The Atlanta I moved to is not the Atlanta I live in.
I visited Atlanta during the hey-day for Hotlanta. There was Club Fusion (off Amsterdamn) and the Legendary Traxx (located off Luckie Street). Both clubs were two floors and had different types of music playing on both levels. There was Loretta’s on Spring Street and the Palace on Sundays. And for the older girls, we had Bulldogs.
But all good things must come to an end. Loretta’s closed and re-opened as 708 (for teeny-boppers and those who love them) and the Palace closed altogether. But, for the older girls, Bulldogs remained.
When I moved to Atlanta, as the hey-day began to wane, a new wave of clubs had already taken over. We had Colours on Fridays, Legendary Traxx (a twenty-year institution) on Saturday at their new Atlanta Live location, and the Lions Den on Sunday. And for the older girls, we had Bulldogs.
But again, all good things must come to an end. Colours and The Lion’s Den have gone the way of Loretta’s and the Palace. Legendary Traxx does not seem so legendary now as it has moved twice in five years. Currently located in the heart of the hood, where it is not all good, the new Memorial Drive/Covington Highway (DECATUR) location had not caught on with a lot of club-goers. But, for the older girls, Bulldogs remained.
We do have D’Jango’s, a hot box, on Sunday and we have Trademark, a hot box, on Fridays. And on Saturday, we have an entertainment black hole. No venue exists for clubbing on Saturdays. And for the old girls, we have Bulldogs.
Hotlanta has been extinguished. Girls, Atlanta is extinguished. Now we live in the A-T-L and damn it, it’s just not the same.
16 comments:
So we are charging you to bring Atlanta back. I was expecting Atlanta, so can you keep me posted on your plans on bring Atlanta back?
Well well. I think a lot of cities are fizzing out. The club is a fickle business. But the ATL always bounces back.
stop trying to deter me.....lol
I agree with so much you said, but especially: The Atlanta I visited is not the Atlanta I live in. I feel the same way, but I know that is me and my perspective, and not necessarily true about the city itself.
Yeah, the city's nightlife has changed and seems to have fallen off a bit. But when I used to come from Alabama to party at Loretta's and the Palace, I remember older queens telling me how those places had nothing on former spots like the Marquette.
I think it's a trap for every generation to tell subsequent generations "You don't know what you missed." We're grown, and working, and living our day-to-day life and so the club might not seem as stimulating as it once one. But I gurantee you, somewhere in Alabama or South Carolina, THIS VERY SECOND, someone is getting their outfits together and getting ready to head to Atlanta for the weekend. And if they move here in a few years, they will probably say, "Man, Atlanta ain't nothing like it was when Secrets used to be open!" :)
Maybe you're just out growing the scene.
LOL, Life... I can't bring it back... Its up to a lot of political and business men to get out there and make it happen...
turn me up a lil... I am telling you... Tundra=degree; Atlanta=unemployment... think on it... and get back at me when you wanna...
Crazy, you are so right! And I am going to check out Secrets one day...
Acoustic, I agree with having outgrown the scence, but its more than that... It's clubs that are not owned by people of color that lease and then lose the lease. Its a new city policy that emphasized (years after the rest of the nation) downtown living space in lieu of downtown nightlife. Subsequently, the club spots started to slowly, but now very visably, disappear.
Man you forgot to add Backstreet to your list that was a great after hours spot. I agree with you the nightlife has changed a lot here. But it's not just the gay scene it's clubs in general here. I have faith it will get better though. But hey man we still have Bulldogs.
I blame it all on Shirley and that damn flower!! Bulldogs has remained unburned...somebody needs to take notice.
Gary it wasn't Shirley Franklin that closed down Atlanta's night life at all... but instead it was the whole shootout at some str8 club by the Baltimore Ravens player (whose name escapes me now) that changed the face of Atlanta's nightlife.
But Corey is right... during my first stint in ATL, Fusions on Friday, Traxx/Barcode on Saturday, and the Palace was jumping at 7pm on Saturday... and I mean wall to wall packed by 10 you were ready to go home and get your work/school week started but those days have long gone
And the sad thing is I think Atlanta has one of the best nightlife's going or at least they did when I left last year.
google is so fierce at times
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E7D7173FF932A35751C0A9669C8B63
The Baltimore Raven I was thinking about was Ray Lewis
At least Atlanta is burning, D.C. is already burnt, just black as sh*t! So tired!
4gotten, I never went to Backstreets... Um, the white rave kids were never my type... I always preferred the back-pack boys (wink at PromiscousX).
Gary, they wanted to close Bulldogs for downtown development, and the jury is till out.
C... What? You are agreeing with me on something? YES!!!!!
Q... Not DC, too? Our glory days are waning...
Okay, sir. Since it is my believe that it is the people who make or break the clubs...why is it you believe that the clubs are fizzling out? Is it that people just don't go out like they use to (which I know is not the case), or is it something more to it?
Awww - sorry to hear that.
I'm sooo not a club type of guy so it seems the ATL would be perfect for me - lol.
Wow, I remember growing up in SC and always wanting to go clubbing in ATL from older people's stories.
Now there are so many restrictions with licenses and liability (as well as rich people buying up condos and not wanting noise in urban centers). Clubs really can't be like they used to be. At least that's what I see in NY.
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
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