1. The 13th Step Bar & Grill (former Cafe Le Metro) – 149 Second Avenue

The 13th Step is the former home of Cafe Le Metro, a spot that held regular poetry readings featuring many of the Beat Generation poets as headliners. Bill Morgan describes, “It was at the center of controversy in 1964, when it was issued a summons for hosting a reading that the city considered “unlicensed entertainment.” Ginsberg and many other members of the poetry community who used this space and other coffeehouses for readings fought the requirement for cabaret permits and won. Others who read or sang here include Julian Beck, Bob Dylan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Pete Orlovsky, John Wieners, and Diane di Prima.”

Read on for 10 of the oldest surviving bars in NYC.

Stay tuned for more cool Beat Generation highlights around the city. Feel free to suggest some more by getting in touch with the author @uptownvoice.