Floyd: The Perfect Winter Weeknight Bar

If you're in the market for a neighborhood bar to fulfill your weeknight boozy needs -- whatever those needs may be -- there's a good chance that Floyd, on Atlantic near the East River, is just the spot. 

Floyd is home to an active and enthusiastic bocce league and is an exceedingly popular hangout, one that does get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights despite its generous, 1700+ square foot floor space. On weeknights, however, Floyd is the perfect mix of cozy and cool, with activities and offerings for any type of bar-goer. 

Certainly the full-sized bocce court is the more obvious draw, but Floyd serves up a variety of atmospheres in addition, all of which manage -- quite amazingly -- not to compete with one another.

For couples or those looking to have quiet conversation, there are candle lit tables adjacent to a silent movie screen. If you're hoping to dance away your Monday blues, there's an eclectic jukebox and a disco ball to encourage the foot work. And for the bookworm wanting to enjoy their latest read alongside a pint or a generously-poured mixed drink, there are comfortable couches in well-lit areas. 

Josh, the Monday/Tuesday night bartender, hails from Bed-Stuy and has been tending bar at Floyd for more than six years, a duration he chalks up to the space having such "great owners." The owners, Jim Carden and Andy Templer, also own Union Hall in Park Slope and The Bell House. Friendly bartenders like Josh provide patrons with another reason to visit -- at least that's what bar-goer Alex attributes his attendance at Floyd to.

"I'm part of the Josh fan club," he quipped. 

Patron Josh Hartsoe, from Carroll Gardens, elected to celebrate his 30th birthday at Floyd not once, but twice. He had friends meet him at the space on his actual birthday which fell on a weeknight, and planned to invite a larger group to join him there on Saturday night, which he predicted would be more of a birthday throw-down. He'd selected Floyd as his official 30th birthday locale due to its "bocce court, good drinks, great space and close proximity to home." 

Floyd is no stranger to birthdays. Jason, a regular patron adorned with some incredible tattoos, was born and raised in the neighborhood and considers Floyd his main spot. He's celebrated three birthdays at the bar. During one memorable occasion, he brought along with him friends from the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.

"One of them swallowed a balloon this long," Jason recalled, gesturing about three feet in length. "You never know what you're going to see here at Floyd." 

One thing you can be sure to see are bocce games in action. Aaron Wesner and Myung Joh, who live in Carroll Gardens, were engaged in a jokingly competitive match with Josh Hartsoe and his birthday celebrants who commandeered the court after twenty-somethings Andrew and Lauren, who were on their second date, wrapped up a one-on-one game. 

"He let me win!" exclaimed Lauren, of Cobble Hill. She'd never played bocce before, a fact that led Andrew, who also lives in the neighborhood, to suggest stopping by Floyd for a match following their dinner at Henry Public. Floyd seemed to have been an excellent choice on Andrew's part, as the two of them confirmed there would likely be a third date. 

So neighbors, take your book, take your bocce ball A-game, take a date, take your friends on your birthday -- but definitely do take yourself to Floyd on a weeknight this winter. You won't be disappointed.