Instant vintage
Can you believe Ropewalk Tavern (1209 S. Charles St.) is 13 years old?
It's true. The South Baltimore Republican-themed hangout is about to turn Lucky 13, and they're celebrating this birthday tomorrow. Most drinks are $2 and Miller Lites (the staple of any Baltimore liquid diet) are only a buck.
I asked that question because to me, Ropewalk seems much older than that.
Granted, sticking around for more than a dozen years in a neighborhood with such a high turnover rate is no small feat. But because of the turn-of-the-century decor and vintage atmosphere, Ropewalk feels like a classic pub with a few modern flourishes (namely flat screen TVs).
I'll bet if you stop a neighborhood resident on the street and ask them how long Ropewalk Tavern has been there, they'll say it's been open more than 13 years.
This reminds me of one of my first nightlife columns ...
Back in January 2006, I wrote a piece about Crabby Dick's, which was slated to close later that month. Here's how the story started:
Soon after Crabby Dick's opened on South Broadway in 2000, co-owner John Buchheit started catching one of the best compliments a restaurateur ever gets.
"I would sit on the bench out front and hear people say, `Oh yeah, Crabby Dick's -- they've been there forever,'" Buchheit said. "That's what you want to hear."
In a couple of years, Buchheit and business partner Dale Slotter built a Fells Point tourist staple.
After covering Baltimore bars and clubs for more than three years, this still rings true. If a bar or restaurant owner can become a neighborhood fixture, they have a much better chance of succeeding in the long run.
I'm trying to think of other bars and restaurants like Ropewalk and Crabby Dick's that have this same appeal, but none come to mind right away. You got any?
(Photo of Ropewalk Tavern by Sun photographer Gene Sweeney Jr. Photo of Crabby Dick's by Sun photographer Kim Hairston)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
Max's has been around for a while. I think Looney's in Canton has been there since 1993.
My parents met at the Horse you came in on in the 70s. I asked how it was then. Their response, "It was a dive back then too."
Posted by: Drew from Greektown | November 5, 2008 3:11 PM
Are you sure it's not 220 yrs old? ;-)
Posted by: mike | November 5, 2008 3:16 PM
Dizzy Issie's/The Dizz...just think back to earlier this year when we all wondered if/when it would re-open
Posted by: Greg S | November 5, 2008 3:31 PM
Looney's on the Square. Come along way since '93.
Posted by: Sturmy | November 5, 2008 3:41 PM
Scores.
Posted by: BA | November 5, 2008 5:19 PM
CVP
Posted by: rudy | November 5, 2008 10:32 PM
looney's is 15 years old!! you guys are right
Posted by: DavidS | November 6, 2008 12:33 AM
Okay, "Drew from Greektown," were we separated at birth? My parents ALSO met at the Horse in the 70s (I believe it was 1977) and they also said it was a dive back then too. I'm think I ought to start hanging out there and maybe I'll find my future husband. ;-)
Posted by: Stefanie | November 6, 2008 8:28 AM
Kisslings
Posted by: Jeff | November 6, 2008 8:39 AM
John Steven!
Posted by: e | November 6, 2008 12:59 PM
No way Jose's
Posted by: Anonymous | November 6, 2008 1:27 PM
Any old time Baltimore folks remember Phil's...the bar pre-Ropewalk. I went there on Saturday afternoon's when I was young with my grandmother and ate fried chicken and western fries from the market. We would sit in the old dark back room that is now mid-bar I guess. They had an OLD jukebox that had Happy Birthday on it. We would play it thinking it was hillarious that Happy Birthday was on it.
Posted by: JAA | November 6, 2008 4:54 PM