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Motherfucker promoter Johnny T and D Generation front man Jesse Malin have decorated their bar with pop-culture detritus: vintage cigarette signs recall a time when you could smoke anywhere. (The photo booth in the back room lets you participate with the past, not just look at it.) A bumper sticker on the cash register declares, “I Miss the Old New York.” A direct phone number to the 9th Precinct is posted nearby should it resurface too quickly. — Jane Lerner

Niagara has a strict door policy: No I.D., no entry, no exceptions! Even the retirees seated at the bar early in the evening have to show documentation with date of birth before they're allowed in.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Bar for an Impromptu Dance Party (2007)
• Best Garage Music (2004)