La Nueva Concha

Ok — so, anyone who’s had a drink here has done so because they’re well aware of the complete and utter lack of places to drink in the hood. It’s ridiculous. And rents are too high to open a cheap dive bar (I know, I’ve checked.) So you wind up with a place like this — mind the overwhelming stench of air freshener (!) when you walk in — which has all the makings of a grody dive bar, but none of the benefits (namely, a decent jukebox, good prices, and that stale but homey stink of spilled beer.) Their lousy bottled beer (nothing on tap) starts at $ 5, and the atmosphere is a bit creepy. Not totally-​unsafe-​barfight creepy — but empty-​save-​for-​that-​street-​drunkard creepy. That said, the women who work there seem utterly attentive, are neither rude or pushy or nosy, and it certainly could be worse. I’d take this over the old-​school Brooklyny Irish dives down on 5^th and 60^th where they’re not nice to anyone who looks like they moved to the neighborhood within the past 15 years, and where the run-​of-​the-​mill alcoholic bus drivers set up a roost and just glare at you.