I spend an awful lot of time here on Flaming Pablum lamenting the gradually encroaching gentrification of storied old Manhattan. I cull these posts under a category dubbed Vanishing Downtown, but it strikes me that I should probably change it to Vanishing NYC, as many a prized landmark to the north of 14th street is also facing the unrelenting wrath of the wrecking ball.
In any case, I'm certainly not alone in my appreciation for Gotham's old and venerable, specifically in regards to bars. Rivaled only by my love for dust-choked record stores and weathered live music venues, the Manhattan bar -- be it a posh cocktail lounge or a dimly lit dive -- commands my deep adoration. To that same end, a writer by the name of Jef Klein has recently published a handsome new coffee table book (for lack of a better term) titled "The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York." I spotted it a couple of weeks ago and eventually succumbed last weekend. Augmented with stately black and white photography by one Cary Hazlegrove, the book is a lovingly compiled trove of local history. If you're as affectionately fascinated by Manhattan's rich legacy of watering holes as I am, this book is well worth picking up.
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