Every Thursday evening between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM, West Chelsea’s converted brick garages throw open their doors for free exhibition openings, artist receptions, and glasses of chilled white wine.

In an era of $24 martinis, a dedicated roster of neighborhood raw bars and seafood taverns still honors New York’s oldest happy-hour tradition: freshly shucked East Coast bivalves for $1 to $1.50.