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My Phoenix sources tell me that the story of the Bikini Lounge ^[2] (1502 Grand Ave, Phoenix) is a simple one: opened in 1947 as a swanky tiki bar, then nothing was touched about the decor over the next 60 years. Well, that last part is not quite true — as Phoenix’s art scene has grown up around the bar, it’s received some attention from those artists, like the pieces by Michael Little that now cover the men’s bathroom ^[3] (I didn’t peek in the ladies).

I only visit the Bikini Lounge once a year, so I’m no expert, but my visits do give the perspective of a time lapse video. Over the last few years, like with many dive bars, the clientele has gone from seedy to seedy plus hipsters. But there’s still plenty of folks who just come for the pool table and the cheap draft beer to compliment the art students and occasional DJ.