When Tracks opened, I was just a regular guy, going out with my friends, and there was a long line stretching two blocks.” As was the avant fashion at the time … I wore black Converse high-tops, those big scrunchy workout socks that you shove down in them, a black tube skirt with a big wide belt and a gray oversized sweatshirt with suspenders. “My memories go back to Tracks - I was at opening night at Tracks. Nightlife Hospitality Association, his memories of D.C.’s gay nightlife scene go back even further. Memories of D.C.’s gay nightlife sceneįor Mark Lee, a small-business advocate and former executive director of the D.C. Nation closed as a result of the revitalization that was happening around Nationals Park in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Southeast. He remembers a previous gay club, Nation, that closed a year before Town opened. Thompson has been in the District for around a decade. Now that area has a Warby Parker and a Bonobos across the street. “When Town opened, that was the edge of where people were willing to go. In a recent article, he wrote, “As Town announced its impending closure, making way for condos, many in the gay community were openly wondering if we’ve effectively out-gentrified ourselves.” Across the street from Town, farther down Eighth Street NW, retail and food storefronts mingle with high-end apartment buildings. Thompson is a contributing writer to Washington Blade, an LGBT news outlet. “Sadly, spaces for gay people and, overall, spaces for minorities in general … get brushed aside in the name of ‘progress’ sometimes,” Thompson said. In losing such a space, he said, he’s asking himself what progress really means. resident Brock Thompson, the club’s closure was inevitable but still a loss. When the sale was first announced, Town initially released a statement that the nightclub expected “to be throwing parties in our current location for years to come.” Brushed aside in the name of ‘progress’įor D.C. Last year, a D.C.-area developer purchased parcels between V Street and Florida Avenue that included Town, the Washington Business Journal reported. But I still really respect and love what it does for the community on a more mainstream platform.” I go to different places than this kind of realm of a gay club. Vera, of D.C.’s Columbia Heights neighborhood.Īs a resident, Vera came to appreciate Town. “What’s going to happen to the big drag, local acts that come here? How are we going to support the community that really thrives in these kinds of clubs?” asked J.J. Here are some photos highlighting the celebrations.
The Capital Pride events took place June 8 through June 11 all across D.C. So I guess I’m going to have to go look for a new place,” said Justin Hart, who had come with Olsu. So this is where I come when I come to visit D.C. I live in North Carolina, so Town is the only place in D.C. Please!Īt Town, tucked away on a section of Eighth Street NW in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, people expressed similar reactions. This is heartbreaking!! Town is my favorite gay club in DC. Who are the developers? I need names! ?? /QrerROo9py I didn’t think I could dance any harder at your club but now I MUST!!! The announcement was quickly shared and retweeted on Facebook and Twitter, receiving a spectrum of reactions, from devastated to combative. The property, sold to a developer in 2016, will be turned into an apartment complex in the future, the statement revealed. spot, which bills itself as the “city’s largest and most well-known LGBTQ nightclub,” announced that it will close its doors for good on July 1, 2018.Ī special and unfortunate announcement from Town Danceboutique. As a pop song thumped behind them, she added, “It’s sad to be here and already know that we’re losing this space.”īack in June, the popular D.C. She and her friends took over benches outside on the spacious patio. There was so much positive energy and so much affirmation for the people on stage and also just for the people in the crowd,” said Stephanie Olsu, making her first Town visit. “Even being here for the first time tonight, the drag show was amazing.
The dance floor, normally thrumming with a crush of dancing bodies, is focused on the stars, at least for the next few hours. Lip-syncing hits from Rihanna to Whitney Houston, the drag queens at Town Danceboutique command the room. WASHINGTON - On a sticky Friday night, performers dripping in sparkles and bright colors light up a darkened dance floor. | 'How are we going to support the community that really thrives in these kinds of clubs?' (WTOP's Teta Alim) Business & Finance Click to expand menu.