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I took a good, hard look back on Baltimore's bar scene in yesterday's year-end column. (Here's a link).
Now, I don't have any official numbers, but it felt like more bars opened last year than in the past couple years I've been covering nightlife here.
2008 wasn't a particularly good year for Baltimore clubs. But bars and arthouse/live music spaces did pretty well.
I've been The Baltimore Sun's nightlife and local entertainment reporter for a couple years, and it's surprising how much the scene has grown in that time. Most of Baltimore's bars and clubs are unpretentious places with fairly cheap drinks and plenty of character. I like dancing and think this city needs more clubs, but nothing beats having a cold, locally brewed beer with friends in a comfortably full corner bar.
Comments
Parting gift from 2008...Wu-Tang Clan at Sonar, December 31, 2008:
http://av.beatbots.com/2009/01/01/wu-tang-clan-sonar-main-baltimore-md-december-31-2008/
NOTE: if you're at work, use headphones or keep the volume down...the language can be offensive to some.
Posted by: Jeff Mewbourn | January 2, 2009 9:12 AM
Sam,
I don't know about that article. More baltimore bars closed in the last 12 months than the preceeding 24 months combined.
Not to mention, Pur is not alive and kicking, as it had already been closed at the time of press when you wrote that article.
2008 was not a good year for Baltimore bars, I have never seen available inventory to abundant in Baltimore. Bars including Huckas, Copra, Admirals Cup, Pur, just to name a few.
There are an additional handful of spaces on the edge of closing as well scattered through Canton, Fells Point, Mt Vernon and Federal Hill.
The Maryland Restaurant Association shows overall fiscal producitivty in Baltimore between both bar/restaruant members in excess of 28% below revenue at the same point just 18 months prior.
2008, Not a good year to own a bar in Baltimore. 2009, probally a worse year.
Posted by: Mark Twain | January 3, 2009 8:41 PM
You can add your always lovable
Crossroads Tavern, Brewers Hill Pub, The Royal (in FedHill? ), live music venue but the neighbors are fierce and will shut anything down if music is set above a 3 on the volume dial, the Irish Pub, Ncdevins was for sale, four bars in Mt. Vernon alone, Pur is alive and kicking like that squirrel my cat just caught, burritos fuego and the list goes on...
Does anyone know of a 7 bwl bar on the fell's point square that can also be a hookah bar?
Posted by: Anon | January 4, 2009 1:23 PM
Sorry, meant Charlottes = The Royal.
Posted by: Anon | January 4, 2009 7:11 PM
Talked to a friend who went to PUR a few weeks ago.. the cover is still in effect, and the drink prices are even worse.
Posted by: Drew from Greektown | January 5, 2009 8:50 AM
PUR is closed.
Posted by: Mark Twain | January 5, 2009 10:13 AM
Anon,
Which bars in Mt Vernon are for sale? Here's the old list I was working from, please let me know if there are some additions...
* Copra
* Jay's on Read (doesn't really want to sell)
* Dionysus
What am I missing?
Posted by: Mark Twain | January 5, 2009 11:03 AM
which bars in Mt. Vernon closed besides Liam's? Don't forget Lulu's in Fells as well as Hucka's and Kiss Cafe.
Posted by: J.M. Giordano | January 5, 2009 11:08 AM
Mark Twain,
Give Sam your email address. I gave him mine. Sorry to make you a matchmaker sam ;)
Posted by: Anon | January 5, 2009 4:25 PM
Turner's, on Cross Street, just changed hands. Heard that Juniors might have just been sold and I believe that Fed Hill Lounge is done right now. Sky Lounge changed hands this past year. The nic asian spanish fusion restaurant on Fort Avenue closed as well. People will start feeling the true effects of the economy in 2009. On the positive side, there will be a lot more drink specials.
Posted by: jason | January 6, 2009 12:31 AM
Hey Mark Twain,
You make some good points: "2008 was not a good year for Baltimore bars, I have never seen available inventory to abundant in Baltimore. Bars including Huckas, Copra, Admirals Cup, Pur, just to name a few."
But I think our gains (Windup Space, Hudson Street Stackhouse, Bad Decisions, Hamilton Tavern) outweighed our losses.
You're absolutely right about 2009 being worse. We're just now beginning to see the fallout from the economic meltdown. Could be a really rough year.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | January 6, 2009 10:03 AM
Pur didn't belong where it was. I live in Canton, and never went (I went to Good Love occasionally). I have no idea how Hukas lasted as long as it did.
I think the local watering hole is going to do just fine in 2009. The places going out of business were often never really in business, or were horribly run. The only one I can think of as a loss to the bargoing Baltimorian is the Admiral's Cup.
Posted by: Paul in Canton | January 7, 2009 12:09 PM