Phebe's Tavern & Grill on the Bowery at East Fourth Street closed after business Sunday ... the signs posted to the front windows explain...
The Phebe's website points people to their sister bars up on Third Avenue — The Penny Farthing and Linen Hall.
As for the renovations, the place looks pretty gutted. We saw bar sinks where tables used to be.
Maybe it will look like this again when the work is done...
I yearn for the days when bars had little doors and a small window somewhere on the facade like this early Phebe's picture. It kept the light out during the day and all the noise inside at night.
ReplyDeleteI overheard that it's going to be luxufied as in it'll be another gastropub or more of an upscale bar -- concentrating more on overpriced craft beers and flaming cocktails served by mustached or bearded mixologists in their suspenders and trilby, and the "food" will just be tertiary or an afterthought. Another place for the ones with self-illusion of selectivity.
ReplyDeletehow many posts do you say this on? my god:
ReplyDelete"the ones with self-illusion of selectivity."
My guess is that they're joining the new Bowery crowd.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 7:59 - Why not just buy a half pint of scotch and hole up at home?
The East Village is now for the ones with self-illusion of selectivity. Why are you threatened that someone is holding up a mirror to your face. But you already do that every minute of the day. My god, please enjoy the new Phebe's.
ReplyDeleteself-illusion of selectivity
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Still one of my favorite place to grab a bite and a Bloody Mary in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteBut they tried the upscale thing before and it failed. Remember "Fuel at Phebe's"?
ReplyDelete@SOoS :
ReplyDeleteperhaps you mean the delusion of selection, but so be it.
I don't think self-illusion means what you think. Or maybe it starts to you after you use it in the comments of at least 3 recent posts.
I'm not excited about the frenetic pace of change (for the worse) in my neighborhood of 18 years either, so please don't assume that everyone that says something to you (especially in the comments section of a blog!) is your self-created nemesis.
In fact, comments on this blog are almost always preaching to the converted. I don't think there are many un-like minds here, are there?
Your neighbor discovers oil under their land, what do you do, let them drain it all and make millions or drill a well and sell what is under your land? Of course Phebe's is tapping into NYC's new gold coast, they would be fools not to. Think of it this way that business stuck in there in the rough and tumble years not they can cash in (possibly) if they start serving food in hooves.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 12:35 - Au contraire, Pierre! (Do you mind if I call you Pierre?) There is a wide range of opinion here, unpopular opinions are not censored, and everyone is very polite.
ReplyDeleteTeehee - what a strange coincidence. Pierre is my middle name!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Pierre Anonymous.
:)
Well, since Phebe's core customer is and has always been a 22 year old girl looking to get taken home, and the 25 year old guy buying her shots - I think that this renovation officially signifies the end of the Millennial generation and the rise of Gen Z (or whatever they're calling it).
ReplyDeleteLot of good memories in the old space. I will always miss immediately going to the left upon entering so you can cut to the dance floor without having to navigate the main area, sluts, back when the upstairs bathroom was open/unisex and you could do drugs in there with impunity, the most egalitarian door line in NYC, and on Sundays during football season, the big tall drunk guy in Bengals Zubaz pants.
I guess it was probably cool too when it was a windowless bar filled with pseudo homeless people in the 1960s.
Sios there and 2x today. Separate posts!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs long as it has floor to ceiling glass windows so that the self-selecting can see each other, the "new" Phoebe's ought to be right in step with the "new" Bowery.
ReplyDelete