Northern Kentucky topless bars not topless anymore
samsung1
Ohio
Number dwindles as bikinis become the rule
COVINGTON - There's less to meet the eye than there used to be in Covington's three remaining go-go bars.
The clubs where the women used to go topless with strategically placed pasties recently have had their dancers wearing bikini tops and bottoms, keeping both on throughout their routines. Some call them "bikini bars."
Meanwhile, there are significantly fewer places to see semi-naked women dancing in Northern Kentucky than a decade ago.
Newport, once known as "Sin City" and renowned for its strip clubs and pornography in the 1970s and 1980s, still had nine adult-entertainment businesses along Monmouth Street in mid-1991. Now there are two, the Brass Ass and Brass Bull, both in the 600 block.
Others have vanished this decade in Covington, which now has the three bikini bars.
The disappearances happened through a combination of factors. Local governments in some cases have bought establishments, occasionally after raising the likelihood that eminent domain would be used to force owners to sell. In one instance last decade, Covington admitted to trickery involving "straw men" who bought a high-profile club on Madison Avenue.
If the owner of The Pad had known City Hall was involved in the sale, city leaders believed the transaction would not have happened.
Northern Kentucky governments, led by Newport and later by Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, also created stringent regulations to limit contact between dancers. They also have created laws that make it harder for new establishments to locate in visible places.
All gone?
In Kenton County, "We've gotten rid of sexually oriented businesses in Kenton County," Edmondson said in a recent interview about adult businesses. "It's gone."
That assessment may not be final, because a co-owner of two Covington clubs, Club Venus and La Foxx Gentleman's Club, contends government officials tricked her employees into failing to renew licenses for sexually oriented businesses.
"We used to have an adult license, and Venus was the only one left with one," said Ruth Everett, of Union, co-owner of those two clubs. "The city down there told my manager she didn't need it anymore, and she believed it, and so she didn't buy it right then, she came back and called me.
"So I told her, 'You don't trust the city, you go down there and get the license,'" Everett said. "And when she went back, they told her there wasn't any license anymore."
City licenses were no longer required because although Covington used to require licenses for sexually oriented businesses, Edmondson says that licensing was taken over by Kenton County. The county's license requirement began after its cities implemented countywide regulations that were aimed at providing as few as possible locations for adult businesses in out-of-the-way areas such as industrial parks (where clubs are unlikely to afford the rents) and in shopping centers where landlords appear unlikely to allow adult businesses as tenants.
"They did that," Everett said, "but they haven't sent us a bill, they haven't told us anything, they haven't done anything."
Instead, "they sell me a license (years ago) and then they set us up to put us out of business."
License gaps
"Basically, what has happened is the clubs have not renewed their sexually oriented business licensure," Covington Police Chief Lee Russo said. "And because they had conditional use when the city rezoned, those types of establishments or businesses are not now allowed in the areas that they're presently in."
In other words, officials contend the "grandfather" provisions that allowed previously existing adult businesses to remain no longer are in effect.
"Since they had conditional use (in zoning codes), once they allowed their permits to expire, it's the position of the county attorney that they have to apply for new licensure under the new guidelines, which means none of them would be allowed to be an SOB (sexually oriented business) in the area that they're in. But if they keep their breasts and other parts covered, that's OK.
"So what it appears at this point, we could have three less strip clubs in the city of Covington," Russo said.
"Now, they've come forward and said 'We want to be a bikini bar'," Russo said. "Because there is no zoning aspect to the bikini bar, they could literally do it. The problem with their businesses at present is they have to bring them up to the present-day code in (Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control) regulations, with open-visibility and such."
"That's what we're working with them now to do," Russo said. Some of those state regulations require that "they open up the front of those businesses so you can see into them, like a fish bowl."
Quiet charges filed
During the 1970s and 1980s in Newport, police raids were a key strategy against strip clubs, says City Manager Tom Fromme, a former longtime police chief who served in the force more than a quarter century. He believes that tactic hurt his city.
"I think bringing in all the flashing lights and being a big show and being on the front page of the paper I think reinforced a negative image of downtown and Monmouth Street," Fromme said.
Covington police took a far quieter approach in late March when they charged Everett with misdemeanor charges of operating Club Venus at 12 E. Fifth St. and Rodney's La Fox at 729 Scott Blvd. as adult businesses without licenses.
Misdemeanor charges also have been filed against dancers, including performing sexually oriented entertainment without licenses, prostitution and violating the strict codes for stage performances. No charges were filed against Liberty's Show Lounge, because: "We did not find any unlawful practice when we went in there," Russo said.
Cincinnati First Amendment lawyer Louis Sirkin, one of the attorneys representing Russo, said he could not comment on specifics of Everett's case, other than to say, "I expect to win."
Still dancing
Covington's three clubs are inhabited by dancers wearing clear-acrylic high-heeled clogs, bikinis and sometimes micro-mini skirts over them.
"We actually had a dialog going back and forth about what is an appropriate bikini, and came to an agreement with two of the establishments (not Liberty's)," Russo said. The talks determined how much of the body should be covered. Agreed-upon photos show two women in fairly conservative bikinis.
"It couldn't be a thong bikini. It almost sounded kind of silly, but we said, 'so we're all clear,' and they submitted pictures," Russo said. "And we agreed that, yes, if your staff is dressed in this way, you shouldn't have a problem."
June 12, 2010
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100…
Now Cincinnati folks are going to be even more motivated to keep driving up to Dayton for their strip club fun. They will continue to review clubs like Cheeks giving it a perfect 10 for stuff like "WOW These girls were TOPLESS and GRINDING on me!!" No wonder why dayton clubs are so well ranked. I would be giving them 10s as well if the only clubs around me were bikini bars in northern kentucky and deja vu in local cincinnati.
COVINGTON - There's less to meet the eye than there used to be in Covington's three remaining go-go bars.
The clubs where the women used to go topless with strategically placed pasties recently have had their dancers wearing bikini tops and bottoms, keeping both on throughout their routines. Some call them "bikini bars."
Meanwhile, there are significantly fewer places to see semi-naked women dancing in Northern Kentucky than a decade ago.
Newport, once known as "Sin City" and renowned for its strip clubs and pornography in the 1970s and 1980s, still had nine adult-entertainment businesses along Monmouth Street in mid-1991. Now there are two, the Brass Ass and Brass Bull, both in the 600 block.
Others have vanished this decade in Covington, which now has the three bikini bars.
The disappearances happened through a combination of factors. Local governments in some cases have bought establishments, occasionally after raising the likelihood that eminent domain would be used to force owners to sell. In one instance last decade, Covington admitted to trickery involving "straw men" who bought a high-profile club on Madison Avenue.
If the owner of The Pad had known City Hall was involved in the sale, city leaders believed the transaction would not have happened.
Northern Kentucky governments, led by Newport and later by Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, also created stringent regulations to limit contact between dancers. They also have created laws that make it harder for new establishments to locate in visible places.
All gone?
In Kenton County, "We've gotten rid of sexually oriented businesses in Kenton County," Edmondson said in a recent interview about adult businesses. "It's gone."
That assessment may not be final, because a co-owner of two Covington clubs, Club Venus and La Foxx Gentleman's Club, contends government officials tricked her employees into failing to renew licenses for sexually oriented businesses.
"We used to have an adult license, and Venus was the only one left with one," said Ruth Everett, of Union, co-owner of those two clubs. "The city down there told my manager she didn't need it anymore, and she believed it, and so she didn't buy it right then, she came back and called me.
"So I told her, 'You don't trust the city, you go down there and get the license,'" Everett said. "And when she went back, they told her there wasn't any license anymore."
City licenses were no longer required because although Covington used to require licenses for sexually oriented businesses, Edmondson says that licensing was taken over by Kenton County. The county's license requirement began after its cities implemented countywide regulations that were aimed at providing as few as possible locations for adult businesses in out-of-the-way areas such as industrial parks (where clubs are unlikely to afford the rents) and in shopping centers where landlords appear unlikely to allow adult businesses as tenants.
"They did that," Everett said, "but they haven't sent us a bill, they haven't told us anything, they haven't done anything."
Instead, "they sell me a license (years ago) and then they set us up to put us out of business."
License gaps
"Basically, what has happened is the clubs have not renewed their sexually oriented business licensure," Covington Police Chief Lee Russo said. "And because they had conditional use when the city rezoned, those types of establishments or businesses are not now allowed in the areas that they're presently in."
In other words, officials contend the "grandfather" provisions that allowed previously existing adult businesses to remain no longer are in effect.
"Since they had conditional use (in zoning codes), once they allowed their permits to expire, it's the position of the county attorney that they have to apply for new licensure under the new guidelines, which means none of them would be allowed to be an SOB (sexually oriented business) in the area that they're in. But if they keep their breasts and other parts covered, that's OK.
"So what it appears at this point, we could have three less strip clubs in the city of Covington," Russo said.
"Now, they've come forward and said 'We want to be a bikini bar'," Russo said. "Because there is no zoning aspect to the bikini bar, they could literally do it. The problem with their businesses at present is they have to bring them up to the present-day code in (Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control) regulations, with open-visibility and such."
"That's what we're working with them now to do," Russo said. Some of those state regulations require that "they open up the front of those businesses so you can see into them, like a fish bowl."
Quiet charges filed
During the 1970s and 1980s in Newport, police raids were a key strategy against strip clubs, says City Manager Tom Fromme, a former longtime police chief who served in the force more than a quarter century. He believes that tactic hurt his city.
"I think bringing in all the flashing lights and being a big show and being on the front page of the paper I think reinforced a negative image of downtown and Monmouth Street," Fromme said.
Covington police took a far quieter approach in late March when they charged Everett with misdemeanor charges of operating Club Venus at 12 E. Fifth St. and Rodney's La Fox at 729 Scott Blvd. as adult businesses without licenses.
Misdemeanor charges also have been filed against dancers, including performing sexually oriented entertainment without licenses, prostitution and violating the strict codes for stage performances. No charges were filed against Liberty's Show Lounge, because: "We did not find any unlawful practice when we went in there," Russo said.
Cincinnati First Amendment lawyer Louis Sirkin, one of the attorneys representing Russo, said he could not comment on specifics of Everett's case, other than to say, "I expect to win."
Still dancing
Covington's three clubs are inhabited by dancers wearing clear-acrylic high-heeled clogs, bikinis and sometimes micro-mini skirts over them.
"We actually had a dialog going back and forth about what is an appropriate bikini, and came to an agreement with two of the establishments (not Liberty's)," Russo said. The talks determined how much of the body should be covered. Agreed-upon photos show two women in fairly conservative bikinis.
"It couldn't be a thong bikini. It almost sounded kind of silly, but we said, 'so we're all clear,' and they submitted pictures," Russo said. "And we agreed that, yes, if your staff is dressed in this way, you shouldn't have a problem."
June 12, 2010
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100…
Now Cincinnati folks are going to be even more motivated to keep driving up to Dayton for their strip club fun. They will continue to review clubs like Cheeks giving it a perfect 10 for stuff like "WOW These girls were TOPLESS and GRINDING on me!!" No wonder why dayton clubs are so well ranked. I would be giving them 10s as well if the only clubs around me were bikini bars in northern kentucky and deja vu in local cincinnati.
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion
3 comments
i've had as hot or even hotter dances from girls in bikini bars as i have in nude bars.
Yea, because I'm sure the community would *love* to see dancers onstage in their bikinis through a storefront window...not...
Sounds like a bunch of adult businesses in KY need to hire some lawyers & sue the hell out of the local & county governments for their sneaky actions.