Downtown Plattsburgh has several options for a night of drinking and conversation, whether its Fat Freddie’s or Hitchcock's, but the only one that always draws me and transports me to another century is the Monopole.

At night, the place becomes illuminated from the lanterns hanging outside.

The building at night is only recognizable by the quaint glass lanterns spraying an eerie glow in the darkness. A bouncer is always outside waiting to check identification before letting people enter the two-floor tavern situated along an alley. Squeals and yells come from outside as college students take drags of their cigarettes, the smoke twirling before it dissipates. On this particular night, it was more calm and quiet with few people around.

The interior causes me to look at the combination of brick walls and dark wood panels. The oval lights tinted with orange and pink create a dim, but comfortable atmosphere. It was simple but clean and had a slight rustic setting. Sizzling noises of frying chicken permeated the air as two customers waited for their food. Clustered in a corner was a group of students laughing and chatting while sipping their beers.

One of the rooms on the first floor, where the kitchen and seating are.

The first floor has two connecting rooms, each equipped with a bar lined with bottles of liquor. One room has booths, small tables, and chairs, as well as a television, dartboard, and foozeball table. This room connects to a kitchen where the menu is posted. Sitting in a booth nearby, a few students scarf down some wings with Busch’s beer. They looked up and listened to the clunking noises from customers coming down the narrow stairway and trying not to bump into each other.

As I climbed the stairs, I passed the tiny bathroom, which is bare and tidy. To the other wall is the bar fully stocked with every beverage you could want. Although the liquor bottles caught my interest, my eyes roamed to a framed stained glass window with the tavern's name.

Lee Rail Down, an acoustic band, was playing on a small stage in another room to the right of the bar. The music was relaxing as I sipped my reasonably priced rum and coke and chatted with the bartender for a few minutes. Few people were listening, even though the band had several good beats and an attracting tune. Distracted, I spilled my drink, and the bartender gave me a new one- for free.

People playing pool at the Monopole.

Clinging to my replaced drink, I heard balls clanking from the nearby room that contained a pool table and dart board. The players made teasing comments in attempts to psych each other out enough to miss their shots. It was amusing to hear, but my attention switched back to the bartender as she announced her approval of the band with some customers.