Yoda and I seem to be the only two people her who ever mention clubs in the Northeast (including MD if I can stretch things a little.) I happen to think that Providence, Philadelphia and Baltimore are among the best clubbing cities in the US, and Philly arguably is the best because of it's wide variety - you can find anything here, all the way from super-fancy gentlemen's club to the super raunchy, and everything in between. Just out of curiousity, how many of you have ever done any extensive clubbing in any of these three cities? If you haven't you're missing something.
FONDL, The problem with so many of the clubs outside of DC, including Showcase, is there's no dayshift. I hate packed clubs on the weekends and weeknights they don't open till 8 or 9. That's almost my bedtime on a school night.
And just for the record "Much better than anything DC has to offer" is a pretty low threshold. I like the DC clubs more as a bar and place to hang out after work. I only marginally consider them strip clubs. Closer to a peep show given the size of the stages and the ammount of "dancing" that goes on.
AN, it's a couple of exits west of Highway Playground, if HP is the place I think it is (open 24 hours, XXX bookstore in front?) I made the same mistake the first time I went looking for Filly Corral. And believe it or not, I had a very nice time at HP, but I'd never go back, it's a real dump. Anyway, Filly Corral is about as different from HP as you could possibly get. Problem is (or at least used to be) FC is only open about 4 nights a week.
You can see Filly Corral to the right as you approach the exit heading west, but you won't realize it's a strip club from there. There's a big gas station that sits up on a little hill to the right, and what looks like a Denny's kind of restaurant is right behind the gas station. That's it. Very attractive and friendly girls dancing nude on stage (must be BYOB but I don't remember), great LDs for $20. Much better than anything DC has to offer. It's been several years since I've been there so it may have changed.
FONDL, I went looking for it once, and I think I hit the wrong club. I think I went to the Hiway playground. I wasn't impressed and left quickly and I haven't tried again since, even though I drive through there about once a month.
AN, just curious but have you ever been to the Filly Corral Showbar south of Pittsburgh? I think it's the best club in PA (although I haven't been to all of them yet) and one of the best clubs in the US, but nobody here seems to know about it. Highly recommended.
I consider myself in the northeast, but I guess being south of the Mason-Dixon line I'll have to concede the point and console myself as being from the northeast, although according to Rand McNally, the midwest starts at Pittsburgh.
I have very little clubbing experience in the NE, despite a few years in New Haven (I was blissfully co-habitating at the time). I will say that I agree with both FONDL and Chandler. Service tends to suck on the east and west coast, and NYC often seems like the epicenter of rudeness on that basis. I have also found New Yorkers (in the sense of the city, not the state) have the capability that Chandler alludes to, to be very open and charming to tourists who visit what they consider the greatest city on earth. I have a soft spot for NYC, but I have to say of all the major cities I've visited (Boston, NYC, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Cleveland, Chicago, Jacksonville, Miami, Birmingham, Houston, San Antonio, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacremento...I don't include Pittsburgh since I'm a native not a visitor) Chicago was by far the friendliest. Good hotdogs too.
Oh, yes, the topic. As I said I think I have ever hit a club in eastern PA, Baltimore (to stretch it), or anywhere from New Jersey up to Boston. I've often thought of doing a Bones type field trip from Baltimore up to Philly, into New Jersey, hit NYC just to say I had, maybe stop off in New Haven to see my old neighborhood and hit a club or two for the heck of it (and to get some pizza), visit Yoda's stomping grounds, then up to Boston for the finish. Depending on how the trip up went I then might hit a few more on the way back. Some day...
T-Bone, I agree with your comments about Northeast ladies having lousy attitudes. This is the primary reason why, over a period of a couple of years, I have stopped buying dances from American dancers in my home clubs. I only do Brazilian and Asian and attitude is the primary reason. The last American girl I bought a dance from was over two years ago at a club in Oxnard California-she was a sweetheart, nothing at all like the local girls in my area.
I'm not saying that every American Born dancer in the NE is a bitch but after a while I got tired of trying to beat the odds and just decided to stick with what was working for me.
I meant to add: Although the proximity-to-NYC rudeness factor hasn't bothered me in other activities, I can appreciate how it could be bad for stripper attitudes.
FONDL, even long before you posted about all the neighborhood titty bars in Philadelphia, I've imagined the Northeast as a area rich for exploration someday for its clubs. To begin with, I love the region even aside from all that because of its beautiful (to me) old, storied cities and diverse culture. The three cities you mention happen to be ones I've never been to. I know New York the best, but it never occurred to me to go into any of the theatres I used to walk by in Times Square (before they cleaned it up) or over in Chelsea.
BTW, I've never found New Yorkers to be unfriendly. Sure, you won't get too many syrupy Have-A-Nice-Days there, but I'm perfectly at home with that. NYC's famed rudeness is usually just saying what you mean directly, which saves a lot of time on a crowded island. Underneath that, they're as friendly as anyone. And Parisians are incredibly friendly. They're French, and French people have a peculiar sense of pride, justly so, in my opinion. They don't suffer fools gladly, such as crass Americans who expect their great city to be a theme park. Understand that much and show a tiny bit of respect as a visitor, and they open up to you as warmly as any people.
I live in MA, and go to Providence RI all the time. I also travel frequently to Philly. I agree w/ original poster. Those tweo cities are GREAT! Sorry haven't been to Baltimore.
Next time in Philly, Check out Club Oasis near the airport. I usually stay in center city, but Club Oasis is worth the $25 cab ride.
In RI, try K2U in WARWICK. Its not as good as Club Oasis, but they have decent food and Cheap beer. Oh and a RI special LDs.
I know this aint the place for reviews, but I give both good reviews each time I go there!
T-bone, let me expand my previous answer to you with another huge generalization. It's been my observation that the further you get from NYC the more polite people are, at least until you get to California. I regard NYC as the Paris of the US and the epicenter of rudeness.
Nothumbs, just wondering which clubs you've been to. I've been a regular at Gentlemen's Gold Club and also at McDoogals, both pretty good clubs depending on what you're looking for. I've also been to many of the other clubs in the area, exept for the Block - I don't do the Block.
Minnow, I haven't done any clubbing this year. As I've noted previously, I kinda got tired of clubs in general and have been getting massages regularly instead. Maybe I'll get back to clubs again one day soon. But when I do, for personal reasons that have nothing to do with which city's clubs I like better, I tend to do it in Baltimore much more frequently than in Philly - it's been a couple of years since I've been to a Philly area club.
T-bone, huge generalization or not, I tend to agree with you. But there are enough exceptions around here that I've never found it to be a problem. And it's less of a problem if you avoid the GC's.
FONDL - This is a huge generalization and not always true....
But in my experience, Northeast ladies tend to have a shittier attitude than most. I'll take Southern girls & West Coast girls any day over NE girls. Having grown up in Philly, I can attest to this.
I'm new here on the board and still working my way around some of the clubs here in Baltimore. I've only been to three or four, but I've enjoyed each of them. One day I'd like to go for a drive up I-95 to Philadelphia and New York to see the differences, but that kind of sounds like a LOT of money!
FONDL- If a slew of Philly, etal stripclubs are so great, then why don't I see a slew of 8&Up reviews on those places authored by you?? 10 mos. is a long time between club reviews.
FONDL, I've thought about venturing further afield, but I doubt anything will change significantly in my clubbing habbits till I retire. I really like to save my days off for something more like a vacation.
AN, I agree. That's why I used to hang out at Choo Choo's in Waldorf, it's the only place I know of in MD outside of BAltimore that has laps that's open during the day (they open at 2 pm and the laps used to be $10.) That's where I met my ATF. There are several neighborhood-bar-type places in Baltimore that have the same thing.
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You can see Filly Corral to the right as you approach the exit heading west, but you won't realize it's a strip club from there. There's a big gas station that sits up on a little hill to the right, and what looks like a Denny's kind of restaurant is right behind the gas station. That's it. Very attractive and friendly girls dancing nude on stage (must be BYOB but I don't remember), great LDs for $20. Much better than anything DC has to offer. It's been several years since I've been there so it may have changed.
I have very little clubbing experience in the NE, despite a few years in New Haven (I was blissfully co-habitating at the time). I will say that I agree with both FONDL and Chandler. Service tends to suck on the east and west coast, and NYC often seems like the epicenter of rudeness on that basis. I have also found New Yorkers (in the sense of the city, not the state) have the capability that Chandler alludes to, to be very open and charming to tourists who visit what they consider the greatest city on earth. I have a soft spot for NYC, but I have to say of all the major cities I've visited (Boston, NYC, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Cleveland, Chicago, Jacksonville, Miami, Birmingham, Houston, San Antonio, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacremento...I don't include Pittsburgh since I'm a native not a visitor) Chicago was by far the friendliest. Good hotdogs too.
Oh, yes, the topic. As I said I think I have ever hit a club in eastern PA, Baltimore (to stretch it), or anywhere from New Jersey up to Boston. I've often thought of doing a Bones type field trip from Baltimore up to Philly, into New Jersey, hit NYC just to say I had, maybe stop off in New Haven to see my old neighborhood and hit a club or two for the heck of it (and to get some pizza), visit Yoda's stomping grounds, then up to Boston for the finish. Depending on how the trip up went I then might hit a few more on the way back. Some day...
I'm not saying that every American Born dancer in the NE is a bitch but after a while I got tired of trying to beat the odds and just decided to stick with what was working for me.
BTW, I've never found New Yorkers to be unfriendly. Sure, you won't get too many syrupy Have-A-Nice-Days there, but I'm perfectly at home with that. NYC's famed rudeness is usually just saying what you mean directly, which saves a lot of time on a crowded island. Underneath that, they're as friendly as anyone. And Parisians are incredibly friendly. They're French, and French people have a peculiar sense of pride, justly so, in my opinion. They don't suffer fools gladly, such as crass Americans who expect their great city to be a theme park. Understand that much and show a tiny bit of respect as a visitor, and they open up to you as warmly as any people.
Next time in Philly, Check out Club Oasis near the airport. I usually stay in center city, but Club Oasis is worth the $25 cab ride.
In RI, try K2U in WARWICK. Its not as good as Club Oasis, but they have decent food and Cheap beer. Oh and a RI special LDs.
I know this aint the place for reviews, but I give both good reviews each time I go there!
Minnow, I haven't done any clubbing this year. As I've noted previously, I kinda got tired of clubs in general and have been getting massages regularly instead. Maybe I'll get back to clubs again one day soon. But when I do, for personal reasons that have nothing to do with which city's clubs I like better, I tend to do it in Baltimore much more frequently than in Philly - it's been a couple of years since I've been to a Philly area club.
T-bone, huge generalization or not, I tend to agree with you. But there are enough exceptions around here that I've never found it to be a problem. And it's less of a problem if you avoid the GC's.
But in my experience, Northeast ladies tend to have a shittier attitude than most. I'll take Southern girls & West Coast girls any day over NE girls. Having grown up in Philly, I can attest to this.