Ask a New Yorker: This is not Hawaiian Tropic.
Ariel: No, we are a rock n roll dive bar located in Hell’s Kitchen called Port 41 Bikini Bar. We specialize in rock n roll bands, free hot dogs, free pop corn and hot girls. Recently we had VH1 Talking Metal here, they did That Metal Show. At one point in time this bar was known as Tobacco Road and we were famous for our bands and other happenings. Prior to that we were the Savoy Jazz Lounge and we had a lot of interesting people perform back when. That was a little bit before my time.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s it take to become a bikini bartender?
Ariel: You have to have the right rock look. You need a good tough attitude. Because we have a lot of tough guys, blue collar workers, construction workers. It’s not Hogs and Heifers. We don’t embarrass our customers, we give them our utmost respect. We have girls from all over the world. We have a bartender right now from Russia who’s a drummer. We have another bartender who’s a professional dancer. She’s danced at BB King. We have a professional actress.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you like your boss?
Ariel: I love my boss. Dave has five businesses. He’s very creative, very eclectic, and very off the wall, a very interesting person. He’s been around New York City for his whole life. He’s full of history, especially about the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
Ask a New Yorker: Where are you from?
Ariel: Originally I’m from Brooklyn. I’m mixed, half black and half white. I’ve been a bartender for about five years. I’m a Brooklyn girl at heart. I’ve grown up in the city my whole life. My parents are from New York and my grandparents were also born here. I’ve been managing here for about 3 months. I’m doing all the booking now so I really want to get this place going and known, the place to be.
Ask a New Yorker: Did you go to CGBG’s before it closed?
Ariel: Yes, I went several times. I saw Criminal Class, their last performance there before they closed. Here in the back is a little bit reminiscent of the basement at CGBG’s. We still have a ways to go before were known as a hard core rock n roll hang out.
Ask a New Yorker: How does it feel to be Uberchic?
Ariel: I definitely believe in alternative beauty opposed to traditional beauty or the models you see on TV or the actors/actresses that are common to the main stream. For me it’s all about alternative beauty. Here what we try to feature is a different look all together, not necessarily being that 5’10’’ skinny beauty but rather that 5’5’’ girl with piercing in her face with tattoos all over. She’s beautiful too. So it’s kind of a hidden beauty that we like to bring out here, a bit of a diamond in the rough.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you watch any reality TV?
Ariel: I am horribly addicted to reality TV. My favorite one on right now is called “Is She Really Going out with Him”. It’s based off a website called Hot Chicks with Douchbags.com. It’s hilarious. They go around and have people send in pictures of these tanned, orange, you could look at these guys a mile away and say,’ that’s a douche bag’ So they interview the douche bag and it’s amazing to see how these girls are into these jerky guys. I don’t know why. I watch all my reality TV online because I don’t really like commercials. I’m very careful on what I input into myself even though I do watch trashy reality TV. I’m careful what I put into my mind.
Ask a New Yorker: Tell us something else about yourself.
Ariel: I’m a licensed barber. I got my license in February. I always wanted a backup, so I decided why not. I went to one of the oldest barber schools in the city called Atlas Barbers.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Ariel: Heavy people that sit on me while I’m riding the subway.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you have a celebrity look alike?
Ariel: Randomly enough, Angelina Jolie. Occasionally I get thrown a Halle Berry.
Ask a New Yorker: We have Kenny Kramer as our New Yorker of the month. What’s your favorite Seinfeld episode?
Ariel: I would have to say Sponge Worthy, The Soup Nazi, or the episode where they get lost in the mall and they can’t find the car. I love Newman.
Ask a New Yorker: I haven’t asked this question in a while. I’m feeling you have a tattoo or two.
Ariel: I have a tattoo on my back. The picture is called A fall from Eden. It was originally painted by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel. I’ve had a few changes made. I had the bodies of the women made a little more effeminate and I removed Adam because his placement was not necessarily the best for a tattoo. The guy who did it name is Al. He has his own tattoo company, Olde Monk Ink. Great guy, he has done all my tattoos. He has a private studio on 119th street but right now he’s actually on a trip to Greece, Germany, and Austria tattooing.
Ariel: The bartender picture you took. Her name is Melissa. She’s 23 and originally from New Jersey. She lives now on Staten Island, studied Biology, and is one of our best bartenders. She’s here Wed and Thurs if anyone wants to give her a shout out to say hello.
