1. Water Taxi Beach Long Island City, NY
Escape the Baked Apple by hopping a four-minute ferry ride to play volleyball and drink fruity cocktails with fed-up city folk on this sand strip in Queens. watertaxibeach.com
2. No Name Pub Big Pine Key, FL
Their motto—“A nice place if you can find it”—rings true when you’re downing ice-cold Buds and smoked fish dip in this tiny shack. nonamepub.com
3. Beer Can Island Longboat Key, FL
White-trash party mecca for boozy boaters more than lives up to its name and offers unsettling views of the Tampa power plant. No Web site.
4. Jimbo’s Virginia Key, FL
Extremely off-the-beaten-path raw bar where you can enjoy watching manatees frolicking near the dock. 305-361-7026
5. University of Wisconsin Student Union Terrace Madison, WI
Sling a Jansport over your shoulder and mingle with the crowds of cornfed coeds flashing fake IDs at this legendary Midwest pickup zone overlooking Lake Mendota. union.wisc.edu/terrace
6. Shooters on the Water Cleveland, OH
Pull your dingy up to this floating party paradise on the Cuyahoga River for a mean Black Angus burger, seizure-inducing light shows, and the occasional crowd-pleasing bikini contest. shootersflats.com
7. Section 12, Wrigley Field, Day Game Chicago, IL
Bask in the sun in this primo section (as seen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and wash down a Chicago-style hot dog with a couple of Old Styles as you realize everyone else is skipping work, too. cubs.com