Bar 169 Review

April 09, 2003 It's always been a wonderfully chill spot, but after a few great nights there recently, Bar 169 (East Broadway @ Essex) has ascended to one of the top spots on our go-to go-out list. (For complete list, send $9.95 to cover shipping and handling.) A divey joint, with a good pool table (naturally), it somehow transcends the utter diviness of, say, Blue and Gold. It's far enough off the beaten path that few people just stumble in. Usually, it's just a very good bar, but thanks to a rotating crop of DJs, the vibe is more upbeat, and after midnight on weekends a portion of the place informally gives way to dancing. Now we see in this week's Voice that the DJs who created Direct Drive at Baktun are moving in for a Saturday evening residence. Hopefully, crowds won't overload the place, because this could be fun.