Antique Bar

[smurf]

Antique bar opened on Main near Anita. My friend and I walked over to from a few friends' place nearby aftter playing poker to check out this bar. We were told by the guy at the door that they have a private party tonight even though the bar is open. Fair enough. But as we were walking off, two white girls walk up and they are unaware of any party and the guy was welcoming them in. My friend and I are minorities. I have heard of this happening to a few people when a new trendy place opens up, but this is a first hand experience.

I had higher expectations of this place considering they were promoting antiques and historical stuff, but this is turning into another trendy wanna-be douchebag bar.

I suggest people should enjoy Community (Wine) Bar nearby. It is one of the better low key recent establishments in the area.

Irfan

[AtticaFlinch]

Antique bar opened on Main near Anita. My friend and I walked over to from a few friends' place nearby aftter playing poker to check out this bar. We were told by the guy at the door that they have a private party tonight even though the bar is open. Fair enough. But as we were walking off, two white girls walk up and they are unaware of any party and the guy was welcoming them in. My friend and I are minorities. I have heard of this happening to a few people when a new trendy place opens up, but this is a first hand experience.

I had higher expectations of this place considering they were promoting antiques and historical stuff, but this is turning into another trendy wanna-be douchebag bar.

I suggest people should enjoy Community (Wine) Bar nearby. It is one of the better low key recent establishments in the area.

Irfan

That's Midtown for ya. The island in lower Midtown and a handful of localized bars are all that remains of the douchy-free zone.

[brian0123]

That's Midtown for ya. The island in lower Midtown and a handful of localized bars are all that remains of the douchy-free zone.

I had no idea this bar was open. From the looks of their website, it looks like a really cool place. I'll have to go check it out w/ my wife soon. Besides, I'd rather have this than an empty building surrounded by cracked out thugs that used to hang around here. We need more places like this in that area.

[kylejack]

I've been to it twice and enjoyed myself. Both times there were various minorities, so let's not jump to conclusions, though what you experienced does concern me. Perhaps the bouncer knew the two girls or something like that?

[kylejack]

I had no idea this bar was open. From the looks of their website, it looks like a really cool place. I'll have to go check it out w/ my wife soon. Besides, I'd rather have this than an empty building surrounded by cracked out thugs that used to hang around here. We need more places like this in that area.

It was Main Street Improv until they got some water damage and had to shut down.

[TJones]

Antique bar opened on Main near Anita. My friend and I walked over to from a few friends' place nearby aftter playing poker to check out this bar. We were told by the guy at the door that they have a private party tonight even though the bar is open. Fair enough. But as we were walking off, two white girls walk up and they are unaware of any party and the guy was welcoming them in. My friend and I are minorities. I have heard of this happening to a few people when a new trendy place opens up, but this is a first hand experience.

I had higher expectations of this place considering they were promoting antiques and historical stuff, but this is turning into another trendy wanna-be douchebag bar.

I suggest people should enjoy Community (Wine) Bar nearby. It is one of the better low key recent establishments in the area.

Irfan

Same thing happened to me at another establishment over off Washington, smurf. If it's Saturday night and you aren't dressed right, you won't get in. I was dressed down, VERY down, talkin jeans and a less than flattering pull over polo. I am sure that if I had worn an Affliction t-shirt that had been "be-dazzled" I would have gotten in with no questions. Unfortunately the douchebag doorman didn't know that I knew the owner, and after a quick phone call, he was promptly corrected of his faux-pas and my buddy and I were escorted in, post-haste, with a nice fat apology from the doorman.

Edited February 8, 2010 by TJones

[kylejack]

Same thing happened to me at another establishment over off Washington, smurf. If it's Saturday night and you aren't dressed right, you won't get in. I was dressed down, VERY down, talkin jeans and a less thna flattering pull over polo. I am sure that if I had worn an Affliction t-shirt that had been "be-dazzled" I would have gotten in with no questions. Unfortunately the douchebag doorman didn't know that I knew the owner, and after a quick phone call, he was promptly corrected of his faux-pas and my buddy and I were escorted in post-haste with a nice fat apology from the doorman.

Was this Bronx Bar, by chance?

[TJones]

Was this Bronx Bar, by chance?

Nope, little closer to N.Shepherd. I would not step foot into Bronx Bar.

Edited February 8, 2010 by TJones

[Hanuman]

Antique bar opened on Main near Anita. My friend and I walked over to from a few friends' place nearby aftter playing poker to check out this bar. We were told by the guy at the door that they have a private party tonight even though the bar is open. Fair enough. But as we were walking off, two white girls walk up and they are unaware of any party and the guy was welcoming them in. My friend and I are minorities. I have heard of this happening to a few people when a new trendy place opens up, but this is a first hand experience.

I had higher expectations of this place considering they were promoting antiques and historical stuff, but this is turning into another trendy wanna-be douchebag bar.

I suggest people should enjoy Community (Wine) Bar nearby. It is one of the better low key recent establishments in the area.

Irfan

We are Indian ( Ultimate minority ), but we got right in with no problem. The only problem we have ever had was dress codes. Most people are very nice, but we get some strange looks. No problem, we are different!

Edited February 9, 2010 by Hanuman

[AtticaFlinch]

We are Indian ( Ultimate minority ),

Unless we're talking globally here. The Indians and the Chinese are in a near constant fecundity battle for plurality domination. Based on hearsay, I suspect the Indians will ultimately win. A friend of mine who'd spent some time in India has said Mumbai makes Manhattan look like a sprawling suburb.

Unless... unless you meant you were an American Indian.... Then yeah, you are the ultimate minority. You can thank small pox, gold lust and Manifest Destiny for that.

[kylejack]

Spoke with Nouveau via their Facebook page without describing the specific incident that you encountered and they say Saturday was a soft opening limited to invitees. They say they are now completely open to the public, going forward. Try getting in again, smurf. I'm really curious about this.

[Hanuman]

Unless we're talking globally here. The Indians and the Chinese are in a near constant fecundity battle for plurality domination. Based on hearsay, I suspect the Indians will ultimately win. A friend of mine who'd spent some time in India has said Mumbai makes Manhattan look like a sprawling suburb.

Unless... unless you meant you were an American Indian.... Then yeah, you are the ultimate minority. You can thank small pox, gold lust and Manifest Destiny for that.

No, I was talking about Indians in America, not American Indians. Home of Bollywood, and over a million people per square mile... as well as the most beautiful women in the World... Yes!

[samagon]

No, I was talking about Indians in America, not American Indians. Home of Bollywood, and over a million people per square mile... as well as the most beautiful women in the World... Yes!

wait, I'm confused, are you talking about Indian women, or Filipino women?

I only ask because my fiance is Filipino, and well, she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

I'll agree to disagree!

[TJones]

wait, I'm confused, are you talking about Indian women, or Filipino women?

I only ask because my fiance is Filipino, and well, she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

I'll agree to disagree!

Dude, using this forum to try and score points with your oldlady just before Valentine's Day is just................sad.

[AtticaFlinch]

Dude, using this forum to try and score points with your oldlady just before Valentine's Day is just................sad.

Well... at least he didn't use the heart smiley. That would have been even sadder.

[Hanuman]

wait, I'm confused, are you talking about Indian women, or Filipino women?

I only ask because my fiance is Filipino, and well, she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

I'll agree to disagree!

Good point to ponder... Solution: Let's all meet at the club, and bring our women. We can sponsor a, "Most Beautiful Woman In The World " contest.Lol!

Seriously Samagon, have a great Valentine's Day with your Filipino baby. I'll agree to change my opinion in honor of your fiance', and say instead, that Indian women are some of the most beautiful women in the World...O.K.?

[brian0123]

My wife and I met some friends here last night to check out this place. Needless to say, it's one of our favorite places now. Good music, cool vibe, decently priced drinks, and it's a place you can actually have a conversation instead of screaming over music. Also, TONS of free parking. I think this is the only bar in Midtown with a huge parking lot that you just pull up into and walk inside the place.... very awesome.

[Hanuman]

My wife and I met some friends here last night to check out this place. Needless to say, it's one of our favorite places now. Good music, cool vibe, decently priced drinks, and it's a place you can actually have a conversation instead of screaming over music. Also, TONS of free parking. I think this is the only bar in Midtown with a huge parking lot that you just pull up into and walk inside the place.... very awesome.

Great tip Brian, see you there!

[kylejack]

Yeah, I think they have a winning combination assuming they're not paying too much to rent all that bar space and parking space. All in all it seems like a pretty cool place.

[smurf]

First, just to clarify a few points, we were dressed well that night to get into almost everywhere. Second, I emailed back & forth with the onwer that night and the next day, and he said yes they had a small private party that night but the place was open to all. He said he would look into re-assigning the bouncer. Third, the bouncer did not know the girls and they were unaware of this party. Fourth, my friend and I go out enough times a week and there are too many other locally owned nearby night life places deserving of our money so I am in no hurry to go or positively promote Antique Bar anytime soon.

Similiar stories have surfaced about the former Brownstone antique restuarant on Westheimer, now a lounge called Red Room lately also. Does anyone know if they are owned or financed by the same group? Same of these places do not want to lose their "white" label and be a "minority" place. I am pretty sure if we were with a group of "whites", the bouncer would have just checked our IDs and let us in. When I use the term "minority" here, I mean 20 or 30 something professionals who happen to be "non-whites". We are craft beer connoisseurs - How much more yuppies can you not be?

I just wanted to say what I had experienced there,a nd I don't care if you love the place and go there often. But next time, any of you go to Antique Bar, ask yourself, how many "minorities" are hanging out in the place compared to "whites" or coming in there in groups?

The point is are we losing our international city identity and becoming another southern segregated city like Dallas?

Luckily, I discovered a really cool relatively new dive bar yesterday with old school blues music which gives me hope we are not. I will leave the advertisement for another place & time

[kylejack]

First, just to clarify a few points, we were dressed well that night to get into almost everywhere. Second, I emailed back & forth with the onwer that night and the next day, and he said yes they had a small private party that night but the place was open to all. He said he would look into re-assigning the bouncer. Third, the bouncer did not know the girls and they were unaware of this party. Fourth, my friend and I go out enough times a week and there are too many other locally owned nearby night life places deserving of our money so I am in no hurry to go or positively promote Antique Bar anytime soon.

I wasn't asking you to positively promote, just to test the door on a Saturday again. Your story concerns me and as someone who got really angry about Bronx Bar's racist door policy, I'm more than willing to get angry about this one too.

I just wanted to say what I had experienced there,a nd I don't care if you love the place and go there often. But next time, any of you go to Antique Bar, ask yourself, how many "minorities" are hanging out in the place compared to "whites" or coming in there in groups?

The two times I was there I would say it was about 50% white.

[musicman]

The two times I was there I would say it was about 50% white.

80% tonight, but no minorities were turned away. recommended drinks were weak. had an anvil flashback.

[Ringo3Khan]

That's Midtown for ya. The island in lower Midtown and a handful of localized bars are all that remains of the douchy-free zone.

This thread is doubtless dead, but I've puzzled through it three times in disbelief, puzzling over the real thrust of the issues discussed here. I'm left to question: what's the term douchy refer to? I get the impression that some of the localized bars are actively discriminating on the basis of color? (that's illegal the last time I checked). Or is the idea that many of the bars appear to be snobby and are turning people away on the basis of some dress code? I are cornfused here; don't get it. How could any bar establishment in Houston expect to stay open if it were discriminating on the basis of race?

[kylejack]

This thread is doubtless dead, but I've puzzled through it three times in disbelief, puzzling over the real thrust of the issues discussed here. I'm left to question: what's the term douchy refer to? I get the impression that some of the localized bars are actively discriminating on the basis of color? (that's illegal the last time I checked). Or is the idea that many of the bars appear to be snobby and are turning people away on the basis of some dress code? I are cornfused here; don't get it. How could any bar establishment in Houston expect to stay open if it were discriminating on the basis of race?

Not Midtown, but here's one tale of Bronx Bar allegedly discriminating: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/07/_normal_0_microsoftinternetexp.php

[west20th]

This thread is doubtless dead, but I've puzzled through it three times in disbelief, puzzling over the real thrust of the issues discussed here. I'm left to question: what's the term douchy refer to? I get the impression that some of the localized bars are actively discriminating on the basis of color? (that's illegal the last time I checked). Or is the idea that many of the bars appear to be snobby and are turning people away on the basis of some dress code? I are cornfused here; don't get it. How could any bar establishment in Houston expect to stay open if it were discriminating on the basis of race?

What does douchebag refer to? That is one of those "i know it when I see it but can't put it to words" type of things. Maybe this will help.

http://www.youmightbeadouchebagif.com/

[AtticaFlinch]

What does douchebag refer to? That is one of those "i know it when I see it but can't put it to words" type of things. Maybe this will help.

http://www.youmightbeadouchebagif.com/

An illustration to add to your explanation:

[musicman]

Not Midtown, but here's one tale of Bronx Bar allegedly discriminating: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/07/_normal_0_microsoftinternetexp.php

antique bar customers are saying the same thing. but please patron both anvil and antique bar if you like weak drinks.

[kylejack]

antique bar customers are saying the same thing. but please patron both anvil and antique bar if you like weak drinks.

I have not been to Antique since this thread started because I take such allegations seriously.

[Fringe]

antique bar customers are saying the same thing.  but please patron both anvil and antique bar if you like weak drinks.

The drinks at Anvil are far from being weak. At least none that I have had. 

[ToolMan]

antique bar customers are saying the same thing. but please patron both anvil and antique bar if you like weak drinks.

That's why I drink beer the majority of the time.