Gold Club

The Gold Club is in downtown Philadelphia near upscale shopping, hotels, and restaurants. However, the club entrance is off the main street, down a narrow alley and past a row of garbage dumpsters. Not a pretty sight, but it doesn’t seem unsafe.

Cover charge was $5. Inside, the club is very small. The main club area is a rectangular room, maybe 30 x 40. The restroom is immediately to the right next to the entrance. The small bar is just past the restroom entrance. The small stage with a waist high rail is along the right wall. The club is not fancy, but is appears well kept and has a decent appearance overall. It’s definitely not a dive.

I ordered a $5 domestic beer at the bar and looked around. At about 9:30 p.m., there were maybe a dozen customers, all white except for one black guy in a business suit at the other end of the bar. He was drunk out of his mind, talking loudly to himself, and attempting to start incoherent conversations with other patrons, who mostly ignored him, as did the club staff. Most of the other patrons were your average middle class looking guys.