Reopening day at International Bar

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

The International Bar reopened Monday after a four-plus month hiatus at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street.

Back in the spring, the iBar folks told us that a paperwork snafu was the culprit, precipitating a longer-than-expected closure.

The iBar has had several lives since it first opened in the late 1970s at 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Regardless of the address, there has always been a Welcome Home-kind-of vibe at the International. 

"We really missed all our regulars and are so happy to be back," said Sawyer, the bartender on duty (below left with Rob). "It's business as usual. We all missed our East Village family."

Here's a look at the reopening day late Monday afternoon...

The bar is open from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. 

If you're on Instagram, you can follow the bar here.

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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Why the International Bar has been closed

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

You may have noticed that the International Bar at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street has been closed recently.

The iBar folks tell us that they have an active liquor license and an A rating from the NYC Health Department (public records confirm this). However, they are waiting for the city to process some unrelated paperwork before they can reopen. 

The bar hopes and plans to be back soon. "The International Bar family cannot wait to get back to serving the East Village community. We miss you!" 

Keep an eye on the iBar Instagram page for updates.

Letter perfect

Designer Olive Panter has replicated the 23k Boston gild lettering designed decades back for the International Bar (highlights reel here) ... which has had several East Village iterations, since 2017 at 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. 

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m., if you haven't been by lately.

Remembering International Bar owner Molly Fitch

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Molly Fitch, a longtime East Village resident and the owner of International Bar, died on Dec. 12. She was 51. 

Yesterday, her many friends gathered at the bar at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street to honor her memory.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there and shared these photos...

She is missed.

RIP Billy the Artist too.

RIP Molly Fitch

Photo of Molly (above left, with Tyler and Billy the Artist) from early 2020 by Stacie Joy. Updated to include a comment from the Post.

Molly Fitch, a longtime East Village resident and the owner of the International Bar at 102 First Ave., died last night, Dec. 12. She was 51.

The bar's Instagram account confirmed the sad news. Details about the cause of death have not been made public.

We lost the most valuable, most authentic, most mythical creature in our lives last night. We are terrified of saying goodbye and putting our love and heartbreak into words. We celebrate the life of our owner, our friend, and creator of our little East Village family at the International Bar — an institution open to those who need a place to call home.

We remain open 7 days a week at regular hours. Please give our team the love we need to continue to serve the East Village community with Molly's legacy.

The International Bar has had several iterations in the East Village, first at 119 St. Mark's Place in the 1970s then later at 120 1/2 First Ave. In 2008, Molly and Shawn Dahl reopened the International and kept the downtown spirit going until the landlord didn't renew the lease. In November 2017, the International merged with its sister bar, the Coal Yard, at its current location, 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. 

"She was an embodiment of the old East Village, a pre-commercialized downtown New York where small businesses and punk rockers and individuals could make it," former bouncer and bar manager David O'Donnell told the Post.

I spent time at both the International and the Coal Yard and had the opportunity to get to know Molly. I always thought she was one of the kindest and coolest people I've ever met.

We were also neighbors for a while on Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. I've long been a very early morning person, and I'd run into her outside: me on the way to work and her coming home from closing up the bar.

Once, on a frigid January Monday morning, she insisted on driving me to Astor Place so I could catch the 6 train for work. We got in her rustic pickup truck, and I remember it was warmer outside than inside. We laughed the whole way to Astor Place.

Colorful new curbside seating for International Bar

International Bar has added curbside seating (three tables) here at 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street... and the East Village-based Billy the Artist is adding some color and style to the seats... (thanks to Steven for the work-in-progress photos!)...











The International is open daily from 1-11 p.m. They are serving some tasty ham-and-cheese sandwiches (with country-style ham and podlaski cheese purchased from East Village Meat Market on Second Avenue...) they also offer Superiority Burger's semi-ish-legendary Saturated Party Subs Saturdays and Mondays (and maybe Sundays and Tuesdays).

Updated 5 p.m.

And a final look at the finished product...

Re-openings: International Bar, Hearth

More and more restaurants and bars are reopening for take-home service. Notable reopenings include International Bar at 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. Molly & Co. have set up a table at the front door to order drinks to take home daily from noon to 8 p.m.

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[Hearth photos by Lola Saénz]

Hearth reopened yesterday on 12th Street at First Avenue ... for now, they're offering a take-home drink service from 2 p.m. until dark ...





Coming soon from Hearth: A new food menu with take-home and delivery service ... as well as some pantry items.

Other recent reopenings include the Bowery Electric on the Bowery and Kelly's on Avenue A (Thursday through Sundays)...

For more on what's open, check out this interactive EV map.

An afternoon with Billy the Artist

Billy the Artist signed copies of his new book "Things You Don't Hear Twice: Quotes From the East Village" this afternoon at International Bar on First Avenue.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the IBar ... and shared this photo of Billy with Tyler, an International bartender ...



...and out front, joined by Molly, the bar's owner...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Now hear this: About the new book of East Village bar quotes from Billy the Artist

A farewell to Unkle Waltie

Friends gathered this afternoon at the International Bar on First Avenue to pay tribute to longtime East Village resident (and iBar regular) Walter Kohl aka Unkle Waltie. He died July 30 at age 69.

Photo by Steven

Bubbleology Tea seeking full liquor license for the former International space on 1st Avenue

There was a rumor a few weeks ago that a bubble tea shop was moving into the former International Bar space at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Looks like that might actually be happening. Applicants for Bubbleology Tea (a London-based chain) are applying for a full liquor license for the address, according to the questionnaire (PDF here) on file ahead of this month's CB3-SLA committee meeting on April 16

The proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (9 p.m. for the rear yard) Sunday through Thursday; until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The specs call for seven tables serving 30 people, per the paperwork.

Aside from a variety of (boozy) bubble teas, Bubbleology Tea will have a menu featuring a "variety of authentic Sweet & Savoury Toasted English crumpets, as well as assorted snacks."

Principal Ben (Haiying) Li has has been a partner in a Gong Cha bubble tea franchise out on Long Island since 2016, according to the SLA application.

The CB3-SLA meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on April 16 in the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

The latest iteration of the International Bar closed this past Thanksgiving. (Non-renewal of lease, via landlord Steve Croman.) The bar merged with its sister saloon, the Coal Yard, one block to the south between Seventh Street and Sixth Street.

Not a lot of information about what's next for these 2 former East Village bars

This past weekend someone removed the handpainted Grassroots Tavern sign from here at 20 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Kind of surprised no one tried to take it earlier (it was bolted into the wall pretty well). The bar closed after 42 years on New Year's Eve.

As previously reported, the new owner of the bar is Richard Precious, who operates the mini chain of Irish-style pubs called The Ginger Man (including the one on 36th Street).

To date, not much has been made public about his plans for the space. In addition, not much has happened inside the space (aside from some minor clean up and keg removal). An EVG tipster recently found the door open, and ventured inside.

I went over and spoke to one of the guys inside. I asked him when are they going to open. He said kind of laughing "April or May. You know how it is." I then asked are they going to use the name Ginger Man or Grassroots. He said no to Ginger Man and possibly for Grassroots. I have no idea what is the guy’s position in the organization, so you never know what’s really going to happen. To be continued.

---

And over at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... the for rent sign has been removed from the former International Bar (the asking rent is $9,955) ...



According to one former employee, a bubble tea shop is moving in. Now this has not been confirmed ... and could merely be a sarcastic (yet seemingly probable) response ...



The latest iteration of the International Bar closed this past Thanksgiving. (Non-renewal of lease, via landlord Steve Croman.) The bar merged with its sister saloon, the Coal Yard, one block to the south between Seventh Street and Sixth Street.

H/T Steven!

A new tenant for 117 1st Ave.

[Photo by Steven]

Someone has removed the for rent sign from the front window at 117 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

The space, previously home to Village Kids Footwear, was seeking $8,995, per the listing at Steve Croman's 9300 Realty...



Not sure yet who the tenant will be... If you had to bet based on current neighborhood retail trends, then something involving desserts or noodles or vape-beer-cigars would be a safe wager.

Meanwhile, directly across the Avenue, a for rent sign hangs in the former International Bar window ...



The sign has been up for nearly five weeks, though there isn't an online listing for the space just yet...



The International closed on Nov. 22, and merged with its sister bar the Coat Yard at Sixth Street...

Seafood market in the works for the International Bar space on 1st Avenue

Back in September, we reported that the International Bar was hoping to move next door from its current home on First Avenue to the former South Brooklyn Pizza space.

Preparations to move the bar and add a pizzeria with slices to go here between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place are underway.

Meanwhile, there are also plans to turn the soon-to-be-former International space into a seafood market.

International owner Molly Fitch, who along with Shawn Dahl, reopened the bar in June 2008, said that the new venture at 120 1/2 First Ave. will be called The Liquor Seafood Market + Bar.

With time left on the current lease, Fitch said that she wanted to "open a much-needed place to get fresh fish in the neighborhood."

During the day, the space will operate as a traditional retail outlet for fresh seafood… and in the evening, the market will give way to a more traditional bar-restaurant environment with a 2 a.m. closing time. (Amended this last sentence to add the restaurant part and closing time!)

Fitch shared part of a sample menu with us.



Helping Fitch with the market is Sebastian Jaramillo, a former chef with Porsena on East Seventh Street.

CB3's SLA committee will hear plans for this alteration during tonight's monthly meeting.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The International eyeing move next door to the former South Brooklyn Pizza space