Botanica 47 E. Houston St. (Mott & Mulberry Sts.)
NoLita
212.343.7251
Botanica:
Dark, dank, dusty, and musty—no, not the Seven Dwarves’ evil stepchildren, it’s the first reaction to this NoLita basement bar. Once your eyes adjust to the murky light, however, you can see the grungy charm that attracts flocks of hipsters who probably got their vintage t-shirts and black Chucks at the same yard sale where the bar’s lumpy wingchairs and stained Formica tables were found. Walking past a display of old trophies to the crushed velvet couch, you can’t help but be flooded with happy memories of drinking piss-warm beer in your friends’ basements while their parents watched TV upstairs. Apparently, many of the neighborhood’s retail-by-day/artists-by-night are eager to walk down this same memory lane, or just come for cheap beer, because the place fills up around eight and doesn’t stop ’till the wee hours.
