HIH's resident nightlifer, Stephanie Gradski, checked out the opening of Culver City's newest hotspot...
It started out in New York City as a nifty throwback to the Roaring 1920s...back in the summer of 2010. The Blind Barber, co-founded by Jeff Laub, offered gentlemen a haircut (or a shave) and an old-fashioned cocktail while they waited. And when the sun goes down, those gentlemen were invited to bring their lady friends back to the parlor for some nighttime revelry in booze and bass.
And now Los Angeles is getting in on the fun. Being a city known for never shying away from the launch of a new hotspot every month, especially when said venue is disguised as a trendy speakeasy, L.A. has seen its fair share of lounges that have attempted to lure all demographics (hipsters, millennial yuppies, industryites, childless marrieds). You know the places: it's where bartenders are called "mixologists."
The Blind Barber has now taken up residence in Culver City, a few blocks west of the downtown sector, on Washington Boulevard. And talk about being randomly located: the unassuming bar/club/lounge is situated behind a Best Buy and next to a Weight Watchers. Looks can certainly be deceiving. The storefront looks like any other barber shop -- red-and-white striped pole, reclining chairs, displays of grooming products...But as HIH found out last night (Thursday was the official grand opening), there's a whole other side to experience.
Walk through the rear door with the coat rack, and you'll step into a time warp. The drinks and decor may scream 1920s, but the vibe, particularly the music, was very 1980s during last night's visit. All of L.A.'s nocturnal denizens were in attendance: skinny jeans-wearing artists, suited-up execs, chiseled dudes with plunging V-necks, flannel slackers, hip-hop businessmen, and stilettoed starlets. It's where The Cure intersected with Blackstreet (hooray for 90s nostalgia), and where the past blended awkwardly with the present. Who knew the westside could feel so much like the east?
Let's see how long the magic can last.
- Stephanie Gradski (@sgradski)
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