The former home of Bar Matchless in Greenpoint has finally been demolished

The beloved dive bar site closed in 2018, marking the end of an era, has been torn down to make way for (you guessed it) condos

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

The aging building that used to house Bar Matchless, a Greenpoint dive bar that shuttered in 2018, has finally been torn down to make way for a new condo development.

People close to the bar told Brooklyn Magazine that scaffolding on the site had gone up a while ago, and when it came down Wednesday, people were surprised to see the extent of the demolition, triggering nostalgia and sadness about a bygone era.

The former Bar Matchless building was demolished yesterday – I drew it at the top, here (from my first “Greenpoint of View” comic) https://t.co/IEYKYNKDc3 #greenpoint #brooklyn #comics cc: ⁦@Gothamist⁩ pic.twitter.com/yBNUj66SC6

— Tony Wolf (@tonywolfness) June 16, 2023

Bar Matchless, which operated at 557 Manhattan Avenue from 2003 to 2018 in a former motorcycle shop, was known for its cheap drinks, good late night grub, rowdy brunches (including a classic breakfast burrito), heavy metal soundtrack and iconic DIY shows — hosting by some accounts more than 15,000 bands in over 5,000 shows. (We saw Mini Kiss there once and it ruled.)

The bar was forced to close after being evicted from its building five years ago, though the building itself remained in tact until this week.
Reportedly, the site will become six-story condo or apartment building.

“You had to be there. For better or worse that corner was the hub of Greenpoint for years. Before the lines at ponyboy and twins, before lake street and Bernie’s. Matchless and Enid’s held it down. Rip gang,” one commenter wrote. Another added that they “miss all the nights I don’t remember there.”