The Holiday Bar, 801 5th St NW, Grand Rapids ~ 12/6/18
This place originally opened in 1905 across the street at 585 Stocking NW, where Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuary currently sits. John Arsulowicz called it the Ideal Tavern. When Prohibition hit in 1920, the bar closed and became a store selling religious goods. It re-opened in 1959 and moved to its current location. So with a gap of almost 40 years, it is a little misleading to claim they've been in business 113 years. But nonetheless, it is a Westside staple. Here are two old, undated photos of the bar. The vast space is broken up by the large horseshoe bar in the middle. Tables and/or booths, and a lot of TVs, run along either side and we took a table at the front windows. The horseshoe bar is very cool but one can't see from one side to the other. We thought the padding was old but it turns out patrons are just very tough on it. But some of the wood of the bar is original and over a hundred years old. And there are still some bells under the bar that were part of their old phon...