Bar 169 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has been a neighborhood fixture for at least 50 years. The building is grandfathered, and as such, it cannot be forced to close because of new schools or churches in the surrounding area. Until quite recently, the Bar’s clientele consisted mostly of, as new owner Robert DeBlasio describes them, full-time drunks. The elderly woman who previously owned Bar 169 installed, if that’s the correct term, a security system consisting of two Doberman pinschers and a picture of the Pope behind the bar. The sound system, again stretching the definition somewhat, involved a radio and a jukebox. The DJ booth was actually a small storeroom filled with extra toilet paper and beer bottles, along with the usual turntables and mic. The entire establishment exuded a depressing sense of downward mobility.

No longer. Since January 2000, when actor Robert DeBlasio took over Bar 169, it has been featured in Italian Vogue and Time Out New York, and it is becoming known as a local watering hole with live and recorded music and well-known DJs. Bar 169 reflects the changing character of the neighborhood as well. Former fixed-price co-ops now sell for close to $500,000. Nearby, Orchard Street lofts are attracting the young, hip and hopefully soon-to-be wealthy.

DeBlasio said, “The first thing I knew was that I’d have to upgrade both the sound and the decor if I hoped to attract any decent entertainment. I stripped the walls down to expose the brick and put in a new floor, a ceiling with soundboard and some spray insulation. Only after I did this was I able to know what kind of a bare-bones A-V set-up I’d need for starters. I eventually went with Shure mics, an eight-channel Crate PA system and Technic 1200 turntables. We’re also using JBL speakers for a surround feeling. The CD player is behind the bar, and the new PA system emanates from the DJ booth.”

DeBlasio has this advice for contractors considering a place like Bar 169 as a potential client: “A place under new ownership is generally looking to present a new image. The owner wants to upgrade the A-V, but understand that nine times out of 10, he’s looking to upgrade cosmetically as well. Work with him on that and don’t trot out the Rolls Royce when you’re discussing installations. Also, remember that whenever a place upgrades its entertainment technology, the security system should be upgraded as well. A contractor should be prepared to offer that as part of his package or be able to recommend someone.”

Jack Eisenstein, president of A&B Alarm Co. in NYC said, “Since Bar 169 is so dark, we’re installing a low-light video camera on an angle that will monitor the bar area and cash register. This will be recorded on a time-lapse recorder, much like what is used for security at ATMs. Bar 169 is open basically all night when most burglaries take place, so theft of equipment and fixtures is not a problem, but internal security is.”








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