55 Bar
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55 Bar is a jazz club in New York City located at 55 Christopher Street.
[edit] History
The 55 Bar has been around since 1919. It was originally a speakeasy during Prohibition. During the late 1950s and 1960s, it was run by an old-time bartender named Hymie Satenstein who was there almost every evening, and most of the patrons back then were connected to the dockworker's union. The day bartender was a man named Howie. Some patrons have been going there since as early as 1957, and have continued to drop in ever since, even after it became a jazz club several years ago. Its 'ancient charm' remains intact. Back in the old days, Hymie kept an egg boiling in water on a stove in the back room so as to prove that the place could serve food in compliance with the New York licensing rule that any place that served alcohol must also be able to serve prepared food for sale on the premises.
On November 3, 1971, jazz composer Gary McFarland was poisoned by a drink spiked with methadone at the 55 Bar.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- [1] 55 Bar Official Website
Coordinates: 40°44′02″N 74°00′05″W / 40.733836°N -74.001422°E
