Happy Hour At Bar Nine
I’m baaaack! Anybody out there? Well, so far, no job, but that will not deter this week’s Happy Hour! outing! When my parents were in town, I went to a bar and met a TWM reader from Georgia named, Bill. It’s always fun for me to meet readers of the blog and Bill was no exception, we had a great time chatting and having a few beers. Well, that day a reader named Ray Ray, left a comment on that days post and he wrote: “Hey Marty, I just saw you on 55th and 7th ave. Wanted to say hi but i lost you in the crowd. You are getting very famous!” That cracked me up and I commented back that he should email me if he’d like to have a beer sometime. Well, he did just that and tonight we get to meet Ray at this week’s happy hour! Let's go!
We'll be taking the Q train to midtown.
Usually I have to wait forever for the stupid Q train to show up, but as I land on the bottom of the stairs, here it is! Oh happy day!
I found a seat next to this guy who was out like a light. I've never understood how people can sleep on subways and as I type this, I suddenly realize that I don't understand the phrase, "out like a light." This will bother me all day.
And through the miracle of the internet, you're saved walking three blocks in the wrong direction and then finally making it here to Bar Nine.
This woman was sitting on the bench in front of the bar and I asked if I could take her picture and she said yes, so I snapped this photo. She then asked if I could send it to her and I asked her what was her email address and she gave me her street address complete with apartment number. I don't think she knows what email is. I'm jealous!
According to the sign, happy hour is underway, let's go inside and check it out.
It's nice in here and fairly dark, I think Al would approve of the place!
And what's even nicer is Marina, the pretty and friendly bartender who's quick with a bottle of Budweiser.
There's my spot at the bar, the bottle of Bud marks the spot.
These big industrial lights hover over the bar, bathing it in a yellow hue.
Here's some of the beers on draft.
Check out the Full Metal Jacket painting on the brick wall. Marina told me that all the art in the bar is done by local artist, Benjamin Enzfelder.
Here's another Enzfelder original, Travis Bickle with Bar Nine in the background.
Apparently there's a pool table in the back. Let's go take a look.
Here's some leather couches in a lounge area, but I don't see a pool table.
But a backward glance reveals the pool table in the very back of the bar.
Here's another lounge area up front. Check out the table...
Number nine...number nine...number nine...
And back at the bar, Marina is busy pouring a beer. But when she was done she introduced me to...
Benjamin, the artist who's paintings we just looked at. Benjamin's a nice guy and a great artist, check out more of his work here: Enzfelder Studios.
And as I settled back in to the bar, Ray showed up. He covered his face for his photo, I think he's either camera shy or wanted by the law...probably both. Ray's a great guy and we had some beers and a nice conversation about the blog, New York, music and before I knew it, it was time to head home.
And as I head towards the subway station, night has fallen on midtown, and you probably know by now that I love that. See you tomorrow!
Bar Nine
807 Ninth Ave. (Near 53rd St.)
212-399-9336
Happy Hour Specials (noon to 8PM): Four dollar Coors Light, 11 dollar pitches of Coors, Four buck Corona's and 25 cent hot wings.
Further Reading: New York Magazine, Time Out New York and Shecky's.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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Bonus Travis Bickle Illustration by Jaws!
After seeing the Travis Bickle artwork on the wall of Bar Nine, Jaws the Cabbie sent in his own Travis artwork! Thanks, Jaws!
Bar Nine, Happy Hour, Hell's Kitchen Posted on Friday, May 4, 2012 at 10:17AM
Reader Comments (26)
I hope you mail that nice lady a photo.
Also, an explanation of your query with bonus metaphysical implications.
It must be a sign of me getting old, but drinks are expensive in New York! Especially since those shown were happy hour prices! I remember when Guinness was $4
Bonus points for the little old lady out front :)
Though I prefer the Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs version of Love Potion No.9 ... I did just about twist the heel off of my go-go boots whilst listening to The Ventures version. This sort of behavior is, I believe, why they gave me my own office instead of putting me in the cubicle farm.
The nice lady out front & Marina = Good.
$7 Guinness - during happy hour = Bad.
Hey, you're back! Good thing about NYC there are more than enough bars to hang out while you're looking for something do. And 4 bucks for a Guinness? Damn, I remember when it was a $1.25 and that was very high priced. So keep looking, but you ever think of being a bartender? Just a thought ;)
@csp: Sadly I didn't write her address down, but I have a feeling she forgot all about it as soon as I went in to the bar. Nice linkage!
@Mattyanza: It ain't cheap to drink in the city, but I've found a little more wallet-friendly place for next Friday, stay tuned!
@roadsidewonders: Too funny about your own office, glad you've got a dancing area in there! And now I have to go to YouTube to see if they have that Sam the Sham version of Love Potion Number Nine, I've never heard that one!
@GENE: Agreed and I have to add that four buck bottles of Budweiser were good as well!
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: $1.25 for a Guinness? What year was that? I wish I could travel back in time and have a few of them at that price! I've never bartended, but it is something I've thought about, we'll see down the road.
great to see you back and even better to see pretty marina behind the bar! the art in there is very cool, love that travis painting and great that you got to meet the artist! and we (almost) meet another TWM reader, next time he has to show his face! lol!!
Dark in there,,,and those amber lights, and the tin ceiling, great bar. Old lady out front should be careful giving out her address,,,some people not as nice as you. #9 a big deal in Lennon's life,,,born Oct 9, Sean born Oct 9, Revolution #9, One after 909, #9 Dream, Killed Dec 8th but announced late almost the ninth. Weird shit I think about. 4 dollars for a bud lite, and 4 dollars for a Corona,,,take the Corona, Guinness at 7 dollars for happy hour is a little high.
$7 Guinness during happy hour? I don't even pay that much for non-happy hour prices -- $6 the most.
But I guess it's all worth it to see the art, the purrrdy Marina, and to converse with the comely woman sitting on the bench.
@Bobby D: Thanks, good to be back! And we'll work on Ray showing his face the next time he appears on TWM!
@Al: That is crazy how the number nine played such a big part of Lennon's life. You'd like Bar Nine, nice and dark, cool art and of course, Marina behind the bar!
@esquared: I agree about the seven buck Guinness, that's why I stuck with my old friend, Budweiser! And meeting Ray, the art, the nice woman outside and Marina, definitely made the evening a nice one!
Hey Marty, a couple of blogs ago, I remember jazzing you about your Travis Bickle Night Driving existance...check your e-mail!
Damn. I thought that was Humongous from 'Road warrior' on the train.
Great bar and ever greater decor!
Good talking with you the other night.
At first, I thought the dude on the train was wearing a winter coat with a gigantic faux fur collar. But then I realized that it's approximately 80 degrees outside, so I looked again, and it appears to be some sort of combination between a broken neck collar and a neck pillow. Which can only mean that that gentleman is a true professional public sleeper. And also smart, considering the fact that it's big enough to protect his face from the hundreds of thousands of contagions that must hang on those train seats and poles and whatnot. So, a smart public sleeper! Unless I misjudged and it was actually his coat. In which case, he must've been really hot. I like Bar 9. Especially those lights.
Thursday’s post, well worth the wait. Marty as a bartender? Beer vendor to Marty: “What do ya mean, you’re low on Bud, I just delivered 3 kegs yesterday?
Marty to beer vendor: "Just trying to keep my customers nice and happy." *burp burp*
@Jaws: I'll go check it soon, thanks!
@"Boris:" Ha ha ha! True! It is a great place, Ray picked it, so he gets the credit! And great yakking with you too, Daddio!
@Biff: Nice observation on the collar! A professional public sleeper, I need to find out where I can apply for that job!
@Duncester: Ha ha ha! Glad you liked the post!
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: *Burrrrp.*
See. If you had put your new polaroid camera in the shoe box/ipad you could have taken her picture and given it to her and taken a picture of her holding her picture with digital camera. It's all very meta.
@randall: Ha ha ha! I've just appointed you Chief Technology Officer of TMW!
Welcome Home Marty, I love the pic of that Old Lady on the bench, that would make a great album cover.
I want that #9 table, love mosaic.
back online ( i hope )...missed commenting ( if you could call it that )...off topic ( damn already ) but has any cat owners had one that could ruin a new pair of jeans with one or five swipes in a matter of seconds?...back to the post and a recap that i missed>hope TWM gets sumthing he likes can live with and grow or at least expand with...another side comment...ahh would have went w/ herb albert's version...just for the fuck of it...
For the past few years I have engaged in several inappropriate conversations conducted over Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and occasionally on the phone with women I have met online.
Anthony Weine
rr
Glad to see you back Marty.I was in this bar last year and the guy was painting the full metal jacket painting then.Nice to see the finished product.Good luck on the job hunt!
@Danny the freelancer: Thanks, glad you liked the photo and I'd love to have that table too! Too bad it didn't fit in my pocket.
@rr: Holy shitballs, he's back! Welcome back, Kotter, great to see you in the comments section again! Wonderful quote as always!
@Alan Simpson: Too cool that you saw him painting the Full Metal Jacket artwork! And thanks for the job hunt wishes, we'll see what happens.
Marty, glad to see you are back in action.
Hopefully all the noise in the news about banning happy hours will not get any traction.
@DaveW: Great to be back in action! And I hear you about the happy hour ban, that would truly suck!
Didn't realize my rhyming post read like a Nipsy Russell impersonation.
Quite frankly, I think the proposed ban is a political red herring. Then again, the real problem is that an otherwise sharp individual floated the idea.
@DaveW: Ha ha ha! I liked the rhyming comment!