To the unschooled ear, "Rear of Brooklyn Paramount" might not sound like the most enticing locale, but trust me: this cafe sat in the shadow of one of the greatest movie palaces ever built. The Paramount was completed in 1928, one of the last gigantic theaters erected before the Crash. It became a venue for live music after the war, then a famed rock and roll venue. It's now a school.

As for Smitty's? Click on.