Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM ยท The Back Room, Lower East Side, New York City
Owner Johnny Barounis talks with Lower East Side History Project founder Eric Ferrara about the history of The Back Room at Abrons Arts Center. Doors open at 6:30 PM for the 7:00 PM program.
One of two Prohibition-era speakeasies in New York still operating from the original address, hidden behind a sign reading THE LOWER EAST SIDE TOY COMPANY. Through a gate, down an alley, and up a flight of stairs. Cocktails arrive in teacups, beer comes wrapped in brown paper bags, and the low-ceilinged, dimly lit room looks more or less as it did in 1918.