Ace Bar   

You wouldn't expect to find a priceless collection of anything at the Ace Bar, especially considering its once-frightening location on 5th Street between A and B. But here, at this Alphabet City dive, you will find the best collection of 70's and 80's lunchboxes on display in a bar in the city. Their collection ranges from the Dukes of Hazzard to the Muppet Show, and delights patrons from the local punks to the just-slumming-it Upper East Siders. If nostalgia isn't appealing to you, maybe you'll like the basic premise: A cheap bar with pool tables, a pinball machine and a solid jukebox with heavy metal and punk rock. Ace looks like two different bars were just stuck together, as the front room has sleek, black tables and booths, while the back room looks like it came from Hazzard County itself with a woody, barn-like appeal. Get there early for a vinyl booth, to play pool or for happy hour prices -- all worth the extra time. -- Stefanie Arck