This just go to show the wisdom behind the old saying "Carpe diem."
Only two weeks ago, I was walking down W. 72nd Street and paused in front of the grimy, dusty, downtrodden All State Cafe, a dank dive that sits slightly below street-level. Inside, barflies were rooted to the bar. "How has a place like this survived on a major artery in Manhattan?" I wondered. I paused for a couple minutes, and almost went in. But I was late for an appointment. "Another day I will investigate," I said to myself.
Now the New York Times reports that the All State has closed. Read and weep. And, in today's real estate environment, never put off a visit to a piece old New York. You'll be sorry.
Pieces of old New York are invaluable, but consider that this was a bar that (a) you never heard of before it closed (neither did I), and (b) it was on the Upper West Side. For example, the entire Blarney Stone chain, though definitely "old New York" could disappear tommorrow and I think I would be OK with that.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong and this might have been the best kept secret in the city, or it might be replaced by a Starbucks or something, but there are probably dive bars whose closing was or would be more worthy of getting upset about.
You're right, Ed. I'm not saying the All State Cafe was one of the Irreplacables. It clearly wasn't. But is was a kind of a bar that is disappearing from the New York scene, the kind of bar that needs 30 or 40 years to become itself. Also, I regret not having had the opportunity to take a look for myself. By the way, Ed, I appreciate your always smart and thoughtful comments on this blob.
ReplyDeleteGents, If either of you had ducked into the All State just once, your tune would be quite different and you would be just as lost and lonely as so many in this neighborhood who called that dank little place home. It was truly the best kept sescret...and for the small and loyal legion of regs who coalesced every day / night / weekend, we liked it that way.
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