Arlene's Grocery

At the corner of Orchard and Stanton-the heart of New York City's Lower East Side-is the entrance to one of the city's most democratic live music venues. Owner Owen Comaskey conjured the idea of a sizeable venue where musicians could perform in front of a substantial audience without having to demand high ticket prices or a drink minimum. With that in mind, in 1996 Comaskey took over a grocery store and invited fans to come share their love of independent music. Since the club's inception, it has consistently featured great live performances virtually every night due to tremendous support from local musicians, NYC's music industry and the venue's loyal staff. Jeff Buckley, Vonda Shephard, Wendy & Lisa, Beth Orton, Furslide and Katell Keinig have all graced its stage as the club continues to act as a showcase for rising stars of the local music community. Today, unique recurring events such as "punk rock karaoke"-where audience members belt out the greatest punk and heavy metal songs with the backing of a live band-and "all ages afternoons"-$7 gets anyone and everyone admission for the entire day-see loyal neighborhood residents, die-hard fans and curious newcomers alike surveying the scene.