BALCONY

Atlanta has made it more difficult to operate a fully nude club since the heyday of Swinging Richard’s. Dare we expect that an Atlanta Johnson’s would return to this tradition? Tricky zoning/grandfathering laws.

My recent visit to Stag revealed a surprising vibe for a (male) strip club. You might call it pansexual/queer/genderfluid.

The loss of Swinging Richards was just plain tragic. The times I had in there….

As a frequent visitor to Portland (and many other cities to compare it to), the anxiety expressed on these posts is highly exaggerated. It’s true that the streets of Old Town and the Pearl District contain their share of houseless inhabitants, but I would certainly not be scared away. (The Uber driver, “don’t get out”? Really?)

I have loved my trips to Montreal from NYC for 25 years. But now that every night is ladies' night, proceed with awareness, fellas. Packs of high-pitched screaming bachelorettes can take hold of the atmosphere. Like last Saturday at Campus, where a particularly brazen gal got onstage herself. Barefoot, drink in hand, barking unintelligible nonsense, dress strap askew, her wanton girlfriends loving every minute. I dunno; I used to think of the Montreal strip clubs as sacred territory. I waited it out and had fun with one of the guys anyway. At the opposite end of the bar. But rarely has the feeling of a new order been so palpable.