Want to see what SoHo was like before the trendsetters and fashionistas? Come to the creaking old Ear Inn, proudly billed as one of the oldest drinking establishments in NYC. The house it occupies was built in the late 18th century for James Brown, an African aide to George Washington. Drinks are cheap and the crowd's eclectic.
Regulars come for late-night dinners at barebones wooden tables with paper tablecloths, crammed between walls drowning in old ad signs and Americana. Three nights a week, a corner of the bar is cleared for popular jazz ensembles (8pm to around 11:30pm). Check the calendar on the website for dates.
