The Lot On Tap
The High Line at 30th St and 10th Avenue
Getting There: A,C,E To 34th Street Penn. Station

Summer is gone and fall is quickly rolling in. Someone must have forgotten to tell the packed crowd eating and drinking away under the historic High Line. “The Lot On Tap” is a temporary outdoor bar serving local wines and seasonal beers from Brooklyn Brewery including Brooklyn High Line Elevated Wheat, served exclusively here. The innovative beer garden is operated by Colicchio & Sons in partnership with Friends of the High Line.

It is hard to believe that this impressive and fun space would have remained like all the other empty lots in the city if it weren’t for this bold team with a vision. The High Line itself is a marvel of modern ingenuity. Therefore it’s fantastic that this vacant lot could be transformed in it’s image. Long wooden tables fill the outdoor blacktop space, providing any sized group with more than enough room to party. During my visit a great music selection filled the background perfect for sing-a-longs, but without being intrusive. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening they played a nice mix of modern rock, 80s hits, and dance hall jams.

The current food truck craze has taken NYC by storm. The folks at “The Lot” have embraced this in an exciting way. Since this outdoor space is quite large, a revolving list of popular New York based food trucks have called this place home, to park all season long. Some of the tasty selections include Korilla BBQ, Eddie’s Pizza Cart, Rickshaw Dumplings, La Bella Torte Desert Truck, and The Taco Truck.

It’s a proven fact- nothing goes better with dumplings or tacos, than a cold draft beer. Luckily the great people at The Brooklyn Brewery have provided some of their very best on tap. Beer tickets need to be purchased before hitting the outdoor bar and cost seven dollars each. Since it is fall, I had to go for Brooklyn’s famous, “Post Road Pumpkin Ale.” Their pumpkin is one of my favorite, so I was thrilled to find it here. The ale has bold notes of pumpkin and spice without being overly sweet.

The Lot On Tap is a prime example of not allowing one inch of our city to go to waste as a vacant wasteland. It is both an economy booster but also a lovely respite for casual eating and drinking in the afternoon. And yes, all of this on tenth avenue. Times they are a changing.

- Jay Rubin