SouthOfTheBorder

true. and where real estate is concerned - location, location, location Wilton Manors is the perfect place for it. Hard to duplicate elsewhere w same elements that make it work.

that makes sense given the different demographics of the two cities. the typical crowd at Johnson’s FTL is many regulars that spend a lot (older guys) and a steady influx of gay tourists visiting FTL. It’s busy every night they are open. FTL has been Floridas gay destination for decades. The other two clubs in FTL aren’t really completion for Johnson’s imo. Johnson’s Tampa will have to survive more as a novelty because the gay money is just not there. I’d bet that there is some investor that backed the Tampa club - the owner in FTL is way too smart to put his own money there. Johsnons FTL is like a never ending ATM. Johnsons Tampa is like someone bleeding out.

I wouldn't want to live in SF now, under current conditions. but, I have many fond memories from living there years ago. historically SF has extreme boom & bust cycles - this is just another one with a different twist. It always comes back. It's still the most beautiful American city in a region rich with natural abundance & the best universities in the world. I think it's very strange time in the US when many Americans are wishing for the big cities to fail. As cities are the economic drivers for the nation - be very careful what you wish for. As is typical, people don't understand the consequences. Kind of like Brexit - all sounded great as a taking point until the reality hit them in the face.

this assumes the pics & profiles are real - which they are not I’m over 60 and get hit on all the time & usually by younger guys into Daddys, altho closer to my age too. tbh - I just don’t have that much interest anymore & sex with strangers is a lot of work. I have zero interest in going through the motions just to have sex with random people. the exception is when I hire or go to rentboy saunas I think it’s way more about energy & attitude vs physical appearance. a little self-confidence goes a long way too.

I really can’t believe they opened Johnson’s in Tampa & I don’t see how it can be viable there. Johnson’s FTL works because of the large affluent retired gay community in close proximity to the club - Tampa doesn’t have that. Also, Johnson’s FTL draws customers from a much bigger metropolitan area including W Palm & Miami - the club is about equal distance from those two cities - Johnson’s FTL doesn’t have similar positioning. And the overall gay community in S Florida is huge with Johnson’s FTL is located in the epicenter. Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater gay community is much smaller. Plus, the dancers all have to be incentivized to go to Tampa given they won’t make the money as they do in FTL. None of them will want to live in Tampa - it’s not comparable to living in S Florida in any way.

well - you got one thing right. yes, smaller portions & noticeably fewer fat people in Europe. which means significantly less health issues related to obesity & another reason Europeans live longer. Social Security doesn’t mean much when the life-expectancy continues to plunge. Covid, fentanyl, suicides, etc - the reasons don’t really matter because it’s not happening in other rich developed countries. https://www.forbes.com/sites/omerawan/2023/01/25/has-the-obesity-epidemic-gotten-out-of-hand-in-america/

not really - entrepreneurs will flourish no matter where they are. I’ve used European health care - it’s just fine & haven’t experience any waits. It was actually easier to see a doctor than the US. and prescriptions are a fraction of the price. the people live longer & healthier too because there aren’t all the additives & preservatives in the food. you’ve bought way too much of the propaganda and evidently haven’t experienced any of these things yourself.

In NYC - always a real tree. Because whomever is selling them in the street is likely to be French Canadian & they will deliver to your home. Let’s just say they have been extremely friendly & open to hospitality

you’d be surprised at how inexpensive southern Europe is compared to major American cities. So, it’s all about your own individual point of reference. compared to NYC - anywhere is S Europe is about 30%- 40% of the cost. And it’s way better in almost every way. Food, weather, people - you name it.

Intersting to note that Spunk doesn’t operate that way. They don’t charge for each private dance. They charge a cover at the door & probably get a % of the drinks sold. The difference is Spunk doesn’t own the venue at Monster vs Johnsons is a single operator. Luis Gomez started Spunk years ago doing one night only and he now does several nights of the week at Monster. A successful nightclub operator knows it’s not good business to make the customers feel like they’d getting ripped off. New Yorkers would never pay $15 to the house + $20 for each private. That just means whoever pays it has no other good options.

yes & yes he’s in his 20s. who didn’t make mistakes back then ? other than setting himself up to be audited, not a big deal but, I wouldn’t hire someone like him. the minute I see the expensive sneakers, huge sunglasses & designer bags in profile pics, I lose interest. It’s not sexy or interesting at all. there’s a certain look some of the young ones have & it’s an instant turn-off. super easy to spot if you’ve seen it a few times. all of that conspicuous consumption reeks of narcissism and that means poor to mediocre sex.

this all true. However, that’s not the typical provider career trajectory Just go to RM (or similar) and sort by age: majority are less than 30 yrs old or they claim to be less. The number of providers drops off significantly after age 30 and again after 40. There are very few 40 - 50 and almost none over 50. This isn’t disrespect for older providers…it’s just the facts based on online resources. I prefer providers over 35 and am very familiar how few there are, depending on location. And stands to reason if there are very few working guys over age 40, then very few have made it a longterm successful career & were able to completely retire. On the flip side, the guys over 40 in my experience, tend to be more professional, serious & treat the job as a real career. If someone approaches their work that way and is careful with their money, then entirely possible to retire. I think the markets are flooded with young guys thinking being a provider is easy money & try it for a while until they move on to something else. Or they figure out it’s not easy money and it’s not a good fit for their skill sets. I’ve known some that have traditional jobs or in school and only do it part-time for extra income. The guys who are true professionals and do this work long-term are few & far between. My sense is those are the guys you go when you want to be guaranteed a great experience.

It's a complicated topic & there may be urban/rural & localized differences as to why American students are falling behind. But overall, that is the trend nationwide. Some states are better than others tho. Blame it on schools, families, support, community, state, social media, phones, etc or some combination - it matters I guess, but the outcome is the same: American students are falling behind other rich developed country students. Sent from my iPhone

if the weekend is the same as Coachella - all bets are off re; traffic or anything else. Those two weekends draw the biggest crowds from LA for the entire year. If going against the Coachella traffic or rush hour commutes - you might get lucky. The drive from LA to PS is always challenging in best conditions.

Boardwalk, Johnson’s & LeBoy can all be fun - the people watching alone is worth going. As has been discussed here before - exercise extreme caution w wallet & phone in Boardwalk. They have a deserved reputation for stealing from customers. Not a fan of the “lap-dances” tho at any price - just like straight strip clubs it’s the quickest way to separate you & your money with no actual sex. The fantasy is you can have sex but it will never happen in those places. I’d only do it as a final check if I was hiring someone from there.

plan several days ahead if you want a confirmed appointment. same day seems impossible. prepare for language barrier - the translation apps help, but not much. very little English spoken compared to other major tourist cities.

when scheduling, just let the provider know you have plans later & if more than 30 minutes late - then you will cancel. problem solved

a provider friend once told me if the client is either a) texting several times questioning ETA or b) texting because they are lost - they know it’s not going to be a good appointment.

before mobile phones - people managed just fine without the need for constant communication. they even traveled the world without maps, texting, translation apps, etc. Not so difficult to make it across town for an appointment. I think there is way too much reliance on phones when a little common sense will do. Schedule a time & show up - not complicated.

It’s about planning & knowing your body. There could still be minor issues, but those are usually fixable in the moment with preparation 2-3 hours prior. I think it goes a long with providers understanding if they know there was an effort vs none at all. Hiring doesn’t come cheap - I don’t know why any client wouldn’t prepare properly to get the most “bang for the buck” When I used to do hookups years ago & I was top - I always told the guys to take extra care with preparation because I’m exceptionally big. More than a gentle hint. If there were any questions, it usually came up then. I’m tolerant with these things - but I do expect basic hygiene. Fairly certain I was a provider in a previous life

No-shows happen in every profession where scheduled appointments are the norm. It’s just life. The issue arises for any professional when no-shows become a pattern and disrupt the business. If some professionals in same type business experience significantly more no-shows that others, then it’s time to look at how the professional screens clients and the booking process. I can see where providers may experience more no-shows than doctors/lawyers - yet, some providers do not seem to have the same no-show issues described here. It’s always helpful to look at the things the professional can be change & adjust accordingly vs just blame the clients. I’ll bet no-show clients in provider context are much more frequent in small cities vs large urban centers where hiring is less frequent & clients may have less experience. If a provider is operating in those type market areas and no-shows are more prevalent - then that’s a cost of doing business because it is a choice. I can’t ever remember being a no-show to a provider because those appointments stand-out to me. I can remember being a no-show to a dentist once or twice where the appointments are booked 6-months in advance with no reminders. Humans are imperfect - sometimes we just forget even with the best intentions. And things happen that just prevent a client from arriving at appointment on-time. Either way, a call to the professional is appropriate with an explanation & apology.

this is part of the problem. Americans go into debt for an otherwise unaffordable lifestyle - buying homes & things can go far beyond a basic function. The much larger American homes of today perfectly illustrates that point. The need for bigger homes & corresponding “stuff” is not a thing in most other places, where the basic sizes really haven’t changed at all. and then when there’s too much stuff - Americans put it in paid storage for months/years without thinking twice. It makes no sense.

just wait till AI is fully rolled-out & millions of jobs are no longer required. Im losing track of just how long the “experts” have been predicting a recession. It’s beyond ridiculous. Of course they will eventually be right if they keep it up long enough - it’s clickbait at this point.

I’m retired and spend at least 6 months of every year traveling the world. Once you get out of the US & stop buying the propaganda that everything American is the best - you will quickly see many other countries are superior in many ways. Actually in almost every way. The US is a nation in decline. It wasn’t inevitable, but it was predictable because empires always collapse throughout history. You just happen to be witnessing the American Empire collapse in real time. Just like the Roman, Spanish, Portuguese & Soviet empires before it. I’d give it less than 10 years. Since you’re the OP & since you asked the question - I felt it was ok to answer. Even tho you took the topic sideways. Maybe you should start a new thread ?

typical American viewpoint. Money = success/happiness. Boring & cliche. Next