State of the block

Over the past year or so I have actually been to the clubs on the block in Baltimore several times, but haven’t written any reviews since I didn’t think I had anything new to say. On Saturday August 17, 2019 I was back to the block and in particular visited Indulge, which was a “new” club, at least to me. I present the following as a review of Indulge but will also include short reviews of several other clubs I visited the same day. I visited Indulge from about 4:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. As I was about to enter the doorman asked if I was familiar was Rob from the Red Room and when I said I was he told me that Rob (and Scotty) from the Red Room had moved to Indulge along with some of the dancers. Now I actually already knew this having read zero100’s recent review here on tuscl. The doorman went on to say it’s just like Red Room, but a bigger and better location! Well actually that may be at least a bit of hyperbole.

As stated before Indulge is in the space previously occupied by Little Darlings, in the basement of the same building that houses Hustler Club upstairs and an adult store at street level. The club is a rectangular space, long edge along the street side. At the bottom of the stairs as you come into the club there is a window, not now being used, that looks like it was the place where cover was collected and a coat check. In his review mafeditor says this was being used as a lap dance space, I was wondering about that. Most of the club space is taken up by an oval shaped bar with a stage and pole in its middle. At the entrance end there is a raised area with a couple of booths that look like they were the reserved area you see in a lot of clubs. There are a few flashing lights in the ceiling and a few TVs along the walls. It appears that the new management has spent little or nothing on fixing up the place. The ceiling looks beaten up and some of the bar stools had patched upholstery. Along one wall was a door with a sign saying entrance to VIP room.

The operation of this place seems to fit the standard block bar model. Doorman/barker standing in the street trying to get people to come in. No ID check for gray haired guys like me. No cover charged. Music chosen by the dancers from an electronic jukebox. After dancing on the stage the women come around asking for tips, even when the customer is involved with another dancer at the bar and may have barely seen the stage dance. Standard block drink prices, customer drinks $9 alcoholic or not. I ordered orange juice for the $9 but at least Scotty at the bar gave me free refills so I only had to pay it once. Dancer drinks the standard $25. I wasn’t quite sure what dance prices were. Most block clubs don’t have single lap dances. Some have prices like 2 songs for $40. Most have longer periods of time like 20 minutes or 30 minutes in a not so private space. For example Red Room had $110 for 30 minutes. This is payable to the bar, and the dancer expects a tip on top of this, typically at least half the room fee. (Watch out for stripper math, I once had a stripper tell me quite seriously “half of $110 is $65, right?). Anyway I’m not sure exactly what the prices were at Indulge. The “VIP” room must be more private and higher price. Someone was going to go back there but Scotty said, wait there’s somebody back there already, so maybe just one room.