Putting together a combined art gallery, dance club and pau hana gathering place is like concocting the perfect cocktail: Unless you have the mix right, it just won't work. The operators at thirtyninehotel know this, and with the drive of its owners and passionate staff, have created an ever-evolving space that has anchored the Chinatown Arts District for five productive years.

They're celebrating the fifth anniversary with a dance party tomorrow night. It's a good time to look at how far the space has come.

"Five years! How did it happen?" says owner Gelareh Khoie.

Stepping up from the grime of Hotel Street, you enter a little oasis that has been attracting artists and Downtown folks since the beginning. On arrival, its narrow stairwell, painted deep red, leads you up to an open, white space with a painted concrete floor. It didn't start out luxurious, and even with many revisions to the space, it retains a handmade feeling.

The centerpiece is an outdoor rooftop lounge. Scattered plants, wooden chairs, benches and tables outfitted with dim, flickering flames and wide umbrellas add to a swirl of the homey and arty.

"It's been a process to arrive at what thirtynine has become, and we continue to evolve," says Khoie.

On a casual weeknight at thirtynine, you might feel like a guest at someone's home — if that someone made outstanding drinks and had great taste in music. It's got a relaxed vibe; fashionistas dance in the central gallery and intellectual types mingle outside on the cozy lanai.

Khoie, a painter and conceptual artist who's been featured in the Honolulu Academy of Arts' "Artists of Hawai'i" exhibition as well as a lover of dance music, started out with a "disco" vision, combining her desire for gallery space with her dream of a space where people could congregate and enjoy the music, to create thirtynine. Since then, she's watched the space and the community around it grow and flourish.

"Thirtyninehotel has been a major player in the resurgence of the arts district," says Tim Bostock, a producer with Tim Bostock Productions and board member with The ARTS at Marks Garage. "The art exhibits are consistently authentic and original, and Gelareh and partners have resisted the temptation to become just another bar."

It does have a bar, however, and in recent years, that aspect of the site has taken flight.

Two years ago, Khoie posted an online ad "seeking experienced bartender"; that's when Christian Self, now general manager, came on. What he's been able to bring to thirtyninehotel has launched it to the next level.

Self's passion for quality and desire to change people's drinking habits just one day a week drove the creation of a new Thursday night event, Prohibition. Though he shies away from the title of "mixologist," saying he's just a bartender, Self's drinks have a reputation for creativity and excellence.

Self emphasizes local ingredients, often obtained in Chinatown itself. And Prohibition, an exclusive event reserved for those who obtain a password from the management, has attracted a loyal crowd after two months in operation.

Look out for more exciting events they've got planned for 2010, including more live jazz.

In the five years since thirtyninehotel started operation, several new spots in the Arts District have opened, including Loft, Manifest and SoHo Mixed Media Bar. The people involved with these locations say thirtyninehotel gave them an idea that success could be possible.

"Thirtyninehotel is cultured, mature, progressive and always growing," says Manifest owner Brandon Reid. "It's because of thirtynine that I was able to secure the loan to open up Manifest."

And the collective success of the district helps to keep guests coming back for more.

Other locations in Chinatown have emulated the combination of night spot, gallery and lounge. Musician/graphic designer Ara Laylo, promotions manager at the Loft, says she's thankful to thirtynine for "basically creating this scene of art and music in Chinatown."

Khoie is grateful that the community has embraced her vision. Almost quitting a handful of times, she says, "I'm surprised at my own commitment."

She now considers thirtynine "the veteran modern arts and music venue on Hotel Street," a centerpiece of the Downtown arts and culture scene.