Dive Bars of The East Village
Love them or hate them, the East Village is well known for its generous array of dive bars. Many of these no-frills establishments date back fifty or more years and are beloved staples of the community. Today we explore some local favorites, and another that is gone but not forgotten:
7B aka Horseshoe Bar aka Vazacs, 108 Avenue B
Located on Avenue B and 7th Street, 7B is also known as Vazacs or Horsehoe Bar. It features a wraparound (horseshoe-shaped) bar dating back almost 100 years to the Polish catering hall that opened in 1935 that the bar replaced about forty years ago. The bar has been featured in many films television shows, including Crocodile Dundee, Serpico, The Godfather Part II, Rent, Sex and the City, and countless episodes of Law & Order. The bar features over 30 beers on tap; musicians who have frequented the bar include Iggy Pop and members of the Strokes when they lived nearby.
Sophies, 507 East 5th Street
Originally owned by Sophie Polney, the bar was taken over by current owners Bob Corton and Kirk Marcoe in 2008. The space has been a bar for over 100 years. Beloved by locals for generations, it was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s 2009 “Disappearing Manhattan” episode of his No Reservations, in which he states “Sophie’s, in the East Village, remains a good place to stop time.” and “Is there any place left in New York where an old guy can have a drink in the afternoon and, you know, be a little depressed?” While a newer crowd has discovered Sophie’s, it still retains the dive bar atmosphere beloved by the old locals
Lucy’s, 135 Avenue A
Run since the 1980 by its iconic Polish namesake, Ludwika “Lucy” Mickevicius, this legendary bar known for its string lights, cold beers, and total lack of frills survived decades of neighborhood changes as a comforting, dimly lit hideaway. It was almost lost in 2024 after a steep rent hike and COVID-closure-related arrears. But thankfully, former neighbor and regular (and hospitality group Golden Age founder) Jon Neidich stepped in take over the lease, renovate (minimally) and run the bar.
Mars Bar, 25 East 1st Street (closed)
Closed in 2011 following 27 gritty years, this bar located on the corner of 1st Street and Second Avenue was a direct link to the East Village’s punk rock past but did not survive redevelopment of the block. Recalled by the NY Post as “a dingy saloon famous for cheap brew, punk rock and its lack of toilet paper” Mars Bar survived longer than many would have expected as generations passed. It would not reopen, and its closure was a symbolic end of an era.
Read more about its history and closure here.
Did reading make you thirsty? Check out some more East Village drinking options here.