my oh my, how I do love me a good dive bar. We came in on a Tuesday to get amped for our Dodgeball game and the waitress was so friendly and happy! we decided to patron this bar as a team! What can I say, PS 20 is a whopping 466 feet away, so it was the perfect place to booze up before dodging, dipping, ducking, diving and dodging some more... Tecate special of $5 was pretty stellar, but other than that the prices weren't too divey. bud light, $5 in a bottle. eh, we could do better. But I'll still come back! read more

Could only go out in NYC one night and one night only. Actually found this place ON yelp and absolutely adored it. The decor in the bar was full of skulls and books and had a projection screen in the back playing old cartoons. The bartender was super cute and nice and poured generous shots. PLUS they HAD beer/shot combos for $6!!! Also met some nice locals.... OH, and they have a unicorn smoking in their window! How can one go wrong?? read more

The Library - Drinking our shot/beer combos!! - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I love coming here. The bartenders are so nice and sweethearts. Happy hour with the buy one get one with the whole toy is amazing. Such a fast way to get fucked up and have a great time. I love the vive that the whole place has. read more

This is exactly what a dive bar should be. I'm not typically a dive bar person at all, but if you are looking for a place with cheap drinks in the area late at night, this is where to go. If you are lucky you can get a table and sit away from the crowd. Just don't go to the bathroom. Service is fast, and might or might not be friendly depending on who you get. But that's just the price you pay at a dive bar. It's definitely a great place to hang out if you are in to that sort of atmosphere and want strong drinks without any kind of fancy affairs. They only really have the minimal basics as far as drinks go... but what did you expect? read more

Came in for Happy Hour on a Tuesday. It wasnt very crowded (my preference!) and they have very good Happy hour specials for 2-4-1 specials until 8pm. They give you a small figure to use as your second drink for free but have to redeem it by 8pm. It is a very divy bar, the bartenders were fine to me, they were very helpful, not rude at all. Love the screen in the back showing old 80s movies (in silent). They had the movie Legend on that night, old school movie. Overall it was a great casual night and would recommend at least for midweek. I havent tried to go during the weekends or friday yet. read more

One of my randomly enjoyed places in the city. Definitely no cover, no bouncers that are a pain in the butt, no pretention, just a crowd with eclectic music taste, a dirty bar feel, and books lining the walls (not all of them real, apparently). Drinks are cheap, but not exactly strong, or large, here. Dark, too, no real dancing unless you want to get the groove started, but generally seating unless you arrive late or a big drunken party is going on. Bathroom... scary, to say the least. Mix of young and old here, all aiming to do one thing - drink. read more

We went to The Library with a group of 8 last night. Despite the bar not being extremely busy, members of our group stood around the bar for 15 minutes waiting to catch the bartenders attention for a drink. After a while, only 2 of us were able to order a drink. Bartender was extremely rude and commented from across the bar that a tip had not been left on the credit card. Very inappropriate, especially considering my group/table had not yet left the bar, and we would have tipped collectively at the end of our night. As I removed cash from my wallet to tip (as the bartender requested I do immediately), the bartender walked out from behind the bar and practically took the tip out of my hand and said "thank you", and returned to behind the bar. Our group decided to take our business elsewhere for the remainder of our night. read more

One of the coolest bars in LES. Great vibe, kick ass selection on the juke box, great dink specials. But the best of all was the girl bartenders; very down to earth, very nice, very hot!! We were in town for 5 days and every night we'd end up here after bar hopping through out LES. We'd be at other bars where it would die down or just be too packed; we'd agree to head here. And like clock work, it would be pumping with Bad Religion or Bad Brains out the juke box, with cool people mingling (but not too packed), and the bartenders paying attention to each patron. Just a cool vide. There is one drink special here that I ordered very often, the El Guapo. It's a 24oz can of Tecate beer and a shot of Tequila for $8 after midnight. I'd feel very fine after 4 El Guapos. read more

The Library - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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To the point, good ambience and people not to mention and decent location in the city

"I'm at the Library." "Cool. I'll meet you." 30 minutes later "Hey where are you? I'm by the lions." "....No. I'm at the BAR, The Library." "Oh god. Of course you are. Give me another 30." Wish I could say I've had this conversation only once. But it's happened three times within the past five years. I love the Library. I never thought I would love the Library. But it's one of my favourite bars. Discovered it way back when. When I was still in my bougie cocktail bar phase. Decided to wander in after passing it for years and GODFUCK. I'm so glad I did. It's a dive. It's one of the divest dives ever. But it's fun. Happy Hour. You get a BOGO with cute figurines. The bartenders are not the best. They're not even really nice, they spend a lot of time ignoring you and talking to the regulars. But once you're nice to them the first couple of drinks, you get better service. Grab a booth in the back, watch the projected film, put some punk on the jukebox. Maybe see what books are on the shelves. It gets packed on Friday and Saturday. So avoid unless it's around 12-1am. Don't come here for cocktails. I don't even think they make 'em. Come here for a chill night with ya mates, and maybe to shotgun a beer. read more

Loud but fun vibes in this east village dive bar. It's a good spot to have a fun time w great friends. Not so great if u are just meeting someone there for the first time Bc it's hard to hear over the music. This place is all about enjoying the energy, which has a laid back but party type vibe. The bartender here was super friendly which was nice! One of my friends got a glass of wine, the rest of us had beers. We enjoyed our girl date here and I would personally come back. As Kenny C said, The Library is Solid. read more

Worse place ever Came in and waited 15 minutes never a bartender around the bar. Eventually a strung out women informed us that she was doing things downstairs. "Other people said she been gone long time". She informed us if we want better service to go to another bar....so we did read more

huge fan! divey but not gross. super sweet bartender and no questionable clientele. they play the most random old movies which is fun. happy hour buy one get one is awesome (and risky!) read more

So this is officially my last stop when I'm drinking in Manhattan. I'm in love with every chick that works behind the bar. Especially Paige, Kristin, Meredith, Alana... ;) read more

I spent the day exploring the Chelsea area with a dear friend of mine, and all day he was talking about his favorite lil dive bar called The Library, and I knew we had to check it out! We came during happy hour when the bar has this cool offer where if you order a drink, they give you an action figure. Once you're done with your drink, you bring the action figure back to the bar to get a second one FOR FREE. Pretty cool deal! The bar is adorable, and definitely on the divey side. The decor was pretty awesome, it reminded me of some bars in SF. We ordered multiple drinks, including but not limited to- vodka tonic, gin tonic, and multiple shots of tequila and fireball. All the drinks were very reasonably priced, considering the special offer they were doing for happy hour! Major kudos for the bar playing a movie during happy hour! The Last House On The Left is a horror classic, and one of my favorites. read more

The Library - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Bartender asked me while I'm with my girlfriend if I knew what a "tip" was, after ordering our third round of drinks. I work at a bar. Rude bartender. Won't be coming back, and won't be recommending. Not bad prices though. read more

Great dive bar..service is great...bartender from Italy (don't rmr her name) was super friendly . Great vibe great drinks.

The Library is not exactly my usual haunt. It's a definite dive, with the sticky tables to match. There's no cocktail list. Beers are more draught than craft. Well drinks are weirdly expensive for the ambiance-- I think the last time I got a margarita here it was $12. Bathroom are, er, authentic. But I've got fond feelings for this place. When I signed on my first apartment a few blocks over, my roommate and I came here for a celebratory drink at 4 pm. The rest of my visits have been post-games where I've had deep, immediately forgotten conversations. They're always playing something weird and cool on the wall; the last time, it was '70s softcore. Somehow I always manage to get a table even when it's packed. And the massive Tecate cans are the best deal around. Go with appropriate expectations, but it's a fun and lovable place. read more

I wasn't even at this place last night. Was next door at Drexlers. As I was waiting outside for an uber back home with my fiancé, the bouncer came over and threatened to assault me for leaning against a window, which I wasn't. I asked him what he was talking about and said I was trying to leave and go home and even showed him my phone which had the uber app open and running. He told me if I spoke one more word he was going to assault me. Had I been in his bar acting like a jerk, totally would've understood. I was outside, never stepped foot in his bar and ambushed while my fiancé was standing there worried he was going to strike me and do something to her as well. read more

Fun little divey place in the East Village, very much keeping the 70s/80s punk/rock vibe alive, one of the best periods in NYC culture. Thankfully it's not 1978 when this city was in the $hitter in every other respect. But the late 70s were a terrific time for the NYC music scene. So it's great to hear Blondie, The Ramones and such and no modern pop. You will have to get used to large crowds in all NYC places on the weekends after 1000pm or so. That is why I love partying it up during the week! :D read more

To be fair, I am staring my 40th birthday in the eye as it approaches far too quickly for my taste. So, if you're in your 30's add a star. And if you're in your 20's, stop reading and just go now. I came here a few times in my 20's when I lived in the city and loved that they had decent beer on tap, projected movies on the wall and had a kick ass juke box. Do you really need anything else when you're shit faced in Alphabet city at 1 in the morning? The answer you're looking for is no, you do not. Loud, crowded and hip The Library is easy to get to from the F and a few busses and is definitely a good place to meet up with friends if you want a raucous night of drinks and laughs. It is tough to get to the bar to order drinks and it is also tough to get a seat. There are booths, large rounds, and small cafe tables with a bench running along the wall and a chair on the opposite side. Here's what I don't like: People will pretty much fight you for a table and this is issue #1 I have: if you get there after someone and that person is waiting for a table, just let them have it. Don't turn it into Thunderdome. Good manners are good manners at any age and if you're old enough to drink you're old enough to know that -- so fuck off and sit down when it's your turn. Issue #2 is that this place has always seemed to be a hangout for post-date drinks. I will never understand this since it is insanely loud but it is dark and the tables have candles and yeah, I'd be impressed if I didn't know this place and you took me here. The problem is that these people somehow feel the need to take up larger tables and booths when the bar is literally bursting at the scenes. They need more books. The current collection is abysmal. There are not many books but rather huge gaps in the bookcases and books lying every which way included pages out. Here's what I like: They id pretty much everyone, including me. And I'm nowhere near 21. I like this because it makes me feel young AND because I know there's no risk of underage kiddos... thank Buddha. The jukebox is, as noted, pretty amazing. Check out the staff mixes for some real treasures. The bathrooms are genderless. There is a pretty wide span of ages and while we were probably the oldest people there last night, it was a good jaunt down memory lane and there were other people around our age. This is the kind of place that attracts people who like good beer and good music. read more

Came here on Halloween '17 (a Tuesday) to start off our night with two of my girlfriends. It's a cute little bar with both bar space and tables in the back that wasn't crowded at all when we went. The bartender was super attentive and sweet. She made a point to remember our orders for each person (as we ordered probably at least 3) and that was particularly helpful when ordering. Although I don't remember the exact price per drink, I remember thinking to myself that it was totally reasonable but not one of the cheapest options out there. Would def return! read more

Over the past 6 years I frequented The Library Bar because the jukebox had the most amazing selection of 70s-90s punk, alternative and grunge on rotation, the drink specials were great, there was always some obscure b-movie flickering on the screen in the back, one could meet the most interesting people on any given night (once there was a dude in full "evil faun" makeup and prosthetics -- and it wasn't even Halloween), and the bartenders were warm welcoming and friendly. WERE. Well while most of that assessment still holds weight, I have to agree with another reviewer who recently witnessed the rudeness and smug superiority of the latest breed of bartender: Enter the Millennial Judgmental Overseer. Be warned: Your lips need not touch nay even stray so much as a millimeter near a bottle of alcohol before he deems you unworthy of patronizing the establishment. You might have gone to another bar prior. But you are neither raucous, disruptive nor impaired (to which witnesses can attest). You may cry "a bit tiddly" in defense but know that "tiddly" to this despotic barkeep could mean anything from falling down drink puking to just standing a wee bit too long at the ATM machine. Fine. We get it. You have to play both bartender and bouncer and you believe it's in the best interests of the bar to keep the patrons only so liquored up as to line your tip jar and keep the status quo. Perhaps you just want to get the f***k home earlier than usual and don't particularly relish even the slightest chance your night / your job could be extended due to preventable undesirable circumstances. But that being said, how sad. It seemed -- but how mistakenly -- that this was an echo, however faint, of one of the last true dive bars that had made New York so legendary. Places like CBGB and Trash Bar staked their territory on inclusiveness, on welcoming the frustrated, the weary, the spent, the blowing-off-of-steam and the desire to cast off normalcy and obedient herd behavior in favor of sheer expression. Or at least drunken inhibitions. Maybe back in the day they just didn't give two sh*ts. I am not touting all-out anarchy or condoning aggressively contrary drunken shenanigans. But when you cross the line between acting upon the mere anticipation of the possibility of "bad behavior" as opposed to acting upon bad behavior when it actually comes to pass, you carve a path to unsettling precedents of domination and quite frankly controlling how you think others should behave. This is known in sociopolitical jargon as the Preemptive Strike. Sorry to the absolutely fantastic bartenders who work other shifts and who've always made everyone feel welcome. For them, I wanted to continue to patronize The Library, but this incident left a very bad taste in my mouth. I ordered a beer from one bartender, and the next thing I know a second bartender -- the Millennial Judgmental Overseer -- refuses to serve me. For taking too long at their ATM. Yes I was tiddly from having had a few shots and beers at Double Down Saloon earlier. But no -- I was not throwing up, harassing anyone, or starting fist fights. I was able to stand without support and speak without slurring. So...at a supposed dive bar in the East Village no less, may I ask how the drunkenness of any given patron is measured? How drunk is too drunk (especially when you have not given said supposed "guilty party" the slightest chance to prove their innocence)? So that I might warn friends and out-of-town visitors how to appropriately conduct themselves to avoid being kicked out without having had even a single drink? Or simply tell them to steer clear altogether? Perhaps give The Library a spiffy paint job, you know to get rid of all the nasty dirty misleading graffiti, and clean up the disgusting bathrooms and change the old school jukebox to one of those new-fangled digital jukeboxes that spin all the popular chart-topping hits on demand, and put a red velvet rope out front so folks understand it's THAT kind of Establishment. read more

Went here for a friend's birthday, not a bad spot. Definitely a unique vibe and feel to the place - if you are not into very loud rock music, this is probably not the place for you. They have a large projector with videos playing which is pretty cool, and the happy hour deals are great! Would definitely come back here again depending on what I had in store for the rest of my night, but overall I'm glad I checked it out. read more

A dimly lit east village bar that, unlikely as it may seem, still has east village prices. This place is not for those looking for fancy cocktails but if you want strong well drinks or beer it's fantastic. They boast a jukebox and a great happy hour with ample seating to socialize or catch up with old friends. read more

Dive bar = cheap drinks and great conversations. I mean who goes out drinking on a Sun night? well this girl does (albeit rarely). Things you need to know: Happy hour ends at 7 (it's buy one get one free): they give you a miniature dinosaur as a reminder that you need to redeem your drink before time runs out. Sure you can collect them all, lol. The bathroom that particular night was clean (surprising right?). If you're adventurous like me, common sense dictates to bring hand sanitizer, it is NYC after all. Oh and the bartender was uber friendly :) read more

The Library is the Charlie Sheen of dive bars. It is so over-the-top and borderline ridiculous, leaving you to wonder if any of this is for real (in a good way). For example: 1. Drinks are 2-for-1 during happy hour. Draft beer selections are respectable. 2. The graffiti that covers every square inch of the walls is way too balanced. It's graffiti, no need for the Golden Ratio* here. 3. In addition to graffiti, there are actually shelves of books. Nothing on the life and times of Banksy; Encyclopedia Britannica circa 1981 will have to suffice. 4. The bathroom smells yet the toilet is pretty clean. How does that work? 5. Overheard: Snarky, Jorts-Clad Hipster Guy: "UGH. Who requested 'The Knife' and 'Fever Ray' back to back on the jukebox?" I love it. In retrospect, it is relatively easy to throw back two Captain Lawrence pale ales. Especially when they end up costing you $3 each. Hanging out at this library until 3am may not get you an A on your thesis, but you'll excel at the art of drinking on the cheap. * http://mathworld.wolfram.com/GoldenRatio.html read more

*Cell phone rings. I pick up.* "Hello?" "Hey Alan! What's up?" "I'm at The Library." (Impressed silence.) That's right, just because I've graduated college doesn't mean I don't get my scholar on and head on down to The Library! Unfortunately I couldn't keep the ruse going what with the BADASS MUSIC BLARING FROM THE BADASS JUKEBOX. The jukebox was being handled by people far cooler than I am (I'm sure they would agree considering I was perpetrating the myth that I only listen to Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson), and the subtle tones were relaxing and soothing... NOT. Shit got me pumped. (Read Brian B.'s review for the lowdown on tunes heard). I appreciate when a dive bar is actually a dive bar, and not trying to look all divey in a lame attempt to be cool. The 2 for 1 special was awesome and I spent the rest of my time in The Library trying to make amends with the bartender who carded me twice? Oh wells, I must have one of those forgettable mugs. Womp womp. Other than that, it was just chilling out, poppin' Natty Light (it seemed like the appropriate choice), and watching Ethan C. go on an absolutely vicious killing spree in Big Buck Hunter. Never have so many cyber bucks and moose been slaughtered. Glad PETA wasn't there. The Library, cheap and dirty like your favorite hooker, I'll be a repeat customer. PS. I got ridiculously smashed here. Some places get ya in the mood like that. *Leaves The Library, clears my throat, straightens my shirt that I've now put back on and reverts to conducting myself in a manner that is socially acceptable.* read more

If you saw me right now, you'd see I'm as shocked looking as Christian Slater after a brow waxing that I've yet to virtually pen a review of The Library. Seeing as how I've been frequenting this joint since before I even lived in NY, it's pretty unacceptable. Like a choose your own adventure scenario, this bar on the precipse of LES is what you want to make of it. Looking for cheap 2-for-1 hits to the head? They have it. Want to watch a movie on the projector in the back? Have a seat. Feel like meeting a real life hipster, and not an American Apparel shell of one elsewhere? This is your jam. Be nice, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride read more

I love this place so much I went here twice within the past 24 hours, with separate groups of friends, for totally separate reasons. With Yelpers, the goal was (no surprise) to get trashed. With the punk band from Oberlin, the goal was (surprise) just to wet our whistle on a hot afternoon. Both goals were met; the common denominator being an abundance of $3 cans of Natty Light. I just wish they projected movies in the daytime, too, 'cause the back room is pitch black until the sun goes down. As mentioned by previous reviewers, the jukebox is phenomenal. It has something for everyone, even d-bags bassists like this kid: Kat: Why did M just walk out? C: He's having girl problems. Also, he hates Joy Division. Kat: What about The Misfits? "Skulls" just started playing. C: He hates them, too. As a general rule, he hates any music that anyone else has ever liked. Except for the Ramones. Kat: Well, put that shit on! I refuse to let a heartbroken compatriot wallow alone and beer-less! Nothing brings 'em out of the sunshine and back into the dankness better than a few bars of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker." The Library understands that. read more

Having to kill some time before a show at the Mercury Lounge across the street, I stumbled into The Library with my notebook ready to polish off a couple 2 for 1's solo in the corner. I immediately was invited into a conversation by the cute, drunk bartender named Sandy, and an older local who nicknamed me James Dean. Hey, I've been called worst things. Sandy lined me up with a couple Natty Lights and a double Jack for $8 bucks (yes, $8 bucks total). We talked music, talked rent prices, talked about which members of bands make better lovers (Sandy claimed it was drummers "because they have rhythm," I claimed it was guitar players like me, "because we can stroke it and finger pick". I don't think we reached a conclusion.) Ms. PacMan in the back, can't complain: She's cute, she swallows. The bathroom here is standard for a dive bar. Get over it people, geezum. read more

I am one of those people that finds going to a dive bar both exhilarating, dangerous and quite calming. You will only find 2 of those at The Library. Most dive bars have dirty bathrooms. This dive bar does NOT. The only danger factor you might have here is if you left your little frog piece on the table that the bartender gives you for that Buy One Get One free drink deal during Happy Hour. And someone such as I comes along and scoops that up for myself. The exhilarating experience that you get from here is really a male point of view, MINES. The people watching experience here is quite entertaining but most of all great for the eyes, as in eye candies. Calming at a dive bar? Yes, it was quite calm during Happy Hour on a Sunday but let me tell you, living in NYC for as long as I have, you come to love those days where you don't have to elbow your way to get a drink. You live for those days where you can find a seat along the windows so you can people watching while sipping on Pumpkin ale. You live for those days where you can get cheap drinks with good company to fulfill your Sunday Funday of the week. Do I like this place? You can bet your @ss on it. Great spot for drinks, happy hour, meet up with pals, people watch and just to pre-game. Not great for date night. Hey, you CAN'T have it all right? Fan. read more

When it comes to bars I have my own personal code, or 3-D if you will: They must be a dive. They must be dirty. They must be dark. Happily, The Library accomplishes all three by a longshot. Walking in, you're almost tempted to take a bag of popcorn to leave a trail, lest you get lost inside this joint. It's dark, baby. There are torn posters and flyers all over the walls. The bathrooms look like Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller were in charge of cleaning. They're dirty, baby. And most of all, it's just a dive. It's not Mars Bar divey, but for the LES it will do. Cheap drinks and lots of room to just jam and gossip with your friends, or with semi-attractive strangers if that's how you roll. Did I mention the awesome jukebox? I personally played "Dreaming" by Blondie because it's a great song, and how I felt when I was in here. read more

I have no idea what to make of this place. It's fascinatingly off-beat and I don't even know how to describe my experience here. This place IS really a library - there are bookshelves adorning the open space in the back (many tables and booths, tons of seating) and there is a huge projector. The night my friends and I showed up, this place was projecting what I can only ascertain to be artsy historical porn featuring Roman gladiators. It was... I don't even know what it was. There was also loud music playing in the background, intermittently rock but also pop and hip hop. The whiskey sour I got was excellent and it seems like the bar service was relatively quick on a Wednesday night at 10PM. Basically, come here and form your own opinion of this place? It's bound to be interesting. read more

A Hall of Fame Dive Bar. The Library has a great happy hour (2 for 1) and cheap drinks at other times. Bloody Mary's are pretty good here. They don't have any pickled okra or stuff like that but they are spicy with a good amount of horseradish. Also they play the craziest movies. My favorite, which I've now seen a few times there, is a Alyssa Milano workout video where she is in her room and has these silly conversations with her friends and then they work out in 80's or was it 90's gear and they do a few dances too. The first time I saw it I laughed so hard my beer almost squirted out of my nose. And they allow dogs. Awwwww! read more

"What did you last night? You sound so tired" "I went to The Library" Your parents are so proud of you. Little do they know that you went to the dive bar with the graffiti walls, a couple of stocked old bookshelves, watched some crazy projection on the wall, hanged with out yours friends, sat on crappy seats and got wasted without spending much. The only thing you remember was putting quarters in that jukebox and that the bartender was nice to you. But you don't remember that you didn't wash your hands after relieving yourself.... read more

This place can be the jump off on some nights when I hang out with my Usual Suspects crew. The drinks are decently priced, well served & enjoyed with random music playing on the jukebox. I haven't been known to stay here all night long though...but that's how I tend to be with bars - perhaps this has to do with my commitment issues. P.S. the bathroom is gnarly read more

Happy hour ftw Pros: Grunge music Neat decor Music videos playing 2 for 1 happy hour Cons: Can be crowded read more

EXPERIENCE: 2/09/13 00:12 Make no mistake, it's a dive in the purest sense of the word: dark, dirty, and cheap. This is also the first bar I've ever gone to that uses a large projection screen to play exploitation films. If you're me, this is a great thing as I'd rather watch a hispanic midget feed a fully naked woman her own severed arm than watch American football. Note: I actually saw a hispanic midget feed a fully naked woman her own severed arm while drinking a Tecate. PROS: - True dive experience. - Exploitation films on big screen. - I saw a Boston Terrier wearing a sweater sitting at the bar. (I wasn't drunk.) CONS: - Not all prices reflect a true dive experience - Getting a drink can be difficult at times BOTTOM LINE: Based on other reviews, you'll either love it or hate it, the only way you'll find out is if you go. read more

I was rockin black on black, so obviously, this was the eventual spot to hit up. Fuckin no let down. A straight hour of New Order and Joy Division tracks were pumpin. Kickin it with inked-up chicks who mess with graffiti/murals...well, let's say its not for everyone. I'm looking right at you, you dirty yuppies. read more