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What is the Ace Hotel up to? Even though their basement "bar" Liberty Hall is billed as a special-event space, it’s open to the public multiple nights a week. That sounds like a bar! It appears the classic switcheroo is in place. (By keeping the concept loose, they get a free pass for the slap-dash decor and DIY vibe that makes up the space). It's all very practical, really. Not only does Liberty provide room for the overflow of patrons that flock the upstairs gastropub The Breslin, and mobbed lobby bar. It’s also become a nightlife destination in its own right. On most nights, there are two special events going on here: drinking and dancing.
Getting in: The Hall offers a separate entrance from the street, meaning you don’t have to deal with the doorman who, clicker in hand, claims that the lobby bar is full (more on that later). Once you head through the door and walk down a gritty looking hallway, you’re greeted by the elevator, which is next to recycling cans from the hotel’s Stumptown Coffee outpost. The lift is painted with the slogan “Let’s Do This,” and the buttons contain marker-written labels like “Don’t go there.” It’s all charmingly shabby and, like the countless pig tchotchkes that line the walls of The Breslin, elaborately planned.
The space: It looks like a Craigslist Man with a Van just finished delivering furniture into an empty apartment. Mismatched chairs are smattered around the room, and a few leather couches collect bar-goers lucky enough to get there early. One of the walls is a folding divider that opens into the larger basement, giving the space a rec-room feel. The bar and the DJ stand are also ad-hoc setups on folding tables, with the bartender pulling beers out of an old fashioned refrigerator (nice touch!). Though everything is a mishmash, it feels like a bunch of cool kids got together to throw a party in their parent’s basement. Yes, cocktails are $12. (A bunch of cool, rich kids put together this basement party.) The cobbled-together vibe also extends to the hours. They were open at 6 p.m. on a weeknight visit and kept the doors shut ‘til 9 p.m. on a Saturday stop by. Call ahead to confirm that they’re doing business.
Drinks:: The same drink list as the lobby bar. It’s a small selection of specialty cocktails named after songs. The Buffalo Soldier was a tangy standout, the combination of rum, black tea syrup, lemon and bitters goes down easy and packs a citrusy zing. Stay away from the Lovely Day. This combo of tequila, Ribena blackcurrant syrup, and club soda should be called the Overpowering Taste of Tequila Day. Really, the cocktails are an afterthought here. Make like the other fancy-pants drinkers in the room and stick with some bubbly prosecco as you bob to the music. Or drink for free at an event that you were invited to our crashed.
Crowd: A mix of overflow from the hotel's other drinking spots and uptown nightlife enthusiasts enjoying a few drinks before heading below 14th Street. One woman came down to check out the space, taking a breather from April Bloomfield’s hearty cooking. “It looks like a thing on the side of the road,” she exclaimed before tipsily heading back to face her heart-clogging entree. Another account executive type danced frantically to Hot Chip’s “Over and Over” as his two lady friends sat and sipped cocktails. He claimed he was headed to Kiss and Fly, where he would doubtlessly go to the bathroom over and over again to, ahem, energize.
Soundtrack: No complaints. A mix of Top 40, Motown, ‘80s—basically anything that gets the crowd moving. There’s not really a dance floor setup here, so everyone kind of sways in place. Most of the songs are fun, but everybody got way too excited when “Cry Me a River” came on. People, it’s time to move on from 2002.
Bottom line: The drinks aren’t great, the patrons can be douchey, but the whole of Liberty Hall is greater than the sum of its parts. Since they’ve played up the dingy basement aspect of the space, you don’t expect an award winning experience. Liberty Hall is a weigh station—stop in after work, before dinner, or on your way to the clubs to enjoy the seemingly impromptu bash. You may even get caught up in the spirit, and try to recreate some memorable basement party moments from your past. Make out in the corner? With all the revelers in the room, someone is bound to say let’s do this.
Photo by Gabi Porter
