The Bar(n) is proposing to set up outdoor seating along the 49th Street sidewalk, shown here (Photo by West Philly Local)
Residents are invited tonight to a community meeting, which will discuss outdoor seating for The Bar(n), a bar at 4901 Catharine St.
The meeting will take place at the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore (Baltimore side entrance), beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The Bar(n) owner is requesting a permit for outdoor seating along the 49th Street sidewalk. At the meeting, you can meet the manager of the bar, see the seating plan and learn about their hours of outdoor service. The meeting is an opportunity to voice your opinion on this issue.
The Bar(n) opened in January 2015 in the former Third World Lounge space at the corner of 49th and Catharine. The bar reopened with a new concept thanks to a partnership among the restaurateurs who are also running Rx The Farmacy at 45th and Spruce and the building owner Noel Karasanyi.
June 8th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
I think outdoor seating would be a nuisance. All those tables would be in the way of the sidewalk, and the clientele – what a scary bunch!
June 8th, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Why don’t they try cleaning up the graffiti (as seen in the pic in the article) that’s been there for months! If this is any indication of how they run their business, then no, they don’t deserve to have outside seating.
June 8th, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Is there any way to give input on this permit application without attending tonight’s meeting?
Most bars of this type don’t have outdoor seating, so I don’t see why the Bar(n) needs one.
June 8th, 2016 at 3:52 pm
I don’t see why, when Dock street to the west and Clarkville to the east have outdoor seating, that they shouldn’t be able to. I think that they are trying to run a decent place in a space that has historically been disreputable. I think that if they are aiming for a more friendly and open environment that they should be allowed to do so. Maybe with the caveat that they attempt some outdoor beautification in the process.
June 8th, 2016 at 5:40 pm
Hopefully the meeting won’t be attended only by old cranks who hate everything 🙂
June 8th, 2016 at 6:16 pm
The sidewalk does not appear wide enough to accommodate wheelchair users. The sidewalk outside of Dock street is a lot wider. I’m am against the outdoor seating for this and other reasons.
June 8th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
What they really should do is put large windows in the side of the building like the ones at Aksum restaurant. Then they could open them up and it would be like being outside without all the disadvantages. Plus, it would improve the building’s appearance immensely (if done right). Obviously, though, that would cost more.
June 8th, 2016 at 8:28 pm
There isn’t really room for large tables there, it’s just a normal sidewalk. Gold Standard, okay, it’s out the way in that triangle. The Green Lines have a few small tables and chairs. Clarkeville seems to want to approach this by blocking off the sidewalk with huge planters, which is dumb.
Actually, large shutters/windows on the side would be a nice solution. They’d have to move that dumpster, though.
June 8th, 2016 at 9:01 pm
The owners of The Farmacy are no longer associated with The Barn. We helped the owner of the building relaunch the business with a new concept. We have not been a part of the business there since last year.
June 8th, 2016 at 10:15 pm
I understand that they don’t have a food license. So that makes this different than the other establishments mentioned. A bar with outside seating on an open corner of a large intersection sounds like a bad idea.
June 8th, 2016 at 11:09 pm
I agree that the sidewalk is too narrow for outdoor seating and wheelchair accessibility.
I also think that the 49th/Catherine intersection seems to feature cars making high speed turns, going from northbound 49th (an arterial) to westbound on Catherine.
Here’s what I would suggest:
– convert the 49/Catherine intersection (from the Penn Pizza to the barn at the corner) to a sidewalk or green space area
– extend the boundaries of Clark Park all the way into this new space. Maybe bring some of the soon-to-be-installed playground in as well?
– make the sidewalk nice and wide.
This has the following benefits:
– give businesses some outdoor seating (Hibiscus, Baby’s and Bar(n) would all be well suited for outdoor space. Not sure if the pizza place clientele would care).
– increases the number of people around at night for good reasons; might increases safety of the area with eyes on the street
– offers more playground/park space in a popular area
– pedestrian safety is increased
– makes sidewalk wheelchair accessible
– less thru-traffic on Catherine
Negatives:
– a few parking spaces
I’m sure that the people who live on that street would be happy to see less thru-traffic.
June 9th, 2016 at 12:00 pm
gordon, sure, but there’s already a parklet right there on Catherine…
June 9th, 2016 at 12:50 pm
do you mean the sidewalk “extension” or the little triangle of space with the Clark Park sign?
the “extension” parklet with the outdoor seating (I thought?) is only temporary, right?
the little triangle of space is just a garden with a sign – no grass. I suggest that the east end of Catherine (at 49th) just be closed to traffic entirely.
June 9th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
pro tip: become a good neighbor, then ask for favors.
June 9th, 2016 at 1:07 pm
also, dibs on the table beneath the peepee pipe
June 9th, 2016 at 1:16 pm
hey folks, chop chop.
Repeating false information doesn’t help…
http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-17/news/42117417_1_pvc-pipe-urine-myth
#notapeepeepipe
June 9th, 2016 at 4:20 pm
No food license doesn’t stop them from grilling outside on Saturdays. With plenty of flies circling the meat…