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Nov 19, 2013 1 min read

The Death of SF's Dive Bars

The Death of SF's Dive Bars
The old-school sign at the old school Pop’s. It should be shining even more now. Photo from Facebook.
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The day when a serious barfly won’t have a stool to sit on is (scarily) approaching, as evidenced by three recent dive bar closures. The NITE CAP in the Tenderloin has been purchased by Dave Esler (a partner at Hog & Rocks and Hi Lo) and bartenders Joe Summa and David Linsmayer. Scoop reports that they are keeping the iconic sign and the name, but otherwise, look for a lot of changes. The interior will get a new high ceiling, a whiskey-focused bar, and new booths and banquettes, and likely new prices and clientele too. TenderLife chimes in on the changes over here. 699 O’Farrell St. at Hyde.

The 24th Street corridor is also facing a lot of changes, with two dive bars about to become very different. POP’S BAR at the corner of York and 24th is in the process of being sold, according to Uptown Almanac. No word yet on the buyers or their plans, but given most of the changes happening in the Mission these days, it looks like the days of $2 beers might be over. The end of Pop’s? Yeah, Pop’s. Broke-Ass Stuart wrote a homage to the bar here. 2800 24th St. at York.

The Attic is also on the market, says Uptown Almanac. It’s not clear if the bar will be sold or simply close down, but it seems likely the location will be a hot selling point for a new investor. Sigh. 3336 24th St. at Osage.

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