“Did you ever hear of a bar that traveled across state lines?” I ask, as we stand before the unassuming building that once housed a piece of Keystone history. The Keystone Motel in Metairie might not look like much now. But it once held a connection to a bar with a fascinating past. This isn’t about the motel itself, but a tale of a bar that started its life far from the Louisiana bayou, in Portage, Pennsylvania. The Keystone Hotel & Bar in Portage was more than just a watering hole. It was the heart of the community, especially after WWII. Imagine soldiers, three deep at the bar, sharing stories of loss and celebrating their return. It survived a near-fatal fire, saved by the townsfolk who kept the building wet while flames raged across the street. The bar was owned by Peter Kalisky, a coal miner who saved enough to purchase it along with some adjacent properties. But after Peter’s death, the property was sold and the contents of the bar, including the bar itself, were relocated to New Orleans. The exact location remains a mystery, a piece of Keystone history scattered somewhere in this vibrant city. So, while we stand here at the Keystone Motel, our minds wander, imagining that bar, filled with the echoes of laughter and camaraderie, somewhere in the heart of New Orleans. The Keystone Motel may not be the original Keystone Hotel & Bar. Yet it serves as a reminder of how stories, like migrating bars, can connect us to the past in unexpected ways.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to