A Dive Worth Taking: The Subway Inn

Not for the faint of heart! A gritty, grimy, old fashioned dive bar. Some call it a shithole. I call it one on New York's most treasured dive bars, The Subway Inn at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. If you don't like a well worn in look, somewhat smelly bathrooms, dim lighting, and a widely diverse crowd, this is not the place for you. If you tread fearlessly, relish reality and real people, this is worth a shot. Speaking of shots, $4- same with the Heinekens.

Every time I step into this place I feel as if I am stepping back in time and onto a movie set. If Tree's Lounge or Barfly was shot in Manhattan it would have been shot here. Established in 1937, this New York landmark (in my mind at least), was almost lost a couple of years ago when a developer bought the townhouse for more than $6 Million. The good news is that Subway Inn got a lease that allows continued operation until the death of the owner. The bad news, the owner is 97 years old. So dive on in, before it's too late!