Controversy on The Hill (Part 2) – Residents Beginning To Regret Shutting Strip Club Down

Say They Were Brainwashed By Neighborhood Groups

By: John McClown
Crab Staff Writer

BUTCHERS HILL / FELLS POINT – In an admission of guilt, a group of residents that originally were a part of an effort to get rid of a local strip club are now calling their actions “a big mistake”.

“I don’t know what we were thinking,” said one of these residents. “I guess you really don’t know how good you had it until it is gone.”

This admission comes after the club, located on Eastern Ave in Upper Fells Point, has been non-operational for almost two months.

“One Saturday, we were sitting around and nothing was on TV when someone suggested we go to a skin-bar,” explained one resident. “That’s when we realized that we had shut down the only joint within walking distance. We immediately looked at each other and said ‘What have we done?’”

The club had come under tremendous pressure from residents in surrounding blocks who were complaining about everything from noise coming from the club to alleged “illegal lap-dancing” occurring inside.

The efforts were taken up by several community action groups including the Fells Point and Butchers Hill Community Associations who were trying to lobby the city to have th club’s liquor license revoked. The group of residents regretting these actions was originally involved with the associations’ efforts.

“They had us brainwashed that if we didn’t get this club out of here that we were going to be all sent to certain damnation,” said the same resident. “They said things like ‘Your house won’t be worth two cents if you allow a strip club to be this close,’ I just didn’t know what to do.”

Now, many residents are starting to think they have done more harm than good by driving the club out of business.

“For one thing, it’s less tax revenue,” declared the same resident. “But most importantly, if I want to get drunk and see naked women, I need to take a cab to one of those clubs on Broadway, when I used to be able to just walk to the club and stumble home.”

While most of these residents missing the club are men, there are some women who also share the same sentiments about the club.

“Hey, who said women can enjoy watching other women dance?” said one female resident. “I loved going there and I miss it as much as any man does.”

When calls were placed to the leadership of both associations asking about the brainwashing claims and how they gained proof of their lap-dancing claims, no comment was given.

“I guess they must have seen it ‘first-hand’,” said the regretful resident. “But in any case, screw them because having no skin-bar close by sucks big time. I am so sorry for what I did.”

This is part 2 of a 3 part series.