Baltimore notes - "The Block"

I was in Baltimore for a few days and visited "The Block" several times while there. I don't have enough to say to warrant reviews of the handful of clubs I checked out, so figured I'd just post some thoughts here.

The Block is an unusual street. Most of the it is just one strip club after another. At night the street fills with people, and the police show up to block traffic off from running down it. I don't know that I've ever seen so many strip clubs packed into such a small space before.

The first club, walking from the west to the east, is listed here as "Foreplay Gentleman's Club" with an icon that's for a Hustler club. This was closed, apparently for good.

Next door, and down some stairs, is Indulge. That club was a bit larger than the others, with a stage behind a rectangular wrap-around bar. I went down several nights at different times. There was never anyone there at all, except once when there were three guys there drinking and one other time when there was a single bored dancer. I tried near midnight, thinking 10pm was too early, but even then it was empty.

The other clubs were all from the same mold, and generally had at most a few dancers in them. The basic pattern was a narrow space with a bar running the length, a stage behind the bar, and stool/chairs along it. They had no cover. Several had people standing out on the street saying "Come check us out, it's free" as I walked by. They generally charged $10 for a bottle of water. They all charged $25 for a "dancer drink" which bought her attention for a short time.

The dancers were not particularly attractive. Some looked a bit rough around the edges. But several were at least cute and they varied a bit from thin to curvy. The $25 drink varied in what it purchased. One dancer gave me something resembling a lap dance with some twerking and sort of ramming her ass back against me while she sucked down her drink. Another took her time and chatted and offered a bit of light petting.

Club Pussycat had three or four dancers there each time I visited. I got a dance with a friendly dancer with a Jersey accent. This was $80 to the bartender and then something else to the dancer. She wanted $80 for herself too. The dance was roughly 15 minutes on a couch behind some beaded curtains. The mileage was pretty good. She let my hands wander and attempted to grind with enthusiasm but with little technique. She did a bit of light stick shifting and suggested a much more complete experience in VIP.

I never managed to hit the Block in the afternoon, so I don't know how its character changes. At night the street was often quite busy, but the clubs were not (at least the half dozen I stepped into as I toured the street). I ended up having a relaxed time chatting and getting a fair dance from one friendly dancer, but found most of the clubs empty and a waste of time. I would never make a trip there, but if I was again staying in downtown Baltimore I'd probably throw the dice and check it out.