The days are numbered for the popular hotspot that announced it’s December closure on Facebook.
On November 23, 2015 at 12:30pm, the popular bar El Steinvorth announced that they would be closing their doors for good on the 20th of December. Their announcement reads as follows:
[quote_box_center]Hello Friends,
We want to inform you that we have hereby decided, for various motives, to give the bar an end.
We write this full of nostalgia for each and every incredible party, explosive concerts, wonderful exhibitions and endless nights that gave life to a scene that grew with us, and that we home continues to be created and grow.
El Stein was born from the necessity for an alternative space in San Jose and we feel that we have completed that objective, consolidating a generation of youth committed to regenerating the San Jose scene, [a scene] which was not only a part of life in our house, but one that went out and created other spaces throughout the entire city.
The planned events in November and December will be the last, closing on the 20th of December for good. We carefully chose each one; they celebrate the innovative spirit that has characterized our community in the last six years and remind us of the incredible memories that we have lived together with you all.
Thank you to each and every one of you for accompanying us and dreaming with us, [sic] we love you![/quote_box_center]
Heart-broken Fans Replied
[pull_quote_center]You were key to the recuperation of Chepe. Between your closure and that of Babel, we youth are losing the opportunity to continue giving life to the city. Super sad, but that you for the excellent moments. — Karla Gamboa, translated[/pull_quote_center]
[pull_quote_center]A space that the country’s artistic scene will miss a lot, a point of encounters and the development of ideas. The place that opened doors for us… I hope it’s temporary… Long live El Stein! — Mario Miranda, translated[/pull_quote_center]
[pull_quote_center]Thank you friends. You made a beautiful place into more than a bar; it was our home, always making us feel incredible, full of human warmth and part of the best team. Thank you for so much, that this may be the end of the beginning of other incredible projects. I adore you, my Stein family. — Marilyn Castellon, translated[/pull_quote_center]
In addition to being a hip place for nightlife, El Steinvorth was also a frequent stop along San Jose’s Art City Tour. La Nacion called it “one of the most iconic spaces for music and alternative culture within the Greater Metropolitan Area.”
A Historic Building
For those who haven’t been, El Steinvorth wasn’t much to look at from the outside — perhaps contributing to its sense of exclusivity despite the inclusive culture contained within. The bar was built upon the foundation of an old brick building constructed back in 1907 to house a large store owned by Otto Steinvorth.
Otto’s son Ricardo took over until the advent of WWII when the Costa Rica government — assuming all Germans and their descendants within the country were sympathizers to Adolf Hitler — exiled the Steinvorth family to the United States. When they managed to return in 1956, the place was not the same.
The current building which houses El Steinvorth only contains 20% of its original infrastructure according to the Heritage Center of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture. Nevertheless, it was said that the playful memories recounted by Otto’s descendants lived on in the artistic livelihood of El Steinvorth bar.
The Beginning of the End
This weekend El Stein will be hosting the National Mustache Festival as part of Movember Costa Rica’s campaign for prostate and testicular cancer awareness. Music will be provided by El Fo, Vladi, RadioSoma and Myno with visualizations by Chisco. The festival is a tradition that has been upheld at Steinvorth since 2009. More information will be posted on the event’s Facebook page once it becomes available.