Halo (bar)
Encyclopedia
Halo is a high end gay bar
located at 1435 P Street, NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
, United States
. Founded in 2004 by Ed Bailey and John Guggenmos, Halo first gained attention by being one of the few smoke-free LGBT
bars in Washington, D.C. before the citywide smoking ban
was enacted in January 2007. Bailey and Guggenmos previously started other Washington, D.C. LGBT clubs and events including the Velvet Nation
party at Nation
, Tracks, Millennium at the 9:30 Club
, Ozone, and Cobalt. In 2007, Bailey and Guggenmos sold their remaining share of Halo to Babak Movahedi and opened Town Danceboutique on U Street
, NW.
Halo's location is a narrow, two-story building that originally served as an automobile repair shop. When the bar opened in 2004, only the second floor was used by Halo and it consisted of 1,500 square feet (139 sq m). In September 2005, the first floor of Halo opened bringing the total amount of space to approximately 3,000 sq ft (278 sq m) with a capacity for 200 people. Halo's interior design
by Greg Keffer of Studios Architecture
is influenced by the Art Deco
movement. The bar features curved ceilings, white walls, blue and purple accent lighting, silver bar stools, and winding banquettes. In August 2008, the second floor underwent a $200,000 renovation designed by Paolo Zavala of VOA Associates Incorporated that was described as retro-futuristic
and compared to scenes from Stanley Kubrick
's movie, A Clockwork Orange
. The reopening of the second floor bar took place on September 5, 2008, and included a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Adrian Fenty
.
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
located at 1435 P Street, NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 2004 by Ed Bailey and John Guggenmos, Halo first gained attention by being one of the few smoke-free LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
bars in Washington, D.C. before the citywide smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
was enacted in January 2007. Bailey and Guggenmos previously started other Washington, D.C. LGBT clubs and events including the Velvet Nation
Velvet Nation
Velvet Nation was a gay dance event that took place at the Nation nightclub, formerly known as The Capitol Ballroom, located at 1015 Half Street, SE in Washington, D.C. The party name was derived from the venue name and "Velvet", an ode to the gay community. This event was hosted weekly on Saturday...
party at Nation
Nation (nightclub)
Nation was a live music/club venue, located at 1015 Half Street SE, in the Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood, of Washington, D.C....
, Tracks, Millennium at the 9:30 Club
9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
, Ozone, and Cobalt. In 2007, Bailey and Guggenmos sold their remaining share of Halo to Babak Movahedi and opened Town Danceboutique on U Street
U Street Corridor
The U Street Corridor is a commercial and residential neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C with many shops, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and music venues along a nine-block stretch of U Street. It extends from 9th Street on the east to 18th Street and Florida Avenue on the west...
, NW.
Halo's location is a narrow, two-story building that originally served as an automobile repair shop. When the bar opened in 2004, only the second floor was used by Halo and it consisted of 1,500 square feet (139 sq m). In September 2005, the first floor of Halo opened bringing the total amount of space to approximately 3,000 sq ft (278 sq m) with a capacity for 200 people. Halo's interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
by Greg Keffer of Studios Architecture
Studios Architecture
STUDIOS Architecture is an international design firm that was founded in 1985 in San Francisco, California. The firm provides architecture, master planning, interior design, environmental graphic design and strategic consulting services on commercial, mixed-use, civic, and institutional projects...
is influenced by the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
movement. The bar features curved ceilings, white walls, blue and purple accent lighting, silver bar stools, and winding banquettes. In August 2008, the second floor underwent a $200,000 renovation designed by Paolo Zavala of VOA Associates Incorporated that was described as retro-futuristic
Retro-futurism
Retro-futurism is a trend in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced prior to about 1960...
and compared to scenes from Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's movie, A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. The reopening of the second floor bar took place on September 5, 2008, and included a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
.