 Main sign of the Blue Moon Tavern in 1993 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and beverage |
| Founded | April 1934 |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | University District |
| Website | www |
The Blue Moon is a tavern located on the west edge of the University District in Seattle, Washington, United States. [1]
The tavern provides a haven for UW professors who were caught up in the McCarthyist purge, such as Joe Butterworth, who used the bar as his writing desk. [2] Its heyday continued into the 1950s and 1960s. [3]
History: Founders story
The Blue Moon Tavern opened in April 1934 with the original owner Henry "Hank" John Reverman in Seattle, Washington. After much convincing Hank was able to utilized his college fund to open a bar at the age of twenty one.
Upon completion of the prohibition era, the Blue Moon Tavern was one of the first bars that forcefully crossed racial barriers and has remained successful over the years. Hank owned the bar for a few years and soon left for the military where he became a pilot.
A popular story claims that sometime in the late 1960s, Tom Robbins tried to call the artist Pablo Picasso in Barcelona from a pay phone at the Blue Moon Tavern. Supposedly, Robbins got through to Picasso, but the artist refused to accept the overseas collect calling charges.[ citation needed ]
The Blue Moon declined in the 1970s. Efforts to "redevelop" the property in 1989 were derailed by community activists led by Walt Crowley; however, an attempt in 1990 to gain landmark status failed. Developers spared the tavern after landmark status was denied. The Blue Moon remains one of the few surviving blue-collar landmarks in Seattle. [4] [5] [ unreliable source? ]
In 1995, the alley to the west of the Blue Moon was named Roethke Mews in honor of the bar's famous patron Theodore Roethke. [6] The business has been described as a dive bar. [7]
Theodore Huebner Roethke was an American poet. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, having won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book The Waking, and the annual National Book Award for Poetry on two occasions: in 1959 for Words for the Wind, and posthumously in 1965 for The Far Field. His work was characterized by its introspection, rhythm and natural imagery.
A bar, also known as a saloon, a tavern or tippling house, or sometimes as a pub or club, is an establishment retail business that serves alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, and other beverages such as mineral water and soft drinks. Bars often also sell snack foods, such as crisps or peanuts, for consumption on their premises. Some types of bars, such as pubs, may also serve food from a restaurant menu. The term "bar" refers to the countertop where drinks are prepared and served, and by extension to the overall premises.
The University District is a major district in Seattle, Washington, comprising several distinct neighborhoods. The main campus of the University of Washington (UW) is located in the district, lending its name to both the district as well as University Way NE.
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Knowles Fred Rose was an American musician, Hall of Fame songwriter, and music publishing executive.
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Walter Charles Crowley was an American historian and activist from Washington state. He first entered the public sphere in Seattle through his involvement with the social and political movements of the 1960s, especially the underground press. He later became more widely known as a local television personality and for his pioneering work as a local historian, including co-creating the website HistoryLink.org, which he considered to be his crowning achievement.
The Helix was an American biweekly newspaper founded in 1967 after a series of organizational meetings held at the Free University of Seattle involving a large and eclectic group including Paul Dorpat, Tom Robbins, Ray Collins, and Lorenzo Milam. A member of both the Underground Press Syndicate and the Liberation News Service, it published a total of 125 issues before folding on June 11, 1970.
Holler House is a tavern that houses the oldest sanctioned tenpin bowling alley in the United States. It contains the two oldest sanctioned lanes in the nation, which are still tended by human pinsetters.
The Rainier Club is a private club in Seattle, Washington; it has been referred to as "Seattle's preeminent private club." Its clubhouse building, completed in 1904, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was founded in 1888 in what was then the Washington Territory. As of 2008, the club has 1,300 members.
The 5 Point Cafe is a bar and 24-hour cafe in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, owned by Dave Meinert. It is located by Tilikum Place and is open since 1929. It is considered the oldest drinking establishment in the neighborhood and has received accolades from local media for being one of the best dive bars in the city.
The Last Exit on Brooklyn was a Seattle University District coffeehouse established in 1967 by Irv Cisski. It is known for its part in the history of Seattle's counterculture, for its pioneering role in establishing Seattle's coffee culture, and as a former chess and go venue frequented by several master players.
Neir's Tavern is a bar located at 87-48 78th Street in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens, New York City. It is one of the oldest bars in the United States, having been in nearly continuous operation since 1829.
Fanelli Cafe is a historic New York City restaurant and bar considered the city's second-oldest food-and-drink establishment in the same locale, having operated under various owners at 94 Prince Street since 1847. It served as a gathering place for artists during the transition of Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood from a manufacturing area to an arts community.
Pal's Shanty Tavern refers to a pair of dive bars in Portland, Oregon.
Sam's Tavern is a restaurant with multiple locations in the Seattle metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Washington. The business is owned by James Snyder.
Ringside Café is a restaurant and bar in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The restaurant is considered the oldest bar or restaurant in Downtown Columbus, having opened in 1897 and operated continuously since then. The restaurant has always been an attraction of politicians, lawyers, reporters, and lobbyists, given its proximity to the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus City Hall, and other government buildings.
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