Most Creepy and Disgusting Dive Bar

[Basildog]

There are some bars in the East end of London that are so rough they have bouncers outside chucking people in and where, if you have your own teeth, you are barred

I have, of course, never been to such a place but I know they exist from watching the news

S

He's here all week folks.!..2 shows a night

[Elissa]

The cowboy bar would be Doc Holliday's, correct?  Do you know, I've never ventured in, but it does look pretty gruesome.

Yes!

Though surely thee are no more tawdry bars than those of Barcelona's Barri Xino. Maybe Cairo. Bankgkok: yes.

There's a bar in Seville just off the river where they celebrate Feria NONSTOP, speaking of Christmas decorations never retrieved. They have videos of the carnevale playing constantly, and the music, and confetti and tinsel festooooooooning dreams of FERIA in Sevilla. The locals at the shiny discos were horrified at my joy at the illusion of a permanent fiesta but I'd recently met Miralda.

Edited February 26, 2003 by lissome (log)

[LESider]

A dive is where they don't take down the Xmas decorations in January, because they'll be good to go next December. 

What's that place near Bloomingdale's?  The Subway Inn, I think. Painted by Ed Hopper.  That's a dive.

Joe's Bar in the East Village on 6th has some older decorations up . But that place next to Bloomingdale's really has to be the nastiest bar I've yet seen in NYC. That place freaked me out and I like dive bars and the characters they attract. San Fran has some really good ones South of Market and in the Tenderloin. Honorable mentions: Li Po in Chinatown.

[Wilfrid]

Yes, the one near Bloomingdale's would be the Subway Inn. Step back forty years. I found the locals in Joe's Bar to be fairly unpleasantly aggressive, but maybe I caught them on a bad night. Or maybe it was my perfume.

Ooh, I just realized you mentioned Li Po. I referred to that in the vaguest terms earlier in the thread, but couldn't think of the name. This is where you step through a gaudy Chinatown doorway into a large, high-ceiling room, with a sort of curvy bar. Everyone is gambling and drinking brandy (but not smoking, of course), and there are all kinds of tacky Buddahs interspersed among the bottles on the shelves. Downstairs are the toilets from hell. Great place.

The Tenderloin, on the other hand, had bars even I wouldn't use. I thought I could see too many amputees and lepers among the clientele; doubtless my imagination, but it was all too much like a Burroughs novel.

Edited February 26, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[pnapoli]

from this week's TONY:

"Behold the granddaddy of grime -- the diviest dive in the East Village. Blue and Gold is showing its age. And that's a good thing. A funk covers the worn walls and rickety booths, and Ukrainian women with fists for faces tend bar. Order a $3 cocktail, shoot some stick, and for God's sake, try not to touch anything."

Actually, it doesn't sound nearly as interesting as some of the places discussed on this thread, but....anyone familiar with?

[cdh]

Might that be a place somewhere between 38th and 40th on the west side of the street. It's got a name somethign like the "Wahamba Lounge".  Weird fake stone on the fron that's painted fire engine red and IIRC they ahve little colored X-Mas lights hangin in the window. I've peered in  walking past and there's a rather motley crew of working guys and slightly unsavory looking 8th Avenue types. Always a couple tall and voluptuous barmaids with short shorts working.  Thus far I've resisted the temptation to visit.

Ahhh... the Distinguished Wakamba Social Club... Spent an interesting afternoon there once with friends who lived up a little bit up 8th Ave from there... Definitely a dive...

[elyse]

I used to go to Blue Gold a swillion years ago. Don't know if it's the diviest dive, but I may have to go investigate for old time's sake. I also used to go to a place on A between 8th&9th with no sign, but we called it Blanche's. Skanky to the nth degree. There was also Nightingale on 2nd and... 10th? Personally, I never thought the Wa Wa hut was that bad....

There was 119 on 15th between Union Square and Irving Place. Actually, I don't know if that was the name or just the address. Anyway, it's all fruitified now. Shame. Used to have good darts.

Shame about Billy's Topless, though.

There was a bar on Broadway between 75th &76th called Mc Gowan's (now Bear Bar). We used to go in highschool. I mean, if you had a bandaid with your DOB on it, they'd accept it. I started going there when I was 14, but some other kids looked no more than 11. Anyway, the bar was in the front where the old drunks sat, and we'd go to the back. Max was the Maitre'd and always greeted us warmly. He often wore a red tie, and we'd say "Hi Max, nice tie!" and he'd look down at his tie and reply "Das not my tie, das my tongue!" every time. *sniff*

I know I've been to a thousand dives, but I can only think that most of the time I wasn't in the remembering way. But you guys are jogging my memory.

How about an eGullet dive night NYC?

[bourdain]

There is, of course, the fabulous Holland Bar on 9th, between 39 and 40. And the new Tracy Westmoreland (Siberia, Bellevue) joint, 'The Cell' --all fine establishments.

[tommy]

There is, of course, the fabulous Holland Bar on 9th, between 39 and 40.  And the new Tracy Westmoreland (Siberia, Bellevue) joint, 'The Cell'  --all fine establishments.

where's the cell? is tracy still at bellevue/siberia then?

[Wilfrid]

The Holland Bar went upmarket a year or so ago, when they took the old Bud beermats off the wall and did a bit of repainting. It's now only quite disgusting rather than utterly disgusting.

But here's something interesting. I picked up this new guide to NYC dive bars yesterday. It's by Wendy Mitchell, and her comments on the bars I know are pretty accurate. She must have been to Smith's on a quiet evening, though. She makes it sound friendly. She rates Mars Bar as the most appalling dive in Manhattan, which I think is a fair judgment, and describes the Wakamba as frightening, which isn't far wrong either.

[elyse]

There is, of course, the fabulous Holland Bar on 9th, between 39 and 40.  And the new Tracy Westmoreland (Siberia, Bellevue) joint, 'The Cell'  --all fine establishments.

where's the cell? is tracy still at bellevue/siberia then?

Are you saying that Siberia has moved into Bellevue?

[elyse]

There is, of course, the fabulous Holland Bar on 9th, between 39 and 40.  And the new Tracy Westmoreland (Siberia, Bellevue) joint, 'The Cell'  --all fine establishments.

where's the cell? is tracy still at bellevue/siberia then?

Are you saying that Siberia has moved into Bellevue?

DIVE NIGHT!

[Ron Johnson]

But here's something interesting.  I picked up this new guide to NYC dive bars yesterday.  It's by Wendy Mitchell, and her comments on the bars I know are pretty accurate.

I find it very interesting that Amazon says that customers who bought this book also bought books from the Harry Potter series.

Confirms many of my suspicions.

[tommy]

There is, of course, the fabulous Holland Bar on 9th, between 39 and 40.  And the new Tracy Westmoreland (Siberia, Bellevue) joint, 'The Cell'  --all fine establishments.

where's the cell? is tracy still at bellevue/siberia then?

Are you saying that Siberia has moved into Bellevue?

DIVE NIGHT!

i wasn't saying that. it's just that tracy had his hand in both. but to answer your question, yes, siberia moved in behind bellevue.

[Wilfrid]

I am losing it more and more. I know I had a conversation with a woman last week who turned out to be a fan of Siberia. I just can't remember who it was I was talking to. If anyone looking in remembers having that conversation with me, please let me know.

hic

[Liza]

As a public service, I offer this: if anyone would like a photograph of the bare ass of the proprietor of the Village Idiot, please PM me for details.

I thank you.

[Wilfrid]

Note that if you created the image yourself, Liza, you are free to post it here.

[tommy]

As a public service, I offer this: if anyone would like a photograph of the bare ass of the proprietor of the Village Idiot, please PM me for details.

I thank you.

is it a dude, or is it a chick.

[Wilfrid]

Hopefully we'll be able to tell from the picture. But you never know.

[Liza]

Oh that would be one hideous female. And yes, I took the picture. Cracked lens and all...

[yvonne johnson]

The photo on the cover of New York City's Best Dive Bars (mentioned by Wilf above): Looks like the dive on Greenwich Ave. Some good nights in there.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/09703125...01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Wilfrid]

I should have said that the book is nicely illustrated. Good black and white photos of the facades of many bars - the Holland Bar looks particularly frightful.

It also has some amusing add-ons like "How to Drink, "Ten ways to tell if a bars a dive bar" - I paraphrase, but you get the idea. It's also unusual for a book on this subject to have the editorial content provided by a woman writer and her female friends. Gives it a slightly different angle.

There are no pictures of proprietors "asses".

[elyse]

The photo on the cover of New York City's Best Dive Bars (mentioned by Wilf above): Looks like the dive on Greenwich Ave.  Some good nights in there.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/09703125...01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

That's the Village Den. I used to live around the corner.

[yvonne johnson]

That's the Village Den.  I used to live around the corner.

So that's what it's called. Thanks.

[bourdain]

Siberia can be found by entering beneath the single dim red light bulb on 40th Street (downtown side) a few yards East of 9th Avenue. Still owned by Tracy who is very much in attendance most late nights. Bellevue-in which he remains a partner, is around the corner. Haven't been to The Cell yet--though I'm going this week. I think he took over the Pakistani restaurant nextdoor--and if he makes his usual improvements--will probably just screw in a few red light bulbs, maybe haul out a ratty, jiz-encrusted couch and open for business. Can't wait.