"This ain't my first rodeo," you say as you roll up your sleeves, take a shot of liquid courage, and set off into the wild Manhattan night with your cowpoke crew. It could, however, be your last. After years of hell-raising honky-tonk, Kips Bay dive Rodeo Bar will sweep the peanut shells up off the floor and shutter its doors for good.
EV Grieve reports that the closure comes as a result of both rent increases and a change in the neighborhood's landscape. The neighborhood blog also alleges that a final round of live music will take place at Rodeo Sunday night, but an employee at the bar told us tonight will in fact be the last chance to dance.
The loss is but another in a string of recent dive bar closings that includes UES fixture Subway Inn and the UWS's Ding Dong Lounge. Those in desperate need of some quality time alone with a Manhattan mechanical bull will now have to plug their nose, close their eyes, and descend into the allegedly sexist hellhole that is Johnny Utah's.
