I'm glad you had a good trip. I'm from NYC and after just completing a six month family genealogy project I'm really looking forward to my next visit.
I discovered both my Irish and German ancestors immigrated in the mid 1800s to the Lower East Side and lived within 6-8 blocks of each other.
I'm sure my Irish gg-grandfather had a pint (or two) at
Mcsorley's and I'll be sure to do the same in his honor. That you were there on St. Patrick's Day had to be quite "stimulating."
Well one thing I learned immediately was you order either light or dark, thats it. You order them by the fours (four light/four dark). That'll cost ya 10 bucks.
I squeezed through to the bar, observed the locals ordering and asked the bartender for four lights. He asked gruffly "Is that for two people or four?"
I responded "One" and he shook his head and said "Okay". The guy next to me informed me that if you order one you get four.