Downtown continues to come alive at night as three new lounges open

Raise your glass and toast to the Arts District!

Three urban lounges recently opened their doors, spurring an economic boom in downtown's 18b.

Artifice Bar & Lounge, 1025A First St., and Bar @ The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., opened in late April. Lady Silvia, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is slated to open in late May at Soho Lofts.

Mayor Oscar Goodman was on hand April 26 to cut ribbons and propose toasts to the newly opened neighborhood lounges.

Located in the heart of the Arts District, Brett W. Sperry's 3,400-square-foot Artifice plays on an eclectic artsy feel with its performance area and two lounge rooms -- the artwork on the walls from local artists is changed on a regular basis.

"It's a big and a positive step forward," said Sperry, a local art curator who also owns Brett Wesley Gallery, 1112 S. Casino Center Blvd. "The more places to view artwork and to discuss it and hang out; all of that creates more variety. It makes the area more of a destination and more useful to the people who live nearby."

Signature drinks on the menu include the Warhol, named for iconic painter, printmaker and filmmaker Andy Warhol; The Taming of the Shrew; the Charleston and the Gina Q. -- a basil martini named for Gina Quaranto, owner of Blackbird Studios, 1551 S. Commerce St.

Local disc jockeys will be featured at least once a week spinning contemporary music. Live bands also are expected to be added to the club's music lineup.

"It's very warm and very organic," said Sperry, the project's designer and architect. "Practically everything in there was done by hand. We built the bar and the furniture by ourselves. It's very much a homegrown project. People who live and work in the Arts District helped execute my design."

About 200 people at one time can grab drinks at the establishment .

Wes Myles, father of downtown art and owner of First Friday staple The Arts Factory, opened Bar @ The Arts Factory.

"It's a true urban bar," Myles said. "It's got friendly people, great pricing, and it's a downtown, local thing. We're not trying to be swanky or an ultra lounge.

"We are not pretentious. It's an extension of what The Arts Factory has always been and stood for -- the finest in the local art community."

The bar, which seats 50 to 60, serves beer, margaritas, well drinks and -- one of Myles' favorites -- an extensive collection of Irish, American and Canadian whiskeys, coupled with food specials at the bistro side.

The bar, combined with the restaurant and patio, can hold about 400 people.

"Urban lounges bring a social gathering point to the district," Myles said. "Before on First Friday, it'd end at 10 p.m., and they go elsewhere. Now, they don't. We can hold all of these events. If people want to come to an art opening, and then be social, they stay here now."

The seemingly sudden business boom didn't happen overnight, though, he added.

About six to eight years ago, Myles helped write about $7 million to $8 million in grants for downtown projects, which included the Oppenheim paintbrushes, streetscape improvements and 18b street signs, among other perks, when the economy was better.

"These things don't just happen tomorrow," he said. "It's not anything done recently … it was the in-the-trenches work we'd done five to 10 years ago now coming to fruition."

Sam Cherry's Lady Silvia is slated to open in late May. Cherry, who owns Resnick's Grocery, also at Soho Lofts, said his yet-to-be-opened establishment was named after his son's great-grandmother's boat, the Lady Silvia.

The 2,900-square-foot space is modeled after "an Old World library." Bookcases 14 fee tall and stacked with literature will be installed around a lounging area.

"We want a few thousand books in the place," Cherry said. "We're hoping people can come and sit and have some quiet time during the day reading and have some coffee."

By night, the seemingly quiet coffee shop will transform into a dance spot complete with DJs spinning everything from house to lounge music, and probably a jazz night, too, Cherry added.

"Our bar is hidden around the back of the space, and a future restaurant is forthcoming," he said. "We'll have five tabletop machines, but we won't have that initially. That won't be until five to six months down the road."

There will be a selection of scotches, martinis and wine. Smoking will be allowed on the outdoor patio.

"As it starts to level off, and we're getting past this recession, downtown seems to be coming back faster than anywhere in the valley," Cherry said. "It's more of a testament to what's going on in the Arts District and how this area is setting itself in stone."

In the Fremont East Entertainment District, Insert Coin(s), a videolounge gamebar at 512 Fremont St., recently opened. There is no cover charge, except for special event nights, and drink prices range from $5 to $10. The bar is for guests 21 or older.

Contact Downtown and North Las Vegas View reporter Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@viewnews.com or 383-0492.