Tuesday, July 23, 2024

East Village favorite International Bar reopens on Monday

Photo yesterday by Stacie Joy

After nearly a four-plus-month closure, the International Bar reopens Monday at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street. 

The bar's Instagram account posted the reopening date yesterday (see below). 

Back in the spring, the iBar folks told us that paperwork snafu was behind the closure, which seemed to last longer than some regulars expected. 

In any event, it's a most welcomed return.

The hours after the reopening will remain the same: 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily.
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14 comments:

  1. Carol from East 5th StreetJuly 23, 2024 at 9:21 AM

    "I" Bar - an East Village icon and one of the few "dive bars" left. Welcome back!

    ReplyDelete
  2. John PenleyJuly 23, 2024 at 9:52 AM

    Back in the good ole daze a bartender at the International called Choo Choo also worked for the Pope of Pot Michael Cezar and it was a place people could get deliveries to and have a drink. Choo Choo was the manager of the Pope's deliveries at his 11th and B Squat , when he was at his second job. The delivery workers loved to deliver there because we got a drink or two for a tip and Choo Choo sure upped the bar's profits because of all this. Some hidden history of this bar from someone who loved it back in the day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 23, 2024 at 10:02 AM

    Excellent news!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 23, 2024 at 11:22 AM

    Where is Choo Choo now?

    ReplyDelete
  5. John PenleyJuly 23, 2024 at 2:44 PM

    Choo Choo died a long time ago but they say his spirit haunts the International today. If you go there buy him a whisky and coke.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 23, 2024 at 5:17 PM

    Where is Claire???

    ReplyDelete
  7. Older HistorianJuly 23, 2024 at 7:00 PM

    I'm pretty sure that's the same Choo-Choo who wored at Uncle Paul's on Christopher St around 1980, and I think briefly had a bar on West St called Choo-Choo's. He and his dear friend Buddy were early casualities of AIDS as it wrecked good old NYC in the mid 1980's. If its the came Choo-Choo (i'm sure it is based on stories he told me...) he once worked on Wall st but a different life beckoned.....

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  8. AnonymousJuly 23, 2024 at 11:14 PM

    No Claire, no go! wtf???

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  9. AnonymousJuly 24, 2024 at 12:54 AM

    I ask the same. Where is Claire? I talk to Rob all the time but I love Claire as well.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 24, 2024 at 5:18 AM

    Won’t be the same without Claire.

    ReplyDelete
  11. John PenleyJuly 24, 2024 at 8:11 AM

    Thank you Older Historian for more info and yes it is the same Choo-Choo and I thought he was one of the most interesting characters I met and worked with at the Pope's delivery service in my early days in the neighborhood. I always thought he was a good guy and a fantastic bartender,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Older HistorianJuly 24, 2024 at 8:55 AM

      He was an amazing man! He taught me the art of bartending years ago - and more importantly the art of storytelling!

      Delete
  12. AnonymousJuly 27, 2024 at 12:26 PM

    I can’t believe they let go of Claire. She was the heart of that bar since I first walked in over a decade ago. Can’t think of a reason to go back…

    ReplyDelete

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