PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I went to Lefty’s in the Strip to experience my first Helen Roper Romp, a popular pastime across the country.

Why would dozens of folks don curly red wigs, caftans and gaudy jewelry and gather at “PA’s #1 Dive Bar” in the dead of winter to celebrate a quirky character from the ’70s sitcom “Three’s Company”?

“It’s typical of the way we do things,” says Lefty’s owner Rick Krist. “If we’ve done anything in 20 years, it’s try and make people feel comfortable.”

By the time I arrived at the bar it was 6 p.m. and all of the Ropers had romped home. In my 20s, I scoffed at anyone who couldn’t pound boilermakers until 2 a.m. Since I’m old enough to remember the heyday of “Three’s Company,” I now limit my alcohol intake and relish an early night.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Still, having one last beer at Lefty’s felt like the right thing to do. I leaned up against the mahogany bar as I have done many times over the past two decades, took a swig from my bottle of I.C. Light and thought, “This is the only company I need.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

On Jan. 26, after nearly two decades in business, the Penn Avenue bar permanently closed. Krist, who also owns Monterey Pub in the Mexican War Streets and recently acquired Brewer’s Hotel & Bar in Lawrenceville, opened Lefty’s Northside last fall. Inside the former Yinz Locos taco shop on Western Avenue, he’s attempting to recreate the vibe of the original location, which can be summed up in one word: Pittsburgh.

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The son of a steelworker, Krist’s first job was selling beer for Pittsburgh Brewing Co. He worked his way through graduate school by slinging Iron City at different bars in town. During our interview we discussed the Strip District’s history and its hot spots of yore, such as Donzi’s, Tequila Willie’s and Banana Joe’s.

Krist opened Lefty’s in 2006 because he wanted to put his own boozy stamp on the working-class neighborhood. It soon became a place where yinzers and tourists alike could dance, watch football, make friends, immerse themselves in black-and-gold culture and soak up cheap drinks like a Terrible Towel. Sipping a $4 Strong Island has always improved my mood, even when the Steelers are losing.

As a fan of old-school shot-and-a-beer bars, I’m sad that Lefty’s in the Strip is gone, but I’m looking forward to seeing what hometown flavor Krist brings to Brewers, and I can’t wait to rock a caftan and let the good times romp on the North Side.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEFTY’S IN THE STRIP

Hopefully, yinz’ll listen to the “Three’s Company” theme song and join me there.

Come and dance on our floor
Take a step that is new
We’ve a lovable space that needs your face
Three’s company, too

You’ll see that life is a ball again
Laughter is calling for you
Down at our rendezvous
Three is company, too