BEST OF NEW YORK

"Where nostalgia is king"
At this piano bar; customers dance to an old familiar song
By Amy DiLuna – The Daily News
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I was in a drown-my-sorrows kind of mood. I wanted an inexpensive beer, the comforting sound of a tinkling piano and the feeling that I had a friend in this no-good world.

I found Bill’s Gay Nineties, where the drinks are cheap, the bartender wears a tie and the single upright piano is unobtrusive. Bill’s is part of an old guard of piano joints; it’s neither a cabaret hall nor a swanky hotel bar. It’s a low-key, old-fashioned hangout where neighborhood regulars and tourists alike come for a chat and a snack.

Bill’s, like 32,000 other establishments in NYC, started as a Prohibition-era speakeasy that took up the entire brownstone (“nineties” refers to the 1890’s memorabilia collected by original owner Bill Hardy). In those days, to get in, patrons had to give a personal reference or show a “greeting card” printed with the names “Bill” and “Henry” and the brownstone’s address.

Today, thanks to the 21st Amendment, admission to the friendly bar requires nothing more than a smile. Legally open since 1933, it has looks more or less the same ever since.

Bill Hardy was a boxer, jockey and dance instructor – and fittingly, his extensive collection of sports memorabilia featuring boxers, jockeys and wrestlers line the bar. Among the pre-XFL photos are one of the 1907 Yale football team.

Upstairs, the theater-themed décor recalls days when the hidden level of the bar featured entertainment. Tallulah Bankhead was a customer (she lived across the street), as were Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.

Obie Bart, a Bill’s regular, took over the bar in 1965 when it looked as though it would go under without a buyer. “He wanted to carry on the tradition,” says his daughter, Barbara, who took over in 1979. A bar like this is rare in the city, says Bart . “Everyone that comes in says this is great; there aren’t a lot around."

Today, piano music wafts against the dark-wood walls, courtesy of Elliot Paul, who plays Monday – Wednesday from 8 – 12:30 (“He can play anything,” says Barbara).

When Paul began the gig 12 years ago, he replaced one of the last vaudeville players in the city. Since then, he has collected a loyal following. “The people remember him and when they come back each time, he’s here”. says Barbara.

“They love to come bank and know somebody. He always greets everyone at the door, says, ‘ Hey welcome back.’ ” On Thursdays, catch Lauren (he goes by a single name), who worked at Elaine’s before setting up a Thursday-night gig here. He plays everything from show tunes t o country-and-western.

French doors in the front open out onto the sidewalk on cool nights, admitting not only a refreshing breeze but a steady thrum of urban percussion to accompany the piano. One wet Wednesday evening recently, Paul played rain-themed songs to set the mood. Quickly, my mopey mood washed away. If you go to Bill’s make sure to arrive with a heart full of nostalgia, a list of brimming with favorite old tunes and a pocket fat with cash to thank the talented pianists, preservers of a bygone era.

57 E. 54 th Street, between Park & Madison Aves, 212-355-0243