Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Flashback: The Village, 1985-87
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 18, 2010
Modified Feb 18, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 7
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 18, 2010
Modified Feb 18, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
NYC before Urban Outfitters, Duane Readegreens and Starbucks popped up on every block? Here's a look back to the '80s for nostalgia-heads, courtesy of photographer David Vega. Instead of focusing on CBGB, however, what about the Lone Star Cafe (1976-1989)? It was on East 13th Street and Fifth Avenue, and brought in mostly country acts, from Willie Nelson to Roy Orbison—though James Brown and the Blues Brothers also took the stage there.
In 1989 the venue was sold, according to an old NY Times article, the iguana went on the auction block and had been living in Virginia until 1997, when it returned to NYC. It was then housed at Pier 25, but word is it has since vanished.
These days, don't even expect to see the shell of the former venue—it burned down and condos are going up in its place. You can, however, get an interior look through Bob Fosse's 1979 All That Jazz, the film's nightclub scenes were shot there.
Tagged
1980s
flashback
Lone Star Cafe
the village
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .