Bounce Deuce: On upper Second Avenue, the original Bounce was an instant classic. A few miles south on lower Second, it’s a grand experiment. Housed in the inexplicably tough corner spot where Ike, Smoked, and other short-lived ventures failed, why not try something new? Big dark windows, more than a dozen flat-screen TVs, better-than-bar-food eats, a ridiculously sexy staff, and somewhat dated house and pop music mark the East Village’s version of Hooters-meets-40/40-meets-neighborhood bar. Indeed, it’s a sensory overload. The DJs are loud (Wed-Sat), all the ESPNs are going, and the pick-up scene is in full effect—after the game ends, of course. If this big game player of a lounge succeeds, it’s going to reveal one of two things: Either East Village bohemia has been breached by uptown transplants, or beneath St. Marks dwellers’ thrift shop threads and funny haircuts lurk closet sports fans. |
