Last year, I witnessed my first St. Patrick’s Day in Manhattan. I honesty can’t remember what I did the two years before on that holiday. But since it fell on a Friday night last year, I decided to enjoy the festivities. And I had never realized the extent of St. Patrick’s Day debauchery until that night.

I met up with some friends in Midtown after work. By 7:00, the streets were already crowded with people who appeared to have been drinking for hours. We headed off to Thady Con’s, an Irish bar that has the distinction of being the location of my first drink out in the city. I was dismayed when we got there and the place was closed down. We decided to wander and find some bar that we could actually fit into to have a couple drinks. After making our way through crowds that seemed crazier than those on New Years, JD’s Pub caught our eye.

The exterior of JD’s Pub looks historic, almost castle-like. It was located on a less crowded midtown street, probably the reason for some room available inside. We explored the place, bar downstairs, restaurant upstairs. Everyone there seemed oblivious to the beautiful history around them. I enjoyed a couple Bailey’s on ice, amused by the combination of historic architecture and extremely drunken people.

With the snow, I wonder if tonight will be as mad as last year. Then again, it’s not every year that St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday.