Thursday, January 11, 2024

A look at Area 140 First on 1st Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Area 140 First has recently been in soft-open mode at 140 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. 

LES resident Michael "Durgy" Durgavich is behind the new bar. He served as a silent partner at the previous establishment here, the Hard Swallow, which closed in the fall after the sudden passing of co-owner Leroy "Big Lee" Lloyd, who was 51. Maria "Sasha" Lloyd, his wife and business partner, decided to move on from the bar business. 

With Area 140, Durgy has kept its predecessor's neighborhood bar vibe, saying, "We want a warm and welcoming atmosphere."
I recently stopped by the space, where I also met bartender Saragh Reilly...
Sam Diaz created these sci-fi murals in the back of the bar...
Area 140 First is open from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday, with a 1 p.m. start on Saturday and Sunday. 

You can find their website here.
at

3 comments:

  1. Realistic & ConcernedJanuary 16, 2024 at 9:14 AM

    LOOKS INVITING! Nice to see a neighbor bar with an interesting twist on theme, Sounds like fun and wishing them the best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AbbyJanuary 16, 2024 at 10:19 AM

    Congratulations, Durgy! I can't wait to try that White Trash Russian!

    ReplyDelete
  3. durgyFebruary 8, 2024 at 7:05 AM

    Thank you for the coverage Stacie! We’ve since painted the door green and got out the pinball machine “Theatre of Magic”. We continue to work on keeping the East Village vibe alive!!

    ReplyDelete

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.