The people working behind the bar here aren't mixing drinks and opening tabs - not yet. They're sawing things, peeling off painters tape and searching for the water shut-off valve in hardhats and tool belts.
An electrician is making the final touches to 28 loud speakers and 6-foot-tall subwoofers, and someone is installing a photo booth. This construction zone will soon transform into Grand Central, the newest bar to hit Adams Morgan and promises the whole package: bar, lounge, club and VIP service.
The masterminds behind Grand Central are like yin and yang. Andrew Seligman, 29, a GW graduate student who says he isn't much of a bar hopper, takes care of the finances and Brian Vasile, 32, former general manager of Tom Tom, a popular club in Adams Morgan, covers the operational side of the business.
"We wanted to offer something no other place has. Most bars in Adams Morgan are somewhat worked through or rundown and are the same old places. Here there is a different element," Seligman said. "It's a bar and hangout. A place where you can drink, talk, listen to music, dance - everything in one."
After six months of scouting for the perfect location and nine months of construction and renovation, Grand Central will swing open its doors Friday and have its official grand opening party on April 4.
Everything inside Grand Central is designed to evoke the classic feel of the famous Grand Central Station of 42nd St. and Park Ave. in New York City. One half of an 11-foot arch is built into the ceiling, the other half is generated by its reflection in the mirrors behind the bar. Coiffeurs, reminiscent of those in Penn Station or the Jefferson Memorial, cover the walls of this three story space, echoing the idea of Grand Central.
Red oxblood paint covers the leftover wall space, because as the designer, John Hutson of Lyric Design said, "people look good in red," and when you go out you want to look good.
"There's nothing like this in D.C. We wanted to take people to another place," Vasile said.
An electrician is making the final touches to 28 loud speakers and 6-foot-tall subwoofers, and someone is installing a photo booth. This construction zone will soon transform into Grand Central, the newest bar to hit Adams Morgan and promises the whole package: bar, lounge, club and VIP service.
The masterminds behind Grand Central are like yin and yang. Andrew Seligman, 29, a GW graduate student who says he isn't much of a bar hopper, takes care of the finances and Brian Vasile, 32, former general manager of Tom Tom, a popular club in Adams Morgan, covers the operational side of the business.
"We wanted to offer something no other place has. Most bars in Adams Morgan are somewhat worked through or rundown and are the same old places. Here there is a different element," Seligman said. "It's a bar and hangout. A place where you can drink, talk, listen to music, dance - everything in one."
After six months of scouting for the perfect location and nine months of construction and renovation, Grand Central will swing open its doors Friday and have its official grand opening party on April 4.
Everything inside Grand Central is designed to evoke the classic feel of the famous Grand Central Station of 42nd St. and Park Ave. in New York City. One half of an 11-foot arch is built into the ceiling, the other half is generated by its reflection in the mirrors behind the bar. Coiffeurs, reminiscent of those in Penn Station or the Jefferson Memorial, cover the walls of this three story space, echoing the idea of Grand Central.
Red oxblood paint covers the leftover wall space, because as the designer, John Hutson of Lyric Design said, "people look good in red," and when you go out you want to look good.
"There's nothing like this in D.C. We wanted to take people to another place," Vasile said.
