KGB (bar)

KGB is a Soviet era-themed ("Communist chic"^[1] ) bar located in the East Village of New York City.

KGB

Location	85 E. 4th Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates	40.726580°N 73.989923°W / 40.726580; -73.989923
Type	Bar
Opened	1993
Website
Official website

History

Before its present incarnation, the building had been the Palm Casino, a speakeasy controlled by Lucky Luciano. From 1948 to 1988 it was a private social club for communists and socialists.^[2] On the bar's walls are "Stalinist woodcuts, World War II posters, a picture of Valentina V. Tereshkova, hammer-and-sickle flags and the odd Lenin bust and balalaika."^[3][4]

Inspired by the Soviet-era memorabilia stored in the building,^[5] KGB Bar opened in 1993,^[6] and became one of the most popular book-reading venues in New York City.^[2] Popular authors read here pro bono on Sunday evenings (fiction), Monday evenings (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.^[7] KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York magazine^{[citation needed]}, The Village Voice^{[citation needed]}, and others.^[3]

Reading series

The bar hosts several regular reading series which include:

• Trumpet Fiction – Literary fiction and arts, held on the second Saturday of every month, hosted by Jonathan Kravetz
• Fantastic Fiction – A monthly speculative fiction reading series at the KGB Bar, held on the third Wednesday of every month, currently hosted by Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel
• Monday Night Poetry Series – Founded by David Lehman and Star Black, this series has lasted more than a decade and features contemporary poets in its fall and spring seasons. The series spawned a book, The KGB Bar Book of Poems, in 2000. Currently, the event is hosted by John Deming, Jada Gordon, Susan Lewis, and Tyler Allen Penny.