Hidden 'subway speakeasy' creating buzz in New York City

CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- The head of New York City transit Friday honored something that wouldn't normally be encouraged on the subway system: drinking alcohol.

However, the husband-and-wife owners of a small bar called "La Noxe" are being recognized as "MTA comeback heroes" for their determination to stay open amid the pandemic.

The cocktail lounge - or what some call a "subway speakeasy" - is hidden inside the 28th Street Station in Chelsea.

It obtained its liquor license on the same day the pandemic forced the city into a lockdown and struggled for months.

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Officers recovered an AK-47 magazine with 17 live rounds in it and one loose round inside Teague's shopping bag. A scale used for drug paraphernalia was also recovered from Teague's backpack.

Then, a clip about the spot went viral, and it now has a 1,500 person waiting list.

So how did the owners find such a unique location?

"I find it very randomly on the New York Times commercial real estate website, and it was a drawing from the early 19th century," co-owner Jey Perie said. "I was very intrigued, so I came down to visit, and I fell in love with the space and the possibilities."

Be prepared to wait a while to grab a drink there.

The bar is operating at just 50% capacity -- and is booked up for quite a while.

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The CPSC stated that children and pets can become "entrapped, pinned and pulled under the rear roller of the product," posing risk for "abrasions, fractures and death."

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