The San Remo was a bar and restaurant popular with artists, actors, writers and musicians, both gay and straight. Its best years were from the early 50’s until about 1962 when suddenly for no apparent reason the crowds stopped coming. This sketch by Jack Dowling is the cover page for a sketchbook of about 50 drawings he did during those years. He spent his evenings at the San Remo along with Edward Albee, Frank O’Hara, Judith Malina, Shirley Stoler and others. Large windows along the MacDougal Street side gave those passing by a view of the congenial atmosphere within. The space, at the NW corner of MacDougal and Bleecker Streets, now houses a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and the Pasta Bistro Grill. —Caroline Benveniste and Jack Dowling
