The oldest bar in Albany and a music venue for bands of all genres, Pauly’s Hotel, located at 337 Central Ave, has closed and is up for sale.
Established in 1862, Pauly’s Hotel has been a staple in Albany for multiple generations, located on the corner of Quail St. and Central Ave, where WAMC’s The Linda is located, and The Low Beat stood until 2020.
Hate to see this. Pauly’s has always been a big supporter of us, and were the first spot in Albany to ever take a chance on us. It’s safe to say without them, we may not have been able to break into the Capital Region as quickly as we did. Hopefully someone takes over this space and keeps it as a haven for independent, original music in the 518! Thanks so much to Shane and everyone else who made Pauly’s a great place to have an indie show.
According to the Times Union, owner Kip Finck noted that the 2020 shutdown was a major factor in closing the venue, as a lack of shows meant Pauly’s Hotel did not qualify for the federal Payroll Protection Program grants, which kept many venues afloat during this time.
Despite extensive renovations after purchasing Pauly’s in 2019, which included a state-of-the-art sound system, the bar sat largely dark for most of the next year and a half because of the pandemic. Adding in a capacity maxing out at 120, booking bands and keeping tickets reasonably priced posed a challenge for Finck.
Finck told the Times Union, “It was really hard financially, and I was handling everything to do with management and money myself.” Finck believes another, younger operator who is eager to reopen a storied music venue could make Pauly’s financially viable.
Finck also owned Northern Lights in Clifton Park for 18 years, and still owns the Village Tavern in Scotia, which itself is more than 80 years old.
The property listing notes that Pauly’s features a fully equipped bar area, an updated sound system, spacious seating areas, and a stage for live performances. The entire building is not for sale – only the business – with an asking price of $75,0000 to own Albany’s oldest bar.
“It would have to be the right person, the right fit,” Finck told the TU. “Once I find that, there would be a conversation about price.” He invites inquiries at [email protected].
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