Thursday, August 30, 2012

Reader report: Solas patrons turn sidewalk shed into after-hours hot spot


A few weeks ago, we received word that a woman was taken away in an ambulance from outside Solas, the bar/lounge on East 9th Street.

A reader now notes that some Solasgoers have turned the scaffolding at the nearby parking garage into an impromptu after-hours hot spot. Says the reader:

“When the Solas crowd outside congregates, the bouncer comes out and tells them to move along. They'll then form small groups on the stoops of the neighboring buildings and businesses.

Now they have descended upon the sidewalk shed next door where they continue to scream, fight with each other, block the traffic by getting in and out of taxis, and generally live up to every negative stereotype of the drunken 20-somethings who take over the East Village on the weekends. The group of about 50 people [pictured above] didn't leave the area until 5AM.”

9 comments:

  1. Well, what do you expect when you get an apartment above a sidewalk shed?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You want to get rid of these people, ask OccupyWall Street to come protest,DHS/Bloomberg SWAT team will arrive in minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you wanna get yourself real depressed, go check out the Yelp page for this place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. They're right up there with the Thirteenth Step.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sola's Yelp page is a treasure trove of WTF OMG moments!

    "Solas is the end destination for every damn 20something I know in this city"
    - Amar P

    "Who charges $16 for a glass of Long Island Iced Tea"
    - Stacey H

    "A$$hole bouncers that yell at you in the face"
    - Lily T

    "I don't even know how I got to skip the line WITH A BROKEN SHOE"
    - Michelle W

    "Try not to bring too much stuff with you. There is no room to keep your belongings"
    - Nancy T

    "Why do I feel like I'm at a frat party? Or a college party"
    -Elaine T.

    "There does tend to be an array of "sketchy" male characters around the dance floor"
    - Stephanie R

    "This place is a Chuck E Cheese for adult birthday parties"
    - Raphael D

    "The bouncers let in the grungiest looking people"
    - Priyanka M

    "The Bouncers were jerks. The crowd was pitiful. So many shiny sequence tops, meh"
    - Darcy P.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sure I went out when I was a 20 something but it was in commercial neighborhoods where there families were not sleeping above the club or bar. Now that commercial spaces are multi-million $ lofts and what passes as "night life" these days is doing shots at a cheesy theme bar designed for suburbanites that have no idea that they are not alone in this town.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Agreed anon 6:31- there used to be a warehouse district where all the clubs were and you could be noisy and wait for cabs etc. without bothering people. This is poor city planning to have this level of nightlife in the middle of residential areas.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I may be totally fucking wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time my memory is playing tricks on me...but when Sammy O' opened Solas in 1997 or 1998, I don't think there was anyone living above the venue. If I remember correctly, it was a warehouse. And the drinks were always generous and the bartenders were sweethearts. Just my $0.02

    ReplyDelete
  9. @UW Solas is on 9th Street off of Second Ave. It's mostly residential minus the parking garage. I live behind them on St Marks and can hear the bass pounding.

    ReplyDelete

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.