Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Decibel

25, even 20 years ago there were many hidden places in NYC.  Private rooms where there were no signs or windows, no advertising pulling in people as they walked on by.  These were the places for those in the know.  They knew what was there and the way to get in..  Places you could get a drink after hours, hear a fabulous band, meet a group from another part of the world, or even partake in some illicit gambling.  These establishments had no licenses, making them illegal, and perhaps adding to the allure, they were often run by or in conjunction with the mob. 
    There was an innocuous looking silver door on 10th street, with a computer printout in Japanese giving instructions to knock three times to get in.  It was in a residential neighborhood, so it was quite a surprise to find a very fashionable and very authentic Japanese Lounge/Bar, with great snacks from the Kitchen.  No other spot in NY was as authentic or less publicized.  Once I forgot the exact locations and walked around in vain all over the neighborhood trying to find that silver door.  If google had existed then, a search for this place would have yielded no matches.  It didn't even have a name, just that silver door you knocked on three times and waited to be let in to a piece of Japan.
    There was the Black door in the East Village on Houston Street a few steps down from the street which was a very narrow bar, with black walls and it was like a slice of Brazil in there, great Bossa Nova being played and enjoyed live, and sexy Brazilians galore.  No name or sign there as well. 
    And my favorite, the after hours place that turned an Upper East Side computer rental place into an after hours den of drinking and gambling.  You had to be really incognito to get in there.  You were not supposed to knock, or make a scene or any noise.  Just walk to the maroon painted door and wait.  If they didn't have a problem with you, they would open the door, and you would volunteer to be frisked, so everyone knew there were no guns or knives inside.  After all, if something started, nobody was going to be calling the police for help here.  It was always good to bring shades with you, because after several hours of drinking, socializing, and gambling, the morning sun would be blinding as you walked out at 9am or so.  It was always a surprise that it was well into mid morning by the time you stumbled out, but there was a lot to occupy you there, they had Blackjack and you could bet on a spinning wheel, and plenty to drink with all sorts of interesting characters milling about.  And remember all this activity always started only after 4am, when all the legal bars had to close down for the night.
    But over the years, NYC became more and more of a police state, and you could get away with less and less, so these beautiful throwbacks to the bygone era of speak-easy style secret spots disappeared one by one, and now if there are any, they don't last long.  But in the East Village, in the center of what is referred to as Little Tokyo, there is a spot that gives one a taste of what things used to be like.  All legal and above board of course, there is an understated wooden shingle in the style of a 16th century Japanese house.  On it is simply written the word Decibel.  There, one walks down some narrow steps below street level, and into what could only be described accurately as a hole in the wall.  The heavy brown wooden door is opened and there is a front waiting area with big bottles of exotic Sake bottles on the wall.  When you are finally seated, you go through a labyrinth of narrow walkways to the back areas, all small, with small tables and stools and lots of Japanese people and East Villagers enjoying themselves.  This is a real drinking spot.  I've never left Decibel without being trashed.  There are seemingly endless choices of Sake and Sho chus and some Japanese finger foods to keep you thirsty.  Not quite as cozy as one of the earlier places I mentioned, but you still get the sense that it is a secret, and it is a nice surprise to still find after 20 plus years, in amongst all the Gaps and Starbucks and other corporate showrooms in the area. 
    In fact, if you are meeting friends, you best meet them outside the Starbucks on the corner, and lead them personally into Decibel, otherwise they may be walking up and down 9th street trying to find it. 
    An authentic Japanese watering hole and a taste of what NYC used to have more of.  In this age of Groupons, Googlemaps, and establishments devoid of all personality, Decibel still shines on and gives you an insider's feeling.  Enjoy it, but don't tell too many people!

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