Bar of the Week: Hugs

Williamsburg's N. 6th doesn't want for drinking holes, particularly the strip between Berry and Wythe. With that fact in mind, the owners of recently-opened establishment Hugs -- whose amenities include Guitar Hero, multiple Skeeball machines and sixteen beers on tap -- have created more of a sedentary carnival for grown-ups than a bar. The low-ceilinged, bunker-like space gives the sensation of being in the basement of a high school friend's house whose parents worked full-time -- an atmosphere built for excess and comfort. Artist Tom Taylor has created a series of collage-murals throughout, with maps and newspaper clippings blooming across the walls of the bar. Plastic-covered sofas and classic leather couches run parallel to the lengthy bar, leading up to a stage that hosts nightly DJs, regular dance parties (including a '90s night), and on Sundays, thematic double features (i.e. Nick Cage classics Raising Arizona and Moonstruck). A few blocks from Hugs, you might have any one of these things in the comfort of your own home -- your favorite beer, Guitar Hero when your roommate isn't using it, Raising Arizona on DVD -- but it's the rare place that can bring all these elements together in concert. It just goes to show, sometimes everyone needs a Hugs. 108 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 599-5959