Head north downtown on State Street past Main, and on your left there's a bold, all-caps red-white-and-blue sign that reads "MOTOR." It's rumored to be one of Rochester's gay bars, but beyond that, nobody seems to know much about it.
The bar's status isn't hush-hush on purpose. The location's mostly to blame. Motor (113 State Street) gets swallowed up by the bright lights of the 24-hour adult bookshop next door, the federal building across the street, and the High Falls sign looming on the bridge ahead. The bar is small, but that's no reason for it to be overlooked.
Motor is an attractive, welcoming place with an underground vibe. It lives up to its name with license plate-adorned walls, metal signs, and other garage-style paraphernalia. There's a lounge area by the front window with a leather couch, six TVs above the bar, one big-screen off to the side, and a newly installed Internet jukebox.
The clientele does tend to be predominantly gay, but that's by no means the rule. "We're open to everybody, and we get all types," says Leonard Perkins, who has been the bar manager since October 2007. He says the bar attracts a few city workers that come by after work (City Hall backs up to the place), and it's not uncommon for gay and straight friends to stop in together.
At a recent Wednesday night happy hour, six or seven people sat at the bar laughing and talking. It was icy and cold outside, warm and dimly lit inside. It was also very clean; somehow, taking into account some of the ill-kept spaces on that stretch of the city, you'd expect it to be rougher around the edges than it is.
There are, Perkins admits, some misconceptions about the safety of the area. But "we definitely don't have any trouble in the bar," he says. Between himself and the bartenders, Perkins keeps an eye on the customers and keeps the atmosphere amiable.
Perkins says Motor's owner, Jim Valvassori, bought the bar seven years ago. Then it was Enigma - not to be confused with Spy Bar, which was just a few blocks up street - and to Perkins' irritation, and despite complaints, it's still listed as Enigma in the phonebook. This, along with a lack of marketing, could well be why more people don't know about Motor.
"We do get a good crowd Fridays and Saturdays," Perkins says, and the bar hosts themed events and has specials for holidays and events. For Valentine's Day it advertised drink specials on the website (freewebs.com/motorbar) and advised patrons not to be surprised if Cupid showed up. Perkins says though the bar doesn't currently have live music, the possibility of bands playing hasn't been ruled out. The lounge area by the front is a stage waiting to happen.
As for upcoming events, Perkins says there will be something happening during and after the St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown, and that really, there's always something going on: Motor is open seven days a week and runs happy hour and drink specials every day.