Union Hall-Blessing or Curse?

Chipster, what do you mean by a regular bar? Not Southpaw or The Gate? Forget that -- I want to hear more What You've Heard, cause it sounds juicy. :twisted:
And is $30,000 the 1970 price for a Union St brownstone?

Here's what I know.
I walk by it all the time, and I have to say they are not the world's best neighbor. If I were on that block, especially next door, I'd be pissed too...that space used to be a perfectly quiet cabinet showroom/workshop.

Nobody lives above them, but they've got residential neighbors on the ave and on Union. I don't think they did such a great job soundproofing the downstairs performance space. Some nights it's a rock club, and most weekends they clearly need a bouncer. It's a *big* club. Every weekend it's something, you know? One morning, an apt's exterior glass doors were all smashed up, which I heard had to do with a fight at the bar.

And forget the dog poop, we have aging frat boy barf now.
Paired with the unimpressive selection of beers, that's unforgivable.

i once lived above chumley's on beford and barrow. it took only weeks to get over the "i live over a living monument!" stuff. i quickly took to yelling at drunken frat boys at 5:00 am. every weekend vomit ran like a deadly river that only residents knew. my native american name became "naked guy yelling". i will never live above or next to a bar ever again.

Pitu, Karl rolls initiative and abides.

Is that the bocce place?

Anonymous wrote: Is that the bocce place?

yeah, that's the bocce place
I thought *that* part of it was brilliant -- a nice bar activity. The crowd is not my scene, so I haven't been in more than a few times, and now that I keep hearing rotten stuff about how it's effecting the neighbors, I didn't go when there *was* a band I wanted to see. It's a shame, because I don't think it has to be that way.

I'm not saying it's mayhem over there all the time -- obviously there's quiet shows and loud shows, and afternoons where you can see a half dozen babies through the window. But anytime you get a few dozen drunk people coming out of a bar to smoke or go home at 2 or 3 or 4 am, it's a drag for people that aren't them. It's a residential block, not a commercial avenue.

Anybody know them? Tell them to get a bouncer!

Karl:

The Chipster wrote: And pitu, they do have bouncers..I was just seeing if old PS was embracing new PS, and all that implies.

I'm glad to hear that -- I just haven't seen them outside when I'm walking the dog late and a show is gettting out. I guess they're not kindergarden teachers making the kids behave....

I don't think that's a new/old Slope thing exactly . . . who wants barf in front of their door 'cause there's suddenly a bar scene? I hope they get a hose hooked up for cleanup during the summer months . . .

So, neighbors are complaining; patrons aren't happy; shunned bands by the truckload are frustrated; the competition is probably not too thrilled with their booking policy; and they serve $12 martinis. Yeah, that's sounds like a plan.

I never liked this bar. As I've posted before, it always came across as the place for the not-ready-for-a-Brooklyn-bar-yet set; the omigod-we're-so-cool-we're-slumming-in-Brooklyn types. Anyway...at best, UH is, as fellow poster marden recently described it:

"a weird mix of hipsters coming up from the show downstairs, girls decked out in their cutest dress walking back and forth smelling of desperation, groups of friends making fun of them, and young mom and young dad out for the night."

If that's the highest compliment you can pay a joint, then...

I went to Union Hall once, and that was on opening week. Wasn't anything special, so I never went back. Saw nothing wrong with it.

If people want quiet, they shouldn't live in NYC, especially right off a major commercial ave like 5th ave. It's quite simple. If any "older" homeowners are complaining, I wounder would they give back their huge property increases to live like it was back in the '70s. I bet they wouldn't. They want the good, but not the bad. You can't have it both ways.

The Chipster wrote: Are you kidding Mixergirl? I actually think the bar is pretty proportionate to the race mixture of PS. Not as many girls as guys; but that's every bar! Most girls just don't go out drinkin as much. I won't add more--cuz I don't want to turn this into another annoying faux-racial thread.
More responses? Other nice bar scenes?

I have to agree with Mixergirl.
I too, on the rare occasions I went in to Union Station, found it to be white white white, and not representative of anything I know of this nabe. Except when there's those infants meeting up in the front room.
For the first time EVER, I see multiple yellow cabs on that corner all the time. Something different is afoot, and I think MKeys nailed it...or that hilarity he quotes does.

On the other hand, every random visit to the other new *nice* bar, Sheep Station on 4th and Douglass finds a super mixed crowd - by race, gender, and sexual preference. It's a beautiful thing. Of course there's no rock bands; there's rugby and cricket on their back tv and *some* live music, no amplification. That's the place I'm glad I can walk home from...

The management totally makes it happen in all cases, so go figure. I hope I can say that without stiring up "faux-racializing."

Subject: Re: Union Hall

Marty wrote: Oh my, please! Get over it! Drive them out of town and you can have your banal Tea Lounges and little Italian Ice stand and hope that you can drive a cute couple off the sidewalk with your triple wide baby stroller.

Not quite. Aside from the bocce what does Union Hall offer that the myriad of bars in the 'hood don't?
Better or comparable drink prices? No.
Atmosphere? Wrong again.
Crowd variety? Uh-uh.
Great shows? Southpaw outdoes them by far in quantity, quality and space.
So, what is their pull? Newness? Not for long.

I think its a good think to have multiple places to see good live music within walking distance of your apartment. I dont live in NYC but from looking at the calender at Union Hall they have some good up coming stuff. Both the Rosebuds and the Old Ceremony are from Chapel Hill where I live and both are amazing.

seems like a bitch fest in here.

guest wrote: I think its a good think to have multiple places to see good live music within walking distance of your apartment. I dont live in NYC but from looking at the calender at Union Hall they have some good up coming stuff.

Agreed. Options are always a good thing. But if you don't mind watching a rock show in a space obviously designed for poetry, standup or acoustic duos, where a band and their gear take up almost half of the room space, then by all means.

Anonymous wrote: you obviously dont like to rock

sorry, Michael. Dontcha mean:
??

SLAYER!