East Village Bar Famed For Shots Deal To Be Demolished

EAST VILLAGE, NY — An East Village bar famous for its shot deals is on its way to become an office complex after developers filed permits to demolish the bar and its two neighboring buildings this month.

The Continental bar, whose owner announced in November that it would close, will be completely razed to make way for a new development. The bar, located at 25 Third Ave., is known for its boozy bargain of a round-the-clock 6 shots-for-$12 special. The bar's last night open will be July 1, according to signs posted outside the bar.

Along with the Continental, the neighboring buildings at 23 Third Ave. and 3 St. Marks Place will be demolished, taking with them the businesses Korilla and Papaya King.

Developers filed demolition permits with the city this month, but no building plans have yet been filed with the city. In total, two one-story buildings and one four-story building will be razed. The Real Deal reported last year that the property will be turned into a "boutique office building."

City documents show that the developer Real Estate Equities Corporation paid $29,116,000 to take over the lease at 25 Third Ave., which houses Continental, in addition to buying out the lease for the two neighboring buildings at 3 St. Marks Place and 23 Third Ave. for the same price, $29,116,000 each.

The Real Deal reported that Real Estate Equities Corporation plans to replace the buildings with a single, seven-story office building, plus retail space on the ground floor.

The news of Continental's demise, along with its neighbors Korilla and Papaya King, is yet another blow to the East Village. The neighborhood, like others in Manhattan, has repeatedly seen locally-owned businesses close as spiraling rents and the rise of online retail have battered small businesses on both sides.

Image credit: Ciara McCarthy / Patch