Growing up in Norwalk, my first experiences with dive bars are in that area. There was a place called Larosas, in East Norwalk right by the train tracks and the sewer plant. You could feel the place shake when the express trains went by and in the summer, the aroma was less than ideal. That said, it was packed with 16-26 year olds. Plus some old drunks. Not very many women, if any. But it was fun, friendly and safe. People were there to get drunk and it was always Mission Accomplished. I can remember being a regular there when Saturday Night Live first broke through. This raucous bar would go quiet as scores of drunks from both rooms crowded to watch the single small TV that was over the bar. If you talked other than to laugh, you were quickly told to shut up of leave.
Follow the road a ways, over the draw bridge into what is now called SoNo. Then it was just South Norwalk. Ever been to Donovan's on the corner as you enter SoNo? Very trendy. I'm sure the millennials love it. Back then it was called Bat's Shanty. It was as much of a dive as could be. The boxer pictures that are now neatly arranged on the walls, were all over the place, crooked and filthy. In fact, the entire place was filthy. Bucky, the bartender most nights, was known to pass out on a mattress that was actually on the floor behind the bar. No problem, though, you could just reach over and pour yourself another draft. Most of us left the appropriate payment. A mix of kids and old drunks. For some reason, a number of mailmen and retired railroad workers. too. As a kid it was a blast. If you were one of the regulars there as an adult, you probably led a pretty dull life.
