History
Motivated by the memory of 9/11, I decided in 2002 to purchase a building and create a business in my own neighborhood, a place that I would like to call my favorite bar. For the next two years, I constructed the bar, the tables, the railings, the walls, the stairs, the floors...most of the time on my own...whenever I had a day off or some time away from my full-time job, as a successful Interior Designer. In 2004 I retired from Decorating to pursue my new adventure full speed. Art*Bar opened in Mid-March 2004 and the time has flown by since. In 2006 I added an Espresso Machine and Coffee program, and we began to open at 6am! The next three years are a blurr, as my staff of 15 and I continued to create great drinks, parties, fundraising events and art shows. Since January 2009 I had to cut-back on our hours of operation due to the downturn in the economy, and focus primarily on the late night business. Also I opened another new Bar called TWO, next to the Art*Bar in Nov. 2008.
Specialties
Art*Bar is a Coffee Shop and a Bar in an Art Gallery. We serve organic fair/trade Alterra Coffee & Espresso drinks, Rishi Teas, Over 40 local and import varities of bottled Beer, Specialty blender drinks & Martinis, 20 types of Wine by the glass, and Seasonal drink specials including fresh fruit Mojitos. We also serve Palermos Ultra-thin Crust Pizza. We feature different local art exhibits every 6 to 8 weeks. The overall vibe is friendly and chill-out, attracting neighborhood bohemian art school types, gay/straight, black/white, creative people, teachers, musicians, designers, and environmentalist.. The decor is colorful, kitschy and eclectic with tables made of yardsticks, the bar surface in recycled colored glass, support columns covered in bottle caps, and railings woven with bungee cords. We feature live singer/songwriter acoustic performances on Wednesdays and larger bands on Friday & Saturdays. We also have a Pool Table, Darts, Pin Ball, board games and an ATM on site.