NYC dive bars we’ll miss: Last call

• Times Square lost another icon of its gritty past. Dive bar Smith’s, located at 8th Ave. and 44th St. since 1954, will shut its doors on Oct. 30. As Times Square became more and more family-friendly, Smith’s remained true to its roots. A sign in the window promised hot sandwiches, and a steamed meat table greeted patrons. Pickpockets ran rampant during the grittier years. And in 1994, an NYPD officer killed himself at a table the day after Christmas. After changing hands in 2009, Smith’s became more tourist-friendly, but still maintained its iconic neon sign.

  Earlier this month, Smith’s got a reprieve from retired NYC firefighter Skip Panettiere (father of actress Hayden), who will reopen the bar in March. ” data-id=”19554604″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2828_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.9554604″/>

Old dive bars are being swept away in NYC. Whether by development, changing neighborhood tastes or rent increases, the old NYC is disappearing.

In honor of those beloved watering holes, we take a look back at the bars that we knew once in a very different New York.