When: Tuesday, 6:20pm

Banshee Pub I used a visit to Tanoshi Sushi for an excuse to finally ride on the Second Avenue subway (no one told me the station had one of those never-ending anxiety-provoking escalators).  I then had an hour to kill before my reservation, so chose one of the two Irish bars on the same block, one block from Tanoshi. Nothing was remarkable about this place, except that apparently there had been a gas explosion earlier so (under-40) temporarily displaced neighbors trickled in.

Age appropriate? Not while I was there, though no Irish bar is age-inappropriate even in bro-centric Murray Hill.

When: Tuesday, I’m guessing around 9pm

Finnegan’s Wake I’m the type that the more I drink, the more I want to drink so even though I told myself that I would have a few beers before dinner and then to go straight home after sushi, especially since I nearly polished off a large BYOB bottle of sake, I did not. Instead I book-ended my evening by going to the other Irish bar. But it was the right thing because I’ve always thought running into people you know in all corners of NYC was a trope (though based on social media, I have “friends” who run into “friends” all the time) and yet I walked in and saw a “friend” (I’m not sure what you call someone you’ve only met once or twice in person and only have a Facebook relationship with) who lives in far out Brooklyn sitting at the bar. She is only 35, however, so did not qualify for my middle-ages quota. She also mentioned on Facebook shortly thereafter that she wasn’t drinking anymore, a strangely common declaration with women in their mid-30s. Maybe that’s called wisdom.

Age appropriate? Yes. Clearly, the ladies come out later.