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(212) 505-3360
85 E 4th St
(Cross Streets bet. 2nd and Bowery)
New York,
NY
10003
40.7265
-73.9896
Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown, Bowery
Hours:
Daily: 7:00pm-4:00am
Last updated 7.20.11
Category:
Bars & Pubs, First Run Movie Theaters, Bars & Clubs, Lounges, Movie Theaters
What People Are Saying About KGB Bar
Featured Review
Contributor
Contributor
Formerly home to the Ukrainian Working Men's Club, KGB is still decorated with period photographs and Marxist aphorisms. Now, Boho literati read, perform and swill hooch. It may not be the Round Table, but just about every up-and-coming poet and fiction writer, as well as some established icons, comes to read for free. Michael Cunningham, Kathryn Harrison, Elissa Schappell and A.M. Homes are among those who have appeared during the reading series' history.
Editor's Tips
- When to Go:
- Catch free fiction readings on Sundays, poetry on Mondays and non-fiction on Tuesdays; plus other readings on most Wednesday and Thursdays. All readings last from 7pm to 9pm; check the online calendar for a schedule of upcoming events.
- Save Money:
- In keeping with its Marxist roots, admission to KGB is always free, and the drinks are always cheap and strong.
- Fun Fact:
- Founder and owner Denis Woychuk used to visit 85 East 4th Street with his father when it was the Ukrainian Labor Home headquarters. Many years later--after stints as both a lawyer and gallery owner--Woychuk bought the space and re-opened it as the Kraine Gallery Bar. KGB, as it is now known to all, opened in 1994, with Frank Browning as its very first reader.
| drinks | 100.0% positive |
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02/19/08
Average bar
by dave0802
This bar is extremely average. I was there for about an hour before I left. Drink specials are good and extremely strong. Not a very relaxed enviroment though. Not much to say.
01/27/06
A favorite, but call ahead....
by verybecca
I love this bar and go there a lot but on a Thursday, after work around 8pm, you expect to be able to go and have a drink. Lo and behold, there's a private reading, no signs to tell you this and a nasty woman coming outside to tell you to "keep it down..." There is no indication that a reading is going on, unless you peer through the window of the door to the bar, and we weren't being loud, we just didn't know why our favorite bar wasn't accessible... I probably will have to call ahead first, which is totally ridiculous.... gimme a break!
- Pros: Great place to chat, cheap drinks
- Cons: terrible service, bartender asleep, random readings
The Details on KGB Bar
Place Categories:
- extremely strong drink specials
- favorite bar
