"Steve believed the corner bar to be the most egalitarian of all American gathering places, and he knew that Americans have always venerated their bars, saloons, taverns and 'gin mills,'… He didn't know that the Puritans, upon landing in the New World, built a bar even before they built a church." - J.R. Moehringer, from his New York Times Bestseller, The Tender Bar.

Love 'em or hate 'em, take 'em or leave 'em, like it or not--the bars of Hoboken have had a major effect on the city's development. With one on virtually every corner, how could they not?

You can blame the bars for a lot of things, not least of which is the fact that they've been instrumental in bringing a lot of younger people to Hoboken. Some of those people had such a good time that they moved here. A lot of them stayed, and odds are a vast number of even younger Hobokenites owe their existence in one way or another to a fateful encounter in our city's friendly taverns.

But the central role of taverns in Hoboken is nothing new. Considering the first brewery in America was established here in 1663, this should really come as no surprise (they've since gone and put a university on Castle Point where that brewery once was, which seems appropriate). Before the yuppie invasion, waves of Dutch, German, and Irish immigrants left their marks on the city's landscape with their own celebrated variations of the public house, or "pub," for short. Woodrow Wilson saw off Doughboys from The Clam Broth House balcony during World War I, only to greet them there when they returned as if he was saving their barstool. Meanwhile over at 326 Madison, a young Francis Albert Sinatra cut his teeth singing for change in his mother's speakeasy.

Hoboken's shipping industry was fed and watered by the city's substantial bar scene. In the heyday of the longshoremen, there is said to have been no less than 365 bars on the Waterfront--one for every day of the year. Speaking of On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando was reportedly no stranger to those bars while he "got into character" for the film, famously shot on location here in town.

"All those bars were taken down during the '60's," says one city official. "It's a shame, really--it was an attraction, like our own little French Quarter." The demise of the shipping industry brought much of Hoboken down with it. But a few of those tougher nuts in town refused to crack, remaining in operation and thriving to this day.

Louise & Jerry's - 329 Washington Street

The Old Neerlandia Bar was a Dutch seamen's bar when Louise and Jerry Greco started running the joint in 1958. In 1959 they bought the bar, in 1960 they bought the building, and in the process set about creating a Hoboken institution.

"My aunt Louise would cook for the longshoremen back in the day, and then when the artists and musicians started hanging out, they'd cook with her," says the owner of "L&J's," as it's known around town. When Jerry developed a heart condition, Louise took more of a prominent role in the operations--maintaining that post until the night of her 80th birthday. "She was pretty strict--she wouldn't allow the ladies to play pool, and every night at closing time she'd sing 'God Bless America."

The current pool table policy is a little more contemporary; but other than that, much of what you see in Louise & Jerry's today is what has been there all along. Of course there are a few minor exceptions…

"The bar used to be boards over barrels, until they bought this one from Schaeffer's speakeasy up the block," says the owner."And we got rid of the potbelly stove." In its place, there is possibly one of the most eclectic jukeboxes this side of the Hudson. L&J's attracts a good mix, but many of its regulars are artists, musicians, writers, etc. Call them hipsters, if you will--not those whiny, trucker-hat wearing Williamsburg types, but honest to goodness creative people.

The Elysian Café - 1001 Washington Street

Since opening as Dillenger and Jeffson's in 1895, this location has had several incarnations. Aside from a stint as an Ice Cream Parlor during the "noble experiment" of Prohibition, The Elysian Café has primarily focused on the hospitality industry. In its recent former life, then Café Elysian was an "old school Hoboken" hangout. While its makeover into a bistro has changed the feel, the fixtures and impressive décor remain. And there's nothing in the rules that says a bistro can't get a little loose--stop by on a weekend for live music in the back or a few cocktails at the Elysian's impressive bar.

The Wilton House--58 Newark Street

"It opened in the 1940's," says Dede, the owner, "and it's always been The Wilton House." Dede's bar is one of last remaining "old school Hoboken" bars, almost defiantly so considering its location. But she is cautious to make too many changes. "I recently did some remodeling and the regulars got nervous--they thought the prices would go up!"

The prices didn't go up, and at $1.75 per mug of beer, you can't beat it anywhere else in town. "Our most expensive drink in here is $5," she adds. "A lot of people will stop by here and have a few before going out to the clubs." Open from 9 a.m., The Wilton House gets a crowd all its own, but interlopers looking for a cheap drink are always more than welcome.

Helmer's - 1036 Washington Street

Before trendy beer gardens and knock-off wheat beers, there was Helmer's--a true German restaurant, known as much for its artery-clogging cuisine as its head thumping mugs of "bier." Since the end of Prohibition, Helmer's has catered to Hoboken's German roots by providing the most authentic experience this side of the Rhine, let alone the Hudson.

The restaurant dodged a bullet a few years back when the apartment above caught fire, and the resulting water damage forced Helmer's to close for a time. But thankfully the magnificent tin ceiling and gorgeous mahogany bar remained intact, to be enjoyed by patrons along with the one of finest imported beer selections in New Jersey.

The Shannon--106 First Street

"It's always been a friendly neighborhood bar," says Tara, whose family has owned and operated The Shannon since 1956. "Whether you're new in town or lived here forever, you can always come in, feel welcome, meet friends and make new ones."

Tara's grandparents took over the space after coming over from Ireland, and never forgot their roots in the homeland. "If you were from Ireland," she says, "they would tell you to come to The Shannon for a job and a place to live."

Tara's grandmother famously watched over the place with an eagle eye until retiring at the age of 85. Throughout her tenure and ever since, The Shannon has always been a haven, not only for Irish, but the community on the whole. In fact, her grandmother was one of the driving forces behind the Hoboken St. Patrick's Day Parade, serving as Grand Marshal of its inaugural in 1987.

Last Call

Bars are a lot of things to a lot of people, and they've been a lot of things in the city of Hoboken. While the negative aspects of these "dens of iniquity" are often hard to ignore, it's sometimes worth taking a look at what bars do right.

"Hoboken's bar community is made up of perhaps some of the most generous people I know," says Sean Miller, founder of Hoboken-bar.net. "Throughout my 12 years working with them, anytime someone has been in need--a charity, an illness, a fire, 9/11, the Tsunami, Katrina, Haiti--the bar community has gone out of its way to pitch in for the effort."

Bars bring us together by giving us a place to meet and share our lives with others. They are our living rooms, our pulpits, our comfy couches. They are our stages, our bulletin boards, our social networking sites. Assuming they're run reputably, by and large they give more to a community than they take away. For every one person who had moved out of Hoboken because of the bars, another five have likely moved in.

While Hoboken's bars may not be for you, they are for some. The joy of city living is that you can either stop on in and partake or simply walk right by… and pass the scores of other bars on your way home.