Top 10 Closed Bars/Clubs In The NYC Area by Guest Blogger John McDonough

 

The Second Essential Scary Truth

 

Today’s guest blogger is John McDonough, an old friend from my days teetering around the West Village.  He dragged me to my first (and only) John Zorn rehearsal and was always up for a good time in the neighborhood bars with or without the Hammer.  The early 1990’s gave way to the mid 1990’s and we lost touch.

 

In 1997-99, John was working at the Barnes and Noble on Union Square.  I’d pop in twice weekly to discuss the latest in music, not to mention nearly maxing out my credit card on CD’s.  Once again, we’d trundle off to find whatever was waiting for us in our old East Village haunts.

 

We finally lost touch with each other shortly before 9/11.  However, through the magic of Facebook, we’ve managed to reconnect.  John tagged me recently with this question: Top 10 Clubs/Bars in the NYC Area That I Miss.  As I scrolled up and down McDonough’s list, I was stunned over the venues/joints lost to the world in the short 23 years I have resided full or part-time in New York City.   

 

Here are John’s Top Ten.  (I’ll post my list later in the week.)

 

The Knitting Factory (Houston St.)
The Knitting Factory (Leonard St.)
Falstaff’s (Hempstead, NY)
Looking Glass (2nd Ave.)
Tonic (Norfolk St.)
12 Inch Bar (Allen St.)
Club Sixteen (1st Ave.)
Butler’s Quarters (Hempstead, NY)
CBGB’s/CBGB’s Gallery (Bowery)
Rififi (E. 11th St.)

 

Send me yours and I will post them!