The Dawn of the Superdive

With keg service and a no-holds-barred mix-your-own policy, a new bar on 12th St. and Avenue A just might turn Alphabet City into Ralph-a-bet city.

Modeled like "a suburban basement rec room circa 1964" Superdive is sure to attract the batch of college grads who flock to New York each year (not to mention the underage undergrads here for the summer, a clientele that the owners don't seem particularly concerned about discouraging.)

I'm certainly intrigued... i mean, there's a pinball machine. Enough said.

But the most fascinating thing about Superdive is what its opening says about the culture of leisure these days. It marks the ushering in of what a New York Times article called the "low-key, communal vibe" that has been rising in popularity since the recession began and the culture of greed that inspired it received some well-deserved critical examination.

My friends, it pleases me to report that $400 bottle service, reservations, dress codes and exclusivity are out and good old fashioned, dirt-cheap fun is in.