In Search of The New West End

When news got out that the historic beer-and-pub-grub house popularly known as the 'Stend would be closing its doors to make way for the Cuban bistro Havana Central, many Columbia students were shocked.

"Where are the freshmen going to go now before they get their IDs?" Emma Mendelson, BC '08, asked last spring.

Theoretically, after the closing of such a historic establishment, all of the bars in the area should be vying for the title of "the new West End." But each bar has a different excuse for why its business has picked up, if at all, and none will claim the West End's crowd just yet.

Instead, several bartenders and owners of local bars pointed to the coming weeks-as students settle in and Havana Central opens-as the true test for the transformed Columbia bar scene.

"I don't think anything can replace the West End ... But I don't think it's going to be what it used to be-just a beerfest," Kevin Lydon, general manager of The Heights, said.

According to Lydon, the West End's business has become relatively evenly dispersed among the bars south of it, namely O'Connell's, 1020, Mona, Roadhouse, The Abbey, and Lion's Head.

Lydon did note an increase in business at The Heights, but he said he wasn't sure if it is attributable to the loss of the West End or to The Heights' revamped roof, which now features an awning that allows it to retain business even on rainy days. Lydon says that since the West End closed, the lines to get into The Heights are longer and more people are being turned away, but business is limited by cramped quarters.

Business "probably had to [increase], but we really have nowhere to put them [customers]," Lydon said.

Small size also affects business at The Lion's Head, similar to the former West End with its cheap beer and bar food.

"It's a hang; it's not any pretension. We're too small to be the big place for everyone to go to," co-owner Mike Kiernan said.

Despite its distance, the Lion's Head is often crowded, due in large part to the increased traffic on that stretch of Amsterdam because of the openings and reopenings of several area bars such as Mona, Roadhouse, and Suite.

According to its management, 1020, a bar known for its crowds, has not had a substantial increase in business since the spring and has not attracted the West End's customers in any way.

"During the school year, we try to attract a slightly older crowd. We card pretty hard at the door. I think the West End gate certainly had a reputation for a younger clientele," said co-owner Gene Steinhart. "A lot of young kids are trying to get in, but when we turn them down, they're heading down to Roadhouse."

Mona and Roadhouse, operating under the same management, have both been steadily adding programming, special events, and additional features since their respective openings. From a boxing machine and specialty shots with names like Shrieking Monkey Spanker and Smurf Spunk at Roadhouse to Mona's giant projection screen and monthly art exhibitions, the two bars beckon every type of student to venture down Amsterdam. But they, too, deny that they have inherited the West End's clientele.

"Since the West End closed, business hasn't really picked up per se because it's been a slow summer. Once we get through September, business should get better," Mona bartender Karriem Holman said.

Whether the masses will make the trek to the other bars on Amsterdam remains to be seen. "I feel, in general, that people are lazy and might just go down to the next bar, which I guess is Nacho's," Randall Johnson, SEAS '08, said.