Old Manhattan

For those who know me the subject of this particular entry is very well known, The Manhattan Bar located on the high street corner of Mint walk. Many hours, maybe even nights have been spent listening to myself rambling on about how ridiculous it is that this particular bar is unoccupied, sounding increasingly more like a old weathered sailor each time as I once again tell the tale of Manhattan 'ey she were a beaut laddy'.

Unbelievably the Manhattan Bar has been empty for what I can guess is at least 5 years, a sleepy piece of architecture just sitting there in the middle of so many successful social drinking holes like the Ship and the The Green Dragon where I have watched it endlessly simmer. The architecture of the Manahttan Bar is to be honest incredibly disappointing, the usual beige bricks retaining the venacular with occasional dado rail sand blocks greet the viewer from the outside nicely fitting into any main stream developers catalog, and for the love of God what is that vaulted topped column piece of post-modern filth over the front two doors! If you walk past the likelihood of you noticing Manhattan are low, occasionally a comment regarding the orange trim on the windows can be heard but that is about as far as the great discussion ever goes outside of architecture folk, but the real potential is a social aspect.

The beauty of the Manahattan is how little work actually needs doing to get the place going again, a simple bar that sells a restricted variety of drinks, well thought out seating and a good music system is all that is required, the urban environment will provide the catalyst. I dare say it would make an amazing addition to the music scene in Croydon in the way of a music venue, the Cartoon is dead, The Scream Lounge is limited in scale and the record shops are in decline and the boring architecture would play right into the hands of making a statement, a beige canvas on which to rule Croydon. Alas until someone realizes Manhattan as the next successful bar in Croydon like my friends and I have dreamed, it will continue to only aid in creating yet another void within Croydon's urban fabric, a void that becomes non-space and urban fabric is the least forgiving of non-space.

tW