The Greedy Hamster

With one of the smallest rooms on this list, the Greedy Hamster proves the power that walkable urban density has on a bar. You could throw a cantaloupe from here and hit the 17-story Landmark Tower, making this pocket-sized wine-and-beer nook a great perch to grab a pint, half-watch a ballgame and nibble on the concentrated neighborhood drama that the regulars bring. Lurk long enough (like, 90 minutes) and you’ll hear inside jokes, lovers’ spats, first dates and new friendships forming. There’s always some sort of wine or food special on offer — a pizza plus a pitcher of beer for $25, for example, or all-day happy hour on Thursdays — as well as a beer club, a wine club and enough camaraderie that four times a year the regulars get together to pick up trash along a nearby stretch of 12th Street. By the time you pay your check, you’ll feel as if you were just hanging out in someone’s living room. Which, in a very real sense, you were.