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Motherfucker promoter Johnny T and D Generation front man Jesse Malin have decorated their bar with pop-culture detritus: vintage cigarette signs recall a time when you could smoke anywhere. (The photo booth in the back room lets you participate with the past, not just look at it.) But what might be the most retro aspect of Niagara is the shenanigans: In the downstairs Lei Lounge, nice suburban girls have been known to try their hand at pole dancing as the D.J. spins dance tracks spanning the last quarter-century. A bumper sticker on the cash register declares, “I Miss the Old New York.” A direct phone number to the 9th Precinct is posted nearby should it resurface too quickly. — Jane Lerner

Niagara has a strict door policy: No I.D., no entry, no exceptions! Even the retirees seated at the bar early in the evening have to show documentation with date of birth before they're allowed in.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Bar for an Impromptu Dance Party (2007)
• Best Garage Music (2004)