Traveling is getting more interesting: a bar with cocktails has opened right in the New York subway

What can get you back to the office quickly? That's right: a cocktail on the way to work. A gleaming new bar has opened in the gloomy Midtown subway station. New York Post. On 50th Street in downtown 1 train stop, on Broadway under Duane Reade, is Nothing Really Matters, one of three subway stops in New York's 472-station transit system (not including Grand Central Station and Pennsylvania Station).

Thirsty passengers, lured by the open door, look like children in FAO Schwarz. They stumble into it, not out of drunkenness, but rather out of confusion. Passengers, tourists and Broadway actors stopped constantly over the last three weeks to take pictures and ask questions.

Bar Nothing Really Matters appeared on New Year's Eve, seemingly out of nowhere. Unlike the dazzling Times Square above, there is no flaming marquee in front of the train station or a sign that reads "Come here for a drink." The cold atmosphere is conceived on purpose.

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“I love the idea of ​​being discovered,” said owner Adrian Gallo. “Once people feel it, that will be enough for us.”

Drink near the turnstiles

Gallo formerly owned the now-closed Double Happiness and Palais Royale downtown bars. He wasn't in the mood for Metro for his new cocktail establishment. His main goal was to find something unique.

“Of course, an East Village or Soho storefront is great for certain types of places,” he said. “But I wanted to do something fun and underground.”

So in early 2020, when Gallo saw a space 3 meters below 50th Street that had been Duane Reed's storage for years, he jumped at the opportunity to sign a lease. Then the pandemic struck.

“The rent went up and I gave everything I could,” said the entrepreneur. He almost left the project three times. “Fortunately, my landlord and I see eye to eye. He was amazing. We worked together for two years to bring this to life."

He named the place Nothing Really Matters as a tribute to Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody, and because after a hard day's work he wants his customers to rest and relax before boarding the train.

Upscale Deals

The place, located on the platform in front of the turnstiles, used to be part of an underground street. There was an old barber shop, Dunkin Donuts and a wine cellar, but they all closed. Another bar, Siberia, a favorite haunt of Jimmy Fallon and the late Anthony Bourdain, which was partially located where Nothing Really Matters was, moved further uptown in 2001.

However, the new bar does not attempt to broadcast the infamous wildness of Siberia.

Gallo designed a warm but industrial hall for 74 people. On one wall are red neon stripes, reminiscent of the electric brightness of Times Square. There are no TVs showing NFL games, and most importantly, this is a huge bar that stretches the entire length of the room. Hundreds of illuminated bottles look almost too pretty to drink. Nearly.

Head Mixologist Cilan Hicks' drinks are a great break from the martinis and pints that most Midtown hangouts offer.

“What is missing in Midtown? Cocktail bars,” Gallo said.

Fearless Girl based on apple and pear gin ($18) has notes of winter spices. And the Knickerbocker Bramble ($18) with bourbon, blueberries, lemon and rosemary is irresistible. There are also classic cocktails, often using New York-made liqueurs, as well as a small beer and wine list.

Heading home a few minutes later, I am shocked as I leave the trendy, dimly lit hotspot and find myself back at the disgusting 50th Street station. But that's part of the charm.

“This is a weird triangular bar in a crappy little subway station,” Gallo said. - That's lovely!"