East Village Dive Bar’s Old Wall Doodle May Be Multi-Million Dollar Artwork Now

This East Village bar may have found its cash cow

Apparently bar wall art isn’t just a way to pass time in the bathroom: East Village dive bar Niagara is currently home to illustrations that could be worth millions. Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara doodled on Niagara’s wall 10 years ago, and now that he’s a famed artist, those off-the-cuff sketches are highly valuable. His last painting “Knife Behind Back” sold for $25 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on Sunday, making these illustrations potentially worth $5 million, according to industry experts.

Niagara has been an Alphabet City go-to for a night of dancing with raucous vibes since 1997. There are often DJ’s, a well as a daily happy hour with $4 draft beer and wine.

But right now, it’s unlikely that the bar could make money off of the sketches; Nara’s rep says the artist doesn’t want to see the works sold.

In other news:

— This is a heartwarming Friday read: A formerly homeless Lower East Side pizzeria owner has been donating pies as a tribute to the four homeless men killed last week.

— A video shows a thief stealing money and jewelry from new Lower East Side dumpling shop King Dumplings.

— The fight between GrubHub and the city is heating up, with the GrubHub CEO saying restaurant owners who paid potentially bogus fees to the delivery company are just “trying to make a bunch of trouble.”

— New Yorker critic Hannah Goldfield files on Miss Ada and Golda in Brooklyn, praising them both for modern Middle Eastern offerings.

— Altruistic bakery Hot Bread Kitchen is throwing a conference on solving issues in the restaurant industry with notable chefs such as Fany Gerson, Natasha Pickowicz, and Jonah Miller participating.

— Here’s how to make those sensational cardamom buns from new Meatpacking District bakery Fabrique.

— A weekend rec: