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Gryphon's Pub at GPSCY
Categories: Nightlife Pool Halls Nightlife Bars Dive Bars Pool Halls, Dive Bars [Edit]
204 York StNew Haven, CT 06510
(203) 432-2638
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 8 pm - 1 am
Fri-Sat 8 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
21 reviews for Gryphon's Pub at GPSCY
Review Highlights
"GPSCY is a graduate student vortex."
(in 6 reviews)
"...in with a friend who is a Yale grad student and it was well..."
(in 3 reviews)
"I had a few Blue Moons but my favorite part was the karaoke."
(in 6 reviews)
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Randy S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/17/2011
Chalk up these five stars to appreciating it more now that I've left.
To paraphrase a recent SNL joke about McDonalds, no one -goes- to Gpscy. You -end up- at Gpscy.
It's the closest thing to a real-life Cheers, except everyone's too awkward and scared to talk to each other. And there's six dollar top shelf bourbon and scotch, how can you beat that?
Membership is totally worth it, non-Yalies, if you go in, remember, any strange looks you get aren't because the regulars are smug, they just don't know what to say! Try talking about Radiohead. Say you mostly like their earlier stuff.
Food (drinks): 21/25 stars
Ambiance: 21/25 stars
Service: 25/25 stars
Bathroom: 19/25 stars (plenty of urinals!)
Probability of going back: 85% -
Review from Christine S.
New Haven, CT
4/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
GPSCY is a graduate student vortex. It's a good place to meet other cool or socially awkward grad students. Sometimes there are mixers where mingling among students in other departments is encouraged. I like it when they have dance parties in the ballroom upstairs. The patio outside is nice for the summer, especially when they have BBQs.
Sometimes I like going there for Friday karoake night. If you don't get there early enough to put in your song, you will wait an hour or more. You might not even get to sing. The coordinator does not shuffle people around, so you see the same 3 or 4 people coming up to sing. Boo!
Buy your membership, especially if you're a new grad student. You'll probably find yourself there even if you, for some reason, try to avoid it! -
Review from Jamie P.
New Haven, CT
3/21/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Cheap drinks, usually fun crowd, and theme nights galore-
what girl in her right mind could ask for more? :-) -
Review from Steph C.
7/20/2010
This place has about zero inherent atmosphere, but it's a decent spot for grad student parties, with cheap drinks and a pretty chill, probably nerdy crowd. The drinks offered are pretty standard, though the potency and relative potability of mixed drinks seems to vary a lot depending on which grad student is behind the bar. I've definitely had few vodka diets that I gulped down while gagging at every sip.
GPSCY is spacious, with a pub-like area downstairs and a more dancey room upstairs, as well as a room equipped with karaoke for private parties. Mostly, I stick to the relaxed downstairs, as there are some places to sit as well as plenty of room and low enough volume for actual conversation. I've also been out on the patio all of once - it was for a welcome event that involved free burgers and it was an utter clusterfuck.
There isn't anything special about GPSCY, but it's not a bad spot for a party or a few drinks. I doubt there are many grad students who never step foot in the place, but I doubt too that there are many who miss it after graduation. -
Review from Taffany H.
Berkeley, CA
9/1/2010
The watering hole for all the Yale Grad students to get cheap well drinks ($3-well, and if you can get here early enough, you might even score free PBRs) and commiserate on their near-getting-robbed-while-on-a-bike experience.
New Haven is no place like home and GPSCY sure isn't your average dive bar. Where else would you find yourself surrounded by drunk and cerebraly-gifted group of people with whom to get tipsy and dance the night away?
TIPS: Hit the Thursday night dance party and when things get way too hot upstairs, go chill out in their back patio and check yourself before you hurt yourself, son.
Fall First Friday After Party and Halloween at GPSCY are a must party if you can get in on time--otherwise it's a 1-2 hour wait in line--ivy league or not--you're not impervious!
I already miss you GPSCY! -
Review from Alex Z.
Lancaster, PA
12/17/2007
I don't like this place. My main complaint is lack of transparency about its management. It's not clear exactly who runs it or how it is run, and there is no advertised way to give any useful feedback to the people who run it, and it's not transparent how to influence how it is run (are there people who are elected in some way? is it even democratic at all?). As a paying member of GPSCY, I feel like I should have input into how it is run. And I feel like everyone should have a right to know (i.e. it should be published on a webpage) exactly how GPSCY is managed, and exactly where it gets its funding and how it uses it.
Ok, now, about the bar:
DRINKS: The drink specials here focus on cheap drinks. I like expensive drinks; I don't want to drink cheap drinks, even if they're free. There are never drink specials on anything I want to drink, and the types of drinks on special are fixed from week to week so there is no variety. They do have some good beers on tap, however, which is a huge plus for me...but they don't rotate them very much. Blah! And of course this place is still cheaper than most bars!
ATMOSPHERE: This place is hit-or-miss. In the warmer months, they have a very nice outdoor patio, although they NEVER have enough chairs, which is a bit annoying if you want to sit and chill. The inside is quite nice--very pleasant...but...who comes here? On many nights (including a typical Friday or Saturday night), this place is completely empty until late, and even then it is still sometimes almost empty. On Thursdays, it can be packed, an absolute zoo! I don't like this...I like homey places where you can get to know the regulars and just talk to people and chill. And I like dancing too. But whenever I've come to GPSCY, it has either been completely empty, or completely packed. Not my kind of place, and as far as I'm concerned, no one seems to care about this besides me.
HOURS: This place doesn't open till 8PM. WTF? No happy hour hours...and since most events on the Yale campus end well before 8 (libraries close before 5 on weekends) , you have to find something (i.e. nothing) to do before this place opens. And oddly...no one ever comes to this place right when it opens...people start rolling in at 10, 11, etc. So my complaint about the hours isn't just the hours but it's how people use them (which is probably WHY their hours are shitty).
The space here is rented out to other groups occasionally. The process for doing this is neither advertised nor transparent. However, I'm grateful that GPSCY lets other groups (like tango and blues) use the space, because they have a very nice dance floor. I only wish they would open this space up to similar groups more often, during the time periods when the bar is not in use. There are many nights where the upstairs dance floor is closed off and not in use--would it be possible to let various dance groups come in and use it? And what about during the day? This place is always closed...can groups use the space during the day?
What's the best part about this place? The bartenders are usually very nice. Very big plus. -
Review from Sara Tiffany L.
New Haven, CT
4/29/2008
GPSCY is really nothing special. It's not fantastic, it's not horrible, it just is. And it's cheap. There's a cover if you're not a Yale student, and I think you have to arrive with a Yalie, but it's something like $3 and the drinks are still cheap. Honestly though, I've only been there two or three times when there hasn't been a crazy party (Halloween) and it's nothing special. The Halloween party is usually fun although competely packed to the bursting point.
I suppose if I was a Yalie I could appreciate it much more, however I'm of the mindset that you don't meet interesting people and expand your horizons when you stick with a certain clique. And this place is specifically designed for the Clique that is Yale. -
Review from jenny c.
San Diego, CA
4/4/2007
Gpscy pronounced gypsy is located in the graduate student center basement. It has a big screen TV, couches, and two pool tables. Go to the pool table on the left because it's broken and you get to play for free (normally a dollar?). They also have very short pool sticks which I thought was hilariously fun to play with.
Since I'm not a Yale student, I just had to pay one buck. They also have a dance floor upstairs. The night we went it was rented out for a birthday party. They said we could go if they were cool with it. Of course no one said anything to me with my moves :P
Nice place to get some drinks, play pool and dance without having to pay too much for cover. -
Review from Jordan Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2007
Who dosnt love some GPSCY... really... I took a few fraternity brothers who were in town here once...they were impressed that Yale Grad and Prof students have their own bar, so one says that he will buy this round of drinks for the three of us... total comes to something like $10... and he proceeds to have an argument with the bartender about how he is going to buy all three drinks... back and forth, back and forth about how the total really is just $10, to which the bartender finally says that he will charge us $30 and take $20 as a tip if it will shut him up. He payed $10 and left a $20 tip just because it made him laugh.
I guess that sums up a good bit of GPSCY... its for students... by students... just not undergraduate students. There is an annual member, something to the tune of $15, or something like that. Its worth it... go twice (and you will), and it pays for itself.
The best part though... the backyard (though recently truncated so that there could be a new truck turn around... not that I'm bitter). Its great for some summer nights, a cold drink... and some live music. -
Review from Jeremy G.
New Haven, CT
11/20/2010
Outstanding karaoke night and cheap drinks make up for annoying staff and sketchy patrons.
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Review from Seth F.
Chicago, IL
11/11/2008
Well have not been there since I was in grad school in 1991, but it was ALWAYS the destination of choice to drink cheap, dance and meet some cute girls from the School of Forestry.
That's a Yale joke...but a GREAT bar to party with the profs and other grad students... -
Review from Jeff B.
Manhattan, NY
11/21/2010
Gryphon feels like a frat house, only peopled by pale nerds. The drinks are ridiculously cheap. It would be impossible to spend $20 and not be completely blotto. The karaoke is fun, I just wish the Save-The-Whales-Shirt-Guy would share the mic more often. Can you have more fun in New Haven? Doubtful.
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Review from Justin L.
Brooklyn, NY
2/20/2010
Cheap
And chill
Bar with a
Bad DJ and
A nice mix of drunk graduate students. -
Review from Seanne F.
Boston, MA
11/8/2009
So cheap.
With free cheeze doodles (frequently).
Drink specials.
And don't forget the parties: Welcome Back Party each Fall, the Mega-Mixers, Halloween, and other randoms.
And re: the review about 'transparency' - ANY graduate student can get information about GPSCY's management and the GPSS budget by talking to their School's elected senators who have access to that information. -
Review from cait l.
11/21/2010
I've always had a raging time at Gpscy despite not being a Yale graduate student (or even a Yale student). Sure, the staff (particularly at the door) give non-community members a bit of a glare, but the drinks are cheap and the conversation is potent (alcoholically and semi-intellectually). It's nice to see America's brightest ruining their livers and embarrassing themselves at karaoke. Sing on! Love it.
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Review from Heather J.
Washington, DC
11/5/2010
I love this place. You get the pub atmosphere on the bottom floor, with cheap drinks, friendly staff and bartenders, and a dance floor on the upper floor. They also have a great outdoor space, which is so nice in the spring and fall. There's always an interesting crowd and some kind of drink special going on. Whether it's friday night karaoke, a thursday night dance party, 2-for-1 drinks on Wednesday, or trivia night on Monday, you can count on having a good time at GPSCY.
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Review from Aviva S.
New Haven, CT
5/16/2010
I don't frequent the pub downstairs, but I've been to several private parties in "The Lounge" area, which is one of the best deals in town. You can rent out the space for like $50/night and the drinks are pretty cheap. Bring your own ipod, plug in, and it's like throwing a party in your living room except it's probably bigger than your apartment and you don't have to clean up afterwards.
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Review from Jess K.
7/6/2009
I paid my $3 to get in with a friend who is a Yale grad student and it was well worth it. Her former roommate is a bartender here so she also knows everyone who works at GPSCY. I had a few Blue Moons but my favorite part was the karaoke. I didn't perform myself since I can't sing at all but the people who did sing were actually amazing! The bar was fairly empty since now it's the summertime but it started getting crowded just when we decided to leave. If I was a Yale student I would definitely make this my regular hang out spot.
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Review from V K.
Miami, FL
10/4/2009
If you're a yale graduate student or affliate (ie, 22 or older) this is the place to hang out, have cheap drinks, and meet other cool educated fun ppl. No ac on the dance floor but good music. Nice outdoor patio.
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Review from Nate B.
Washington, DC
12/3/2009 1 Check-in Here
In a nutshell: it is cheap and relaxed. Except for big parties (e.g. halloween), there is plenty of breathing room to hang out with other Yalies and sip reasonably priced alcohol (e.g. $2 PBR's). I certainly have some issues with how Yale treats its graduate students, but this stands out as a really great investment in graduate student life. The $15 annual dues takes care of all cover charges.
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Review from Molly L.
Chicago, IL
10/4/2009 1 photo
GPSCY became my go to bar almost instantly. It covers all my moods in one bar...chill in parts, dance floor in others, fun/smart people and cheap drinks - no brainer. There is cover every night for "non members", but there's an option of getting a year membership for $15....Yalies only. And if you aren't a Yalie, you best show up as ones guest.
