Sunday, December 19, 2010

Rebar NYC

Now I must start off by saying I am not a huge fan of Brooklyn while born and raised in Queens I am a Mahattanite all the way. Maybe not in the having great amounts of money and throwing cocktail parties way, but in the I just love Manhattan and am waiting for my millions so that I can finally afford Gramercy Starck kind of way. But anyway, I do from time to time go out and do have some Brooklyn fun. My most recent excursion was at the ReBar located at 147 Front St. in Brooklyn. As I mentioned I generally don't do much in Brooklyn for pleasure but this was required as part of a work holiday party, however I was pleasantly surprised to find out for the most part it was fairly wheelchair friendly and the atmosphere was great. Although I don't recommend having to many drinks while here because bathroom wise it is not very wheelchair friendly.



On first glance the Rebar does not seem very accessible as there is a huge flight of stairs to get to the restaurant however they do have a wheelchair entrance. If you go to the end of the block and make a left which turns into Jay street, there is a set of double doors in which you can see The Best Chocoalate Cake in the World, enter through those doors and both on the right and left there are a set of elevators which you take to the second floor. Once you get upstairs you walk several feet, make a left and there you are. Two important notes: 1) There are no wheelchair signs that point to where the wheelchair entrance is. 2) There is a pole right in the middle of the doorway, so the smaller the chair the better. As I mentioned earlier, the bathroom it is not only difficult for wheelchair users but I would imagine difficult for most people with disabilities. Not only is your wheelchair unable to fit in the stall, but there are no grab bars and the toilet is very low to the ground. So even if you manage to get in the stall it is not easy to get onto and off the toilet. To top it all off, the toilet did not seem very steady, so I personally decided not to risk it.







The restaurant has a very fun atmosphere and the prices for lunch entrees are pretty good $10-$15 was the average and considering the price, the food was really good. Compared to Manhattan restaurants/ bars, the Rebar was very open and spacious. There is a variety of seating accommodations, couches, small tables, large tables and a bar area. It is set up in such a way that it is a place you could go to under a variety of settings. Since it is big and spacious, it is great for a big group, but its wooden tones and dark lighting still make it feel very warm and intimate. Although I would not classify it as romantic, it is more of a 3rd or 4th date kind of place.

Finally, I do want to mention that if you do plan to go down there, I recommend doing so by private transportation if possible. Many of the blocks near the Brooklyn Bridge/Dumbo area are not very accessible. Many of the blocks in the area are cracked, broken, and many lack curb cuts while some are even made of cobble stone, so I you can forgo walking or taking public transportation, do it. Overall, the restaurant is a good choices, pretty decent prices, delicious food and a great atmosphere. But remember pee before you get there and try to get there by cab, car, or access-a-ride.


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