Max Fish

Max Fish
Better known as the dive with nine lives, Max Fish

 has long been a word-of-mouth favorite with downtown creative types. Open since 1989, the arty-yet-grimey waterhole was originally located on Ludlow Street and slung shots for everyone from Ethan Hawke to Jim Jarmusch and Flea. Although the space briefly shuttered a few summers ago, it’s now back with a vengeance on Orchard Street attracting as hip a crowd as ever. Best thing about Max Fish that’s also the worst? The lights are always on at what seems like full blast, which means you can get some good people watching in when the cool kids finally give in and start to dance. Keep in mind though, that probably means everyone else is also watching you trying to do the Cabbage Patch after one too many tequila shots. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…

[Photo via @jeeyoungjang]

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