A pub in Pelham Bay is more than just a neighborhood establishment – it’s a place that locals can truly call their ‘home away from home’.
Vivienne’s Bar, located at 3044 Westchester Avenue, has provided the community with a place where they can drink, socialize and have a fun time with friends and neighbors in a safe, homey, close-knit setting.
For over 20 years, the bar has been the scene of countless events, including family gatherings and holiday parties, among other celebratory festivities, surely providing all of its customers with memories they will never forget and always carry with them.
The owner of the bar, Vivienne Hansen, is viewed by her customers not only as a business owner, but also as a mother figure and a neighborhood guide for every individual who walks through her doors.
As the owner of the bar for the past 16 years, Vivienne has cared for everybody – from watching children who waited for their parents after they got home from school to letting customers charge their cell phones and even holding fundraisers for less fortunate people in the neighborhood, like one that was held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month last year for a young girl in her building who was diagnosed with cancer.
“One life lesson I’ve learned is that no matter how bad you’re situation is or seems, there is always somebody out there who has it worse than you – and learning that made me realize that there is always somebody that can be helped,” said Hansen, who has worked as a bartender for 40 years in total, including working at many locations in Throggs Neck like Bill’s Portside Bar, formerly located at 3706 E. Tremont Avenue. “That’s where my nature of giving comes from – I always like to make sure everybody in my place is happy and taken care of like they should be.”
Every year, the bar holds various parties for annual events, holidays and occasions, including New Year’s Eve, the Superbowl, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, as well as countless birthday parties and anniversary celebrations.
The bar even held an anti-Valentine’s Day party, where customers shredded their old love letters and pictures of their exes.
“Any time somebody visits this place, they are always guaranteed an entertaining experience – regardless of what the experience is,” said Tammi Hansen, Vivienne’s daughter, a bartender for the last four years.
“Just like the neighborhood, this place is always very close-knit, and my mom has always gone above and beyond to make sure that everybody is enjoying themselves, having a good time, and most of all, a safe trip home at the end of the night.”
