In the city that never sleeps, it can be difficult to find moments of quiet solitude. For artist Daniel Root, those moments come just before the sun rises. For years, Daniel walked the empty streets of NYC in the pre-dawn hours, peering into the windows of local watering holes that had closed for the night. He captured hundreds of “bars at rest” on his walks and shared his finds on Instagram. Now, over 200 of Daniel’s atmospheric bar portraits have been collected in a new book, New York Bars at Dawn, from Abbeville Press. Publishing on October 31st, you can get a sneak peek inside and hear Daniel’s behind-the-scenes stories in our upcoming virtual talk with the photographer. Check out 5 images here for a taste of what you’ll see!
New York Bars at Dawn Sneak Peek
This live, virtual talk on October 24th is free for Untapped New York Insiders! Not an Insider yet? Become a member today and get your first month free with code JOINUS. As an Insider, you have access to member-exclusive in-person and virtual experiences as well as access to our archive of more than 200 on-demand virtual webinars!
1. The Swan Room, East Village
Daniel’s photo project started in his own neighborhood, the East Village. One nearby spot he captured is the Swan Room, pictured above. The swanky cocktail lounge occupies a space that was once the teller room within the historic Jarmulowsky Bank building, now a boutique hotel called Nine Orchard. While sticking to places he can reach by foot, Daniel ventured out to other Lower Manhattan neighborhoods to capture every type of bar, from historic pubs that have been around for centuries like McSorley’s Ale House and landmarks like the Stonewall Inn, to nameless dive bars and restaurant bars.
