SideStreet Cafe / Death of A Neighborhood Dive

Ruby kept that dive clean as possible given the water rot and carpet odors that typified the SideStreet Bar in Cedarhurst.   

It  was a place that reflected the five towns neighborhoods.  Some of the Jewish patrons would come in on Sunday afternoons with the old school Italian guys from Inwood, who dropped in whenever they felt like it.

On Friday and Saturday Nights the Far Rockaway crowd both latin and black would load the jukebox up with all kinds of rap and hip hop and rev themselves up with Red Bull, booze and whatever other pharmaceuticals the patrons were willing to share.  Even though the bar was right across the street from the firehouse, which had police going in and out on a regular basis, the crowd didn’t care.  The cops did and they would bust things up on Friday and Saturday Nights.

During the day well connected “family guys” (not like tv cartoons) would come in and take in the horse races and discuss family and neighborhood business amongst themselves while making gentlemen’s wagers on the outcome of those races.  Working stiffs, corporate girls, delivery men and pretty boys chained to cougars with cash would all stop in during daytime hours to visit Ruby.  They all loved Ruby because she knows how to keep things going.

One day the owner (allegedly visited by some law enforcement folks) was told about the ‘expansion’ of the firehouse across the street and its value as a landmark from the late 1800’s.  Then the owner was asked about some guy who disappeared from his Lawrence home and was never seen again after coming to SideStreet.  The guy who disappeared has a brother who is a fireman who had taken interest in SideStreet, the kind of interest that makes people nervous.

One beautiful day in the middle of August, Ruby came to work and the place was not only padlocked, but had been totally gutted.  Apparently the owner didn’t tell the bartenders he was closing the doors.  (Then, given the right set of circumstances, maybe he couldn’t tell anybody anything). 

Ruby is now working at Game On.  Monday Nights.  Check out the Game On, Valley Stream, NY in Facebook.