Blond-stone walls, a dozen 32-inch TVs and plenty of windows (including a retractable garage-door of paned glass) brighten the two-room space, even late. Staffers efficiently wind their way through high tables and booths packed with casual 20- and 30-somethings. Complimentary condoms unassumingly share bar-tops with napkins and ashtrays, quiet acknowledgement of a pick-up factor among hetero newcomers and a holdover-crowd from the popular gay bar that formerly occupied the space.

Lack of attitude is the bar's best attraction. With the face of a lounge, the heart of a neighborhood hang and the casual spirit of a sports bar, Avenue Tavern can be anybody's local. Two bars serve everything from a half-dozen draft beers to specialty martinis, and a nearly tireless kitchen (usually cooking until midnight) provides a full food menu, from soups and salads to burgers and grinders--even cheesecake

This neighborhood tavern is by the same owners as Copa and Redmond's, and in some ways is a mixture of the two