The bar around the corner (next to the "We Cater to Your Spiritual Needs" liquor store) used to be a dark, anonymous place. Even in the mornings you could see weary second-shift workers sitting inside, staring into space. They didn't seem to be having much fun, but they seemed to belong there. There was a fire on the block in the last year and the owners seem to have taken a cue to redecorate. Today I saw a trendy new name painted on the front window (Tar Bar? TarBAR? Typo for "tartar" or "Babar"?), a zippy "Stoli" neon light on the door, a new exposed-brick interior wall, and most heart-sinkingly, someone arranging fabric across the ceiling in a "dramatic" fashion.

The old patrons are still there, for the time being. But their days, like those of the familiar Old Style sign out front, are no doubt numbered. And the rest of us...will be organizing a neighborhood watch for Hummers, stockbrokers, and valet parking.