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Clubs, Bars & Restaurants
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Shark Bar
307 Amsterdam Ave.
(Btwn 73rd and 74th Sts)
NY, NY
(212) 874-8500
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Swimming with the Sharks
By William Mills
On any night NYC’s Shark Bar is crammed with young professionals of color,
Hip-Hop entrepreneurs, West Side residents and attractive singles sipping gin and juice
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and trying to restore sanity after a day battling
"the man." The restaurant's dark hues, soft lights, beautiful charcoal etches
and black and white photographs culminate in a definition of cool that's a mix of down
home formality and urban sensibility. The restaurant offers a variety of Southern
favorites and prompt and friendly service. With ample space, the restaurant section is
excellent for people watching, relaxing and dining intimately with one or more friends.
Known for its camaraderie, the Shark Bar is an optimal place for getting your "Mack
on." But as with cruising any body of water for a mate, swimming in the singles’
world requires some rules.
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1. Never swim alone.
For a guy, it's OK to be single, but never look lonely. Lonely could be easily mistaken
for desperate. Always hit the bar with a good friend, preferably someone who could have
fun at a ballpoint pen convention. Also, women have a tendency to be accompanied by
friends. Take their lead. If you and your sidekick see two women and you're attracted to
one, the possibility of a conversation involving four eliminates some of the pressure
found in a one on one.
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2. Dress for the water.
OK this is tricky. Since I don’t have the time or disposable income to buy Dolce
& Gabana or Geoffrey Beane, I usually enter the water with jeans, a pressed shirt and
nice shoes. I might shave. The advantage to this is that a woman sees exactly what she's
getting. I think of it as the rugged, non-bothered,
I’ll-dress-up-when-we-have-more-of-a-commitment look. But there's a hazard in this
approach. It's often perceived as the "broke" look. The Shark Bar can be
intimidating on this front, so if you are hard on the make you might want to spruce up.
3. Have your talk ready.
This area is where you can make up for breaking the other two rules. If stupid things tend
to fall out of your mouth, you'll find yourself bobbing in the water alone. To catch the
hip, sultry-voiced, woman of your dreams (as well as any other), be clear about what you
want and advertise that truth. While it's your prerogative to pretend you're one thing in
order to get something else, it makes for rough seas later. If you are ignored, battered
or bruised by the young sapphire you desire, remember half of this game is confidence.
It's just like swimming; you have to relax.
The Shark Bar is a staple in the Manhattan social world. It's a great place for intimacy
and good conversation on several levels beside “the Mack”. There isn’t an
out of town guest or family member I wouldn’t wine and dine there. OK, maybe my
friend Tony from Florida.
M
September 1999 |
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Vote for MO'
Make Donation Below |
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