Two years into avoiding the subway due to COVID, I might finally have a reason to venture back underground. I mean, it involves alcohol, and alcohol totally kills germs right? (I'm joking, but this is kind of how my brain works.)
It seems that NYC's subterranean rail stations are suddenly the hottest spots to be these days, thanks to an admittedly small, but no less exciting, trend of cool drinking dens debuting alongside the turnstiles. Last year, La Noxe caused a stir when it opened on the staircase of the 28th street Uptown 1 station behind a discreet, black door. Now, a buzzy new cocktail bar is joining its ranks.
Making everyone's commute from Midtown infinitely better is Nothing Really Matters, the rather nihilistically named haunt from veteran bar proprietor Adrian Gallo (of Double Happiness and Grand Banks fame).
The intimate hideaway (whose name is actually an homage to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") is tucked between the entrance and the turnstile in the downtown-bound 1 train station at 50th Street and Broadway, on a landing beneath a Duane Reade. Red neon lighting and an illuminated bar give the industrial space a swanky ambiance, making it a surprisingly elevated destination given its below-the-sidewalk location. There's even a disco ball in one corner.
"It’s kind of like an old-school New York idea, where you walk down to a hidden cocktail bar. It’s kind of like a mystery for people when they come down here. And the place is beautiful," head mixologist Cyllan Hicks recently told Time Out.
If the term "head mixologist" wasn't enough of a hint, the cocktail program is indeed especially upscale, with fancy sips like the Empire State (vodka, maple, spiced apple, lemon), Knickerbocker Bramble (bourbon, rosemary-blueberry compote, lemon), and Fearless Girl (apple and pear gin) all giving playful nods to New York.
And, well, what's more New York than a subway station? Guess it's about time I dusted off my MetroCard.
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