The doorway to the immediate left of the porn palace that Travis Bickle enters in "Taxi Driver," after getting his hack job, is the doorway of 735 8th Avenue – The Collins Bar (look in the upper left hand corner to see the Collins’ famous "BAR" sign. The picture below shows a comparison of how the bar looked on its last day.
On Sunday, July 22, this fine Hell’s Kitchen drinking establishment will shutter its doors forever. It is a sad phenomenon indicative of changes occurring all over Manhattan where a glut of high-rise condos are springing up and squeezing out community gathering places like The Collins Bar. Sunday night (July 22) will be a blow out gathering of Collins Bar regulars. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by for a beer and soak up the last moments of a truly great old-school New York bar.
(The Collins Bar 7/20/07)
