minutes or less.

Concordia Ale House replaced the old divey Etcetera Tavern (which was awesome). It's atmosphere is pretty weak, it's food is plentiful... but it's bar, oh it's bar. Despite being fancified concrete, it sucks to sit at. You have to sit sideways in your stool or spread your legs wide. Seriously, a bar needs more of a lip so your knees don't knock on it. All that money into the design, and sitting at the bar is uncomfortable at best. The club sandwich is enormoid. I find it amusing that there is a Subway attached to it.

Kennedy School - What can I say? It's the Kennedy School. Not exactly a pull up a stool destination.

Binks on Alberta - Meh...I used to hang out there a lot because it was close. Despite being smoky and small and cozy, I never felt comfortable there.

The Know on Alberta - Good for shows, but there were far too many of those green hats that enviro hipsters seem to wear. Feels more like an artist collective than a drinking establishment.

Joe's Place - Also known as the "Black Bar". Or at least that's how I here people refer to it, like it's an oasis of Blackness in the sea of progressive white hipsterism. Joe's Place is cool. I like it, but it's too far to walk.

Tin Shed - More of a restaurant, decent food (I dig the san fran sandwhich with gargonzola), closes at like 11. Too far to walk.

Alberta St. Public house - Passable. I'd hang out there a little bit more because you can get booze and food but it's not walkin distance.

Cup and Saucer has booze but closes to early and I don't think you can smoke there. Done.

Everything else is a restaurant/bar so I hate it. I'd rather head up to 68th and sandy to go to the Yen Ha which is awesome, than hang out in my neighborhood. That sucks.