Gene’s Place owner offers nostalgia, advice for students

Have you never thought to ask the guy serving you beer at a bar for a letter of recommendation?… Have you never thought to ask the guy serving you beer at a bar for a letter of recommendation? Then you’ve never been to Gene’s Place.

Pitt alumnus Eugene Ney owns the Louisa Street bar, though he is more affectionately known around town — especially South Oakland — as Gene.

In the moments he can escape from the bar (they’re rare; He also lives upstairs), Ney is a professor at Carlow’s School of Management. His knack for interacting with young people is put to good use each moment.

Ney got his bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees (one in counseling, one in English) from Slippery Rock University before arriving at Pitt in 1993 to pursue his doctorate in administration and policy studies. Owning a bar wasn’t his original plan, but when a Phi Kappa Theta fraternity brother suggested he frequent a place called Denny’s (no, not the chain restaurant) to “meet older chicks,” Ney’s fate was set.

He quickly made the transition from bar regular to tenant. After spending three years living in his fraternity house, Ney was ready for a change of scenery. “Some of the best experiences of my life were up in that house on the hill, though I don’t think I’d want to live there now,” he said.

The space above Denny’s was available for rent, so he moved in. Before long, Ney was managing the bar. After four years, Denny was ready to sell, so Ney jumped at the chance to buy. Gene’s Place was born.

The bar’s walls are coated in history. An old, framed letter from the Liquor Control Board states the establishment can’t discriminate against patrons on the basis of race.

The local cop hangout — which was originally called Klinky’s — started as a market. When the owners realized they were making more money selling beer than food, they turned it into a bar. During the prohibition, Ney believes it was probably a speakeasy.

Even within the years since Ney’s arrival at Pitt, he’s noticed a dramatic change in the Oakland bar scene. As the University has become increasingly focused on academics, there’s a decreased interest in weekday partying.

“It used to be that the bars were crowded every day of the week, but that’s just not the case anymore,” Ney said.

Despite the student population’s recently bad rep for creating chaos, Ney insists that Pitt is home to good people. He questions how many of the destructive rioters during the Super Bowl celebration and G-20 Summit protests were actually Pitt students. Ney himself even managed to catch some wind of the G-20 commotion — literally.

“A bunch of kids were grouped outside of Antoons, so I opened the door to look out and see what was going on. The police started releasing pepper spray [in the form of OC gas], and I got a face full of it,” he said.

That wasn’t his first experience with pepper spray, though. Ney recounted a Thursday night spent at the late Zelda’s Green House Bar back during his Pitt days.

“It was really packed one night, and I was sitting at the bar next to this really attractive girl, and she asked me for a light. Here I am, completely naïve, and I pick up what I think is a lighter and start pressing it on. It’s not working, so I keep pressing it, and all of a sudden, the girl passes out!”

Turns out, the lighter was a can of pepper spray. The bar had to be evacuated, and the girl was rushed to the hospital. Needless to say, Ney didn’t get her number.

“I hope she’s not dead! She seemed like a really nice girl,” Ney said, laughing.

Ney’s willingness to narrate his strengths and weaknesses are part of what sets the vibe of Gene’s Place. He strives to create an “unpretentious atmosphere, where people can just be laid back. It’s always attracted a really nice, diverse crowd.”

While he originally never thought about entering the hospitality industry, Ney enjoys the business and would like to expand and open another bar someday.

“It’s rewarding to walk through the bar and see full tables and great people,” he said. “There needs to be more bar options to keep people here in Oakland. It astounds me how many people go to the South Side and pay double what they would here just because there are more places for them to go in a night.”

Aside from the cheaper beer, another draw to Oakland is the familial atmosphere. A chat with Ney will produce more than drink recommendations — he’ll often impart his wisdom about life.

“Look at your education as going up stairs. Think of it as a progression,” he said. “When an opportunity knocks on your door, don’t be afraid to answer it. It might not work out the way you’d like, but at least give it a try.”

“Always go to your graduation,” Ney recommends to his students. “Walking across that stage and getting that piece of paper is a great feeling.

“I was lucky,” he laughed, “I had a very large cheering section when I graduated.”

No surprise there. Ney has a kind face and encouraging personality to which people respond. Ney admits he seems to help people without even realizing it.

“There was a girl coming in here a few years ago that was contemplating dropping out of school. I have no idea what I said to her, but a few months later, she sent me some candy and a card saying I had helped her decide to stay,” he said.

Ney’s upbringing is rooted in Pitt pride. Four of his five family members have degrees from the University, and it’s clear that he cares about the place.

“I love it here at Pitt so much [that] I never left. Give back to your school, stay involved,” he said. “A degree from Pitt is something to be proud of — the lessons I learned here will guide me through the rest of my life.”