Nicky’s Unisex, a new bar, restaurant and social venue, opened at 90 South 4th Street on July 3rd. The project was a long time coming, from Nicky Nyce, a 15-year veteran bartender in the neighborhood. She wanted to create a bar with “really good quality drinks, where someone will always be nice to you.”
After seeing Williamsburg’s bar scene evolve and change, Nyce aimed to open a space that was beautiful but didn’t take itself too seriously. She’d saved money for most of her career to open a bar in Bushwick, but when that lease fell through almost five years ago, it took until last summer for her to secure a new space in Williamsburg. Partnering with the owners of Magazine, as well as their investors, allowed Nyce the community and capital to start building out the bar a year ago, with the goal of opening Nicky’s Unisex on April 1.
April 2020 was definitely not the best time to open a new hospitality establishment, but Nicky’s Unisex luckily obtained it liquor license and was able to open in a new capacity in July. The menu has been evolving in Nyce’s head for over five years, and is focused around fresh ingredients. Neon blue and hot pink frozen drinks are eye-catching, and an avocado strawberry frozen margarita is like a booze-infused smoothie. A muddled watermelon, basil and vodka cocktail, Sweetwater Forever, is an homage to the bar Nyce worked at until she put in her notice right before the coronavirus shutdown.
Nicky’s Unisex will also host local DJs and chefs, to keep the fun vibes going and sustain imbibers. “Everybody’s trying to survive, and any way we can get people in is amazing,” Nyce says of the rotating guest DJ s and guest chefs. In her first week of opening, she’s been happy to see regulars from her former workplaces visit the bar. “It’s amazing to feel at home in a neighborhood, and have the neighborhood back you,” she says. “We love our neighborhood and always want to be here.”
Nicky’s Unisex is open Thursday- Sunday, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m., with aspirations to open seven days a week soon.