New York is home to plenty of idiosyncratic bars. Take the case of the KGB Bar. Located in the East Village, KGB is one of the city's best literary venues and has a hell of a history. In a former life, the bar was known as the Ukranian Labor Home. It was a social club for Ukranian socialists that also doubled, at times, as a Soviet spy drop—and, for extra points, was located downstairs from one of Lucky Luciano's old casinos. These days, the bar caters to the reading crowd. There are nightly readings, regular events for visiting authors and a drink menu that skews towards, of course, beer and vodka.
