What does the demise of these places have in common? Hard to say. Patrons accused the (male) owners of making some missteps, like relying too heavily on drag queens for entertainment, painting the walls a clichéd pink, and not including enough bathrooms. But beyond the opening night event that attracted hundreds, the space was often sparse. Phase 1 Dupont: Opened in 2012, Phase 1 Dupont was the second location of the Eastern Market lesbian bar, filling the huge space that used to house Apex. The Woodridge location was probably a deterrent, a mile and a half from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station in a place where at least one Yelp reviewer still felt “sketchy” waiting for a bus.
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The older couples who frequented the spot loved the vibe and upscale decor, but a series of identity crises (it changed from a nightclub to a bar to a lounge/restaurant) left people confused. Lace on the Avenue: Lace opened in 2008 as a nightclub for LBTQ black women and women of color. (The changes prompted racist comments on Ga圜: “The clientel looked as though they just got off the bus from Anacostia.
But after the DC Cowboys dance troupe disbanded, Remingtons tried to attract a more diverse LGBTQ clientele, hosting hip-hop nights, karaoke, and a Latino night with mixed success. Remingtons: For nearly 20 years, Remingtons’ large dance floor was filled with gay couples two-stepping and line dancing while others leaned on the wooden railings to watch the pseudo-country-western scene. One regular, Leo Sheridan, said he heard that “it wasn’t making enough money for rising rent costs” in its fast-gentrifying Brookland neighborhood. 1 gayest city by the Advocate? And weren’t we supposed to weather the recession better than any other major American metropolis? You wouldn’t know it by the health of the city’s gay nightlife-the past year alone has seen the shuttering of four gay bars and nightclubs.ĭelta Elite Social Club: Closed for good after 37 years, Delta Elite catered to black LGBTQ men and women, the kind of place where you’d dance to hip-hop and go-go music in a dark basement until the wee hours of the morning.