American
Trash
1471 1st Ave; (bet 76th & 77th St); 212-988-9008
A
popular after-work bar with often-changing happy hour specials,
American Trash has sports bar sensibilities, but still attracts
women. Clutter like bicycle parts and patriotic knickknacks
hang from the ceiling and behind the bar, and classic rock plays
to a post-collegiate crowd that's more "state school"
than Ivy League. A trio of video games buzz and beep and the
pool table in the back of this wide-open room stays pretty busy
when the Yankees aren't playing on the TV overhead.
Cherry
Tavern
441 E. 6th St; (bet 1st Ave& Ave A); 212-777-1448
An
NYU dive that still shows hints of the seedy "cool"
that made it the crowning jewel of this neighborhood's late
90s dive-chic era, Cherry Tavern still packs in the ragged and
the raunchy for $5 tequila/beer combos and competitive pool
playing on a table that serves as a meeting ground for young
singles. Testosterone and Linkin Park tunes fill the air between
these cherry wood covered walls and seating is limited in these
competitive confines.
Coyote
Ugly
153 1st Ave; (bet 9th & 10th St); 212-477-4431
You've
seen the movie now catch the real thing in this tetanus-inducing
dive that maintains its seedy vibe despite the frat house
crowd its popularity has attracted. Relics from the Old West
adorn this roadhouse's rough wooden walls as do the hanging
bras of bartenders and patrons past who have traded lingerie
for shots and attention. The drinks here are relatively inexpensive,
but the bartenders relentlessly peer pressure men into buying
tequila and whiskey shots for the "ladies."
International
Bar
120 1st Ave; (bet 7th St& St. Marks Pl); 212-777-9244
As
crusty a dump as the city will legally permit to stay open,
International Bar is an East Village favorite that has seen
visits from Drew Barrymore, Sean Lennon, the Strokes and countless
neighborhood drunks who scrounge together $2 for a can of
domestic brew. The small backyard space is a big favorite
amongst this spots many smokers who don't like stepping away
from their pints when they puff. A small seating area between
the bar and patio offers tables, a jukebox, and a seldom used,
but fully stocked bookshelf.
Karma
Bar & Restaurant
51 1st Ave; (bet 3rd & 4th St); 212-677-3160
Having
been licensed as a tobacco bar, Karma is one of the few places
in the city where smoking is not only allowed, but also encouraged.
Hookahs sit atop the tables, but Karma's patrons are here
to smoke their Kools and Newports while sipping Hennessey
and snuggling with their semi-significant others. Downstairs,
a minimalist lounge offers live music, poetry, and whatever
these guys can recruit in a much-needed attempt to make Karma
more bohemian and less seedy. Karma is certainly low-rent,
but its Eastern nuances make it unique by dive bar standards.
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