New York City, New York story
A Secret Beat in the Lower East Side
Hidden in plain sight on Norfolk Street is a door marked The Lower East Side Toy Company. But if you pass through the gate and climb the stairs, you'll find The Back Room. This is…
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Hidden in plain sight on Norfolk Street is a door marked The Lower East Side Toy Company. But if you pass through the gate and climb the stairs, you'll find The Back Room. This isn't just a themed bar; it was a real speakeasy operating during the 1920s Prohibition era.
In fact, it's one of only two surviving speakeasies from that time left in New York. Tucked behind the former site of Ratner's legendary kosher dairy restaurant, it captures the clandestine energy of a city where music and drinks were once a dangerous secret. There's even a hidden bookcase that leads to a VIP-only lounge, keeping the mystery of the twenties alive.
Updated June 2026