07/21/09

Trigger Happy Hour

by ApollosBullets

the gringo with the misappropriated paddy hat run one of the worst bars in the entire north eastern region of the U.S. he himself is extremely unkempt, greasy and smells like the apocalypse died in a smallpox hospital during some long forgotten year of plague. despite his poor hygiene and appearance (he kind of reminds me of the Scarecrow villain from Batman), he imposes a White Supremacist and Patriarchal standard in screening at the door. you could spend a load of time just tallying up the folks of color who are told, "they're not regulars" or "you're too...casual". mind you the difficulty with becoming a regular when you keep people of color from never being able to enter. also, the term "casual" is a loosely veiled moniker for, "colored". seeing that the white folks inside are dressed in vintage laundry that hasn't been washed, with moth holes both intentional and accident - it's bitter that POCs (people of color) are called out for being baggy when the Jonas Brothers inside are painting on their torn jeans.

in summary,

the continental embodies a lot of why downtown manhattan, despite its lip service to being "alternative" or "sub-corporate", will continue to decay in its own fantasy world, and continue to draw in the hipsters who believe themselves to be "liberated-chic" because of their indie-movie choices and that one token friend.

i would say avoid, but its actually informative to check it out from the curb and people watch; take notes; observe; and remember that the Empire State Building is the tallest building in New York.

• Pros: makes anything else look great
• Cons: its whole existence

07/21/09

BIGOT BAR

by tygaheat

It was my 21st birthday last night, and after sharing a pleasant meal, we decided to check into this diver to grab a couple of cheap shots. Upon our arrival, my friend, who identifies as black, is asked for "a better-looking ID." She asks "What?" The bouncer just laughs it off and shoos her in. This is questionable, but doesn't phase us. I see a white man wearing a cone-shaped hat typically worn by Chinese rice farmers who is making humorous gesticulations at two female customers.

As 4/5 of our group were Asian-American, we took a quiet offense to his allegedly comical attire, however, tried to ignore it by assuming a table in the back of the bar. On our way to the back, we tried to squeeze by the man in the cone-shaped hat, who is blocking the walkway, politely requesting him to move.

We were about to order our drinks when the man in the hat comes to our table, and while there is definitely no human traffic in the walking area (besides him of course), he points a finger at my friend and tells him to "set his chair straight." This is obviously an arbitrary comment as he proceeds to point to me and says, "You, you little creep who said excuse me, this is MY bar, are you asking to get kicked out?" He calls me a "little creep" one more time, and we pick up our things and leave.

THE STORY IS NOT OVER.

As we are leaving, another group predominantly comprised of people of color, are about to walk into the bar. The two girls had their hair done, and were dressed in nice-looking blouses, and one a dress. The man had a sharp buttoned-down shirt and nice jeans. They asked us why we were so angry as we left, and we told them.

Two minutes later, as we were standing outside another bar, the group came walking our way, and told us they had been rejected for looking too "casual." It was then that I recalled a tubby white man we were sitting next to had an attitude shirt that read: "You better like animals, because I'm a BEAST."

It became very clear to us that we, nor other people of color were welcome in the bar. Call it what you will, say we're paranoid, but the feeling that we were unwelcome was visceral.

HORRIBLE BAR. PLEASE DO NOT SUBSIDIZE THIS ESTABLISHMENT.

• Pros: NOPE
• Cons: BIGOTED OWNER AND BOUNCER

07/01/09

BIGOTED Door Policy!!

by nycsinger

I am from Virginia but have been living in NYC for 8 years. I have never been more discriminated against than I have at this establishment in NYC!

I was out with a friend of mine last night. We are both African Americans. We were walking down the street, saw the sign and figured it was a good place to stop and get some drinks. However, we didn't make it past the bouncer. We were met with "Only regulars tonight."

I thought the bouncer had to be kidding. The place was not full and there were people dressed in various types of clothing. My friend and I were dressed perfectly fine for that area. The only difference I could discern from us and the people I could see inside (all the front doors were open so we could see the whole bar) was our skin color. So I called the bouncer on it. I asked him if he could tell me why I saw no people of color in the bar. He stated that he was only able to let in regulars as per the owners instructions. I was livid.

The bouncer was a tall African American man and I asked him how he could work in such an establishment that would instruct him to refuse entry to people of color. He never admitted that was the case but he said he was doing what he was told. I told him he should get a new job.

My friend and I are both entertainers living in NYC. I am a singer, actress, and tv host. My friend is a recording artist who has worked with many high profile people as well. We have found ourselves in many different situations with many different types of people. I am just as comfortable in an evening gown as I am in my jeans and Chucks. But regardless of WHO you are, you should NEVER be discriminated against for any reason.

I am simply appalled at this place's policies. I wish I had seen these reviews before I happened into the place. BUT, I shouldn't have to pull up Citysearch on my phone to find out if I'm welcome in an establishment. These places should not exist, period.

I hope that people will read this review and keep on walking when they see the glowing sign of Continental. Cheap drinks isn't a reason to give money to this place. In this economic climate when so many of our favorite spots are forced to close their doors, one can only hope that the next time I walk past Continental I can lay my eyes on a sign saying "Closed for Business."

• Pros: I wouldn't know since I was refused entry - so I'll say none
• Cons: Bigoted door policy and rude